A quick tour of the new Sofitel Downtown Dubai

The lobby at Sofitel Downtown Dubai. Photo courtesy Sofitel Downtown Dubai

The new Sofitel Downtown Dubai is now up and running in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, and we were recently treated to a tour of the new property, which looks set to prove a favourite with tourists hoping for a great view of the world’s tallest building and a direct, air-conditioned link to the Dubai Mall.

The new hotel is literally a stone’s throw from the Burj, and many rooms feature an unrivalled close-up view, as does the pool terrace and the 31st floor bar.

Guests with a few dirhams to spare might like to check into the gorgeous 29th-floor Royal Suite for an unrivalled view set in luxurious multi-roomed luxury, though they will need at least $18,000 a night for the privilege. Alternatively, there’s a secret 30th-floor private dining room hidden away among the kitchens that seats just six people, each of whom stares directly out at the tower from their cafe-style seat.

Those on a more limited budget might lie to head instead for one of the hotels signature restaurants – The Green Spices specialises in Thai food, while The Red Grill is a French-focused steak house with a plush, vaudevillian interior that recalls turn-of-the-century Paris. The 31st floor bar (named The 31) promises a regularly changing music policy and also offers a weekend package of cheeses and beverages starting from Dh95, while the fifth-floor pool terrace is set to launch a street food-inspired Friday brunch once the cooler weather arrives, complete with Asian-style carts offering their wares.

The only downside for the hotel is the presence of a large hole with a few cranes in it sitting directly in the remaining space between the Sofitel and the Burj Khalifa, suggesting that a new tower is likely to rise from the sand in the foreseeable future and somewhat restrict the currently unchallenged view. It’s both a plus and a pitfall of life in Dubai that new landmarks never seem to stop springing up, but the Sofitel can look forward to reasonably laying claim to some of the best views until then.