Address Downtown Dubai
The perfect base in Downtown Dubai.
81/100 | A TIER
See my detailed evaluation here. Learn more about my methodology.
The Address Downtown Dubai (left), the Palace Downtown (middle) and the Dubai Fountains as viewed from the Burj Khalifa’s Atmosphere Restaurant. Partially in frame is the gargantuan Dubai Mall (leftmost building)
Introduction
The Address Downtown was the third hotel and the first truly downtown hotel on my 10 day trip to Dubai. The Address Downtown is part of the Address Hotels and Resorts chain, the flagship hospitality brand of Emaar Hospitality Group, who are a subsidiary of Emaar Properties. Emaar Properties is an Emirati multinational real estate development company and is traded on the Dubai Financial Market. If you’ve been to Dubai, you probably know who Emaar are. Look in any direction and you’ll see towering buildings with their name at the very top. It’s impossible to miss.
In fact, they are the main developers (and owners) of the entire Downtown Dubai area. That includes the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, the Dubai Fountain, and the dozens of residences and hotels that surround it. I hadn’t heard of Emaar or any of its projects prior to coming to Dubai, and was very excited to see how the Address brand (and its flagship hotel, the Address Downtown) would stack up to Asian hospitality brands (my absolute gold standard). After 6 nights of being consistently impressed at almost everything I experienced, I had high expectations.
For this stay, I booked a Club Premier Fountain View room. The Fountain View portion of that last sentence is perhaps the most important part for me, as I mainly chose the Address Downtown over its newer sister properties because of the allure of having a balcony with a direct view of the Dubai Fountain. Regrettably, like at the Waldorf Astoria and Shangri-La before it, I did not make much use of the Club Lounge at all. Finally, the rate I booked included select activities, breakfast, and either lunch or dinner at any of the Address hotels’ restaurants in Dubai (I think there are 8?) and the Armani Ristorante in the Burj Khalifa. This was a fantastic decision, which I’ll elaborate on later in this review.
Arrival
As is the norm while we were in Dubai, we took an Uber Black to get to the hotel. It was an easy 5 minute ride from the Shangri-La Dubai. The Address Downtown does not have many reviews on the internet, so my pre-booking research was not as fruitful as it was for the other properties on this trip. Therefore, while I was hoping for the best, I had limited expectations for this property. Pulling up to the hotel, the first thing I noticed was the location. It is literally around the corner from the Dubai Mall, right in the middle of the Downtown Dubai area. The entrance to the hotel was also elegant, with a water feature in the middle of the driveway. While someone did help with our bags, no one really interacted with us other than that. I found the check-in area on my own and had to wait a few minutes because there was only one lady working the four available check-in desks. Safe to say, not the best first impressions as far as service/soft product goes. The hard product, though, was quite impressive. The hotel’s design heavily emphasized white marble everywhere, with natural light and high ceilings making the lobby feel bigger than it was.
When it was finally my turn to check-in, the lady helping me was friendly enough. She confirmed my booking, but did not really explain any of the facilities or my Club benefits. If I hadn’t remembered I specifically booked a Club room, I would not have known about any of my benefits. However, we were offered a cold drink and a cold towel. Honestly, I’d rather have the basics than the extras, though. The building also houses residences, and the elevators closest to the check-in area were actually the elevators leading to the residences. This wasn’t explained to us, and we had to figure out the elevators to the floors with hotel rooms were actually a little bit of a walk away from the main area of the lobby.
Unfortunately, Dubai and the Middle East in general are countries that are very strict with privacy. They are particularly sensitive about cameras in public areas. I definitely tried my best to respect this rule, so I don’t really have many pictures of the public areas of the hotel.
Club Fountain View Room
As you can tell above, I took many pictures of the room. Even though it isn’t advertised as a Junior Suite, it definitely had enough space to be one. This room is listed as 750 square feet (I’m assuming that includes the balcony). Although it technically doesn’t count as part of the room, I decided to include some of the shots I took of the Burj Khalifa and surrounding areas because they were taken from my balcony. This is the absolutely insane view I paid in excess of $550 a night to enjoy. It was so worth it. I’ll include videos of the Dubai Fountain, with the Burj Khalifa in the background at night at the end of this review. Stunning.
The room itself was great as well. Like previously mentioned, there was an abundance of space. Besides the Pearl Suite we had at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, this was the biggest room out of the four hotels we stayed at. The Deluxe Sea View Room at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai clocked in at 630 square feet, or 120 square feet less than this. The bathroom includes a large marble bathroom with separate tub and shower, two sinks, and a nice enclosed toilet. I wish more hotels would adopt the MO’s philosophy of having a completely separate toilet room though. Can you guess why?
