Sofitel Dubai the Obelisk is set to open next month, bringing a new five-star experience to the city. With clear Egyptian themes throughout, the hotel is located next door to Raffles Dubai and Wafi Mall, and <em>The National</em> has been given a sneak peek inside. The towering hotel is shaped like an obelisk, referenced in its name, and outside there is a replica of Paris's Luxor Obelisk. <strong>Click though the photos above to see inside Sofitel Dubai the Obelisk.</strong> The hotel was originally scheduled to open on Tuesday, September 15, however it is now expected to open in October; no confirmed new date has been announced. The hotel has 498 rooms and 97 serviced apartments across 51 storeys. It will have five restaurants, including signature eateries Daniel Boulud's Brasserie Boulud, Taiko – a sister restaurant to the award-winning venue in Amsterdam by Chef Schilo Van Coevorden – and The Nine, a British gastropub. Brasserie Boulud is to open in October and Taiko is scheduled to open in November. There are tributes to ancient Egypt throughout the hotel, from the decor in the lobby to the name of The Nine – a nod to the number of lives a cat is said to have – and the pool, which is in the shape of an Egyptian key of life. The hotel's interiors have been designed by WA International, but the three top suites – the Imperial, Napoleon and Cleopatra – were designed by architect Duccio Grassi, each with their own very distinct style. In the rooms, the toiletries are by Lanvin while the suites have Hermes amenities. The hotel's facilities include a outdoor pool, which offers cabanas with changing rooms and hot tubs, a gym, fitness studios, a kids' club and a spa, which uses L'Occitane products and is to offer hammam treatments. It is to be connected to Wafi Mall and a number of the facilities will be shared with Raffles Dubai. Of opening during the Covid-19 pandemic, general manager Omar Souab told <em>The National:</em> "It's true that the timing is very interesting but what we've agreed [is that] it's better to open right now and position ourselves, ready, for as soon as the ramp-up starts in the city. "We feel it's an opportunity, actually. It's definitely a challenge, the market is challenging, but if we open [and] schedule ourself as the flagship of Sofitel in the Middle East, then as soon as the curve stars to go up again, in terms of business, then we will be right there for a successful launch, hopefully." The hotel will initially have a soft opening, running up to a third of its capacity.