Amenities are by Lorenzo Firenze, an Italian brand I hadn’t heard of. They do supply the Four Seasons Kyoto with their amenities as well, so it’s safe to say they are good quality. Also note the Dyson hairdryer. Nice.
Besides the bathroom, the room also included a vanity area, the standard mini-bar/safe setup, an L-shaped couch, and two double beds. This room is also the most high-tech room we experienced on this trip, with everything (besides the blinds for some reason) controllable via the iPads stationed bedside. This includes the smart TV, with Google Chromecast and AirPlay capability. Sadly, I do think the size of the TV isn’t appropriate for how big the room is. I would guess the TV is about 50”, when a 65” or even 75” TV would fit the room better. Minor issue though.
All in all, as far as the room goes, the Club Premier Fountain View room is a 9/10. The view (!!!), the technology, the size (considering this is not a suite) are top notch. Like Mr. Kesavaraj says, the two most important things about a hotel room are: (1) the view and (2) the size. Those are two categories my room excelled in.
Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain at Night
My settings must’ve been off because this video’s quality was a little bit off. But please, enjoy this view of the dancing Dubai Fountain at night. Stunning!
Breakfast at "The Restaurant"
Although the name of Address Downtown’s main restaurant doesn’t exactly exude creativity, the space itself is elegant. The views of the Burj Khalifa are fantastic, and the breakfast spread itself is quite impressive. The breakfast experience here included an a la carte menu along with a decently sized buffet spread. I have a rough 360 video of a portion of the buffet I will include at the very bottom of this review. I also didn’t take a picture of what I ate the second day, nor did I take a picture of the menus. My bad.
It was this morning that we experienced another service lapse. Although we arrived one hour after the published opening time, there was no one manning the podium at the entrance. While there were employees in the actual restaurant, no one came to assist us. We waited for a minute until I got impatient and entered the restaurant looking for someone to help. This was the way we eventually got our table. Once we were seated, the experience improved greatly. Coffees and water were refilled at first sign of an empty cup. Orders were taken and delivered efficiently. Overall, great breakfast experience. While nothing tasted exceptional, everything was good and the view definitely boosted the entire experience.
Dinner at Thiptara
Like previously mentioned, the rate I booked included lunch or dinner at any Emaar Hospitality-owned restaurant in Dubai. Although not technically part of the actual Address Downtown, one could argue that the entire Downtown Dubai area was just one big resort. Therefore, I’m going to include the dining experiences included with our rate as part of this review. We also dined at Burj Khalifa’s Atmosphere restaurant, located 1450 feet up the world’s tallest building, but this was not included in our rate. I’ll definitely include pictures of that experience at the end, though.
One of their hotels, The Palace Downtown, has a Thai restaurant called Thiptara. In Thai, Thiptara roughly means “magic on the water.” I couldn’t think of a more fitting name, because this restaurant was right in front of the Dubai Fountains and provided the absolute best views of the Dubai Fountain yet. I thought the view from my room was good, but this is in a different league. You are literally right in front of the fountains. The food was good, too. The half board package I booked included a set menu at each restaurant you visit. As usual, I didn’t take a picture of this menu but it was a lot of food. We didn’t even come close to finishing. Had we paid, the bill would’ve come to around USD $160 for both of us, or USD $80 per person.
Before I continue, please enjoy this brief clip of the view from the restaurant.
Man I love Dubai.
Anyway, allow me to explain how the dining experience works. Basically, you’re going to want to communicate where and when you’d like to dine with the Address Downtown’s concierge team. They have special pull with the restaurants around Downtown Dubai, seeing as Emaar owns all of them. This means even if restaurants say they are full, chances are you’ll still be able to get a table through the concierge. This was our experience, as we booked the Thiptara dinner at 6pm and were at the restaurant by 8pm. The same thing happened the next day with the more popular Armani Ristorante, which I’ll get to in a bit.
The service I experienced at Thiptara was fantastic. It was very professional, but warm at the same time. As soon as I gave them my name (and maybe I experienced some sort of VIP treatment as a hotel guest?) they addressed my father and I by “Mr. Tedja” and were almost excessively polite. However, while the service at Thiptara was truly world class, it could not compare to what I experienced at the Armani Ristorante.
Dinner at Armani Ristorante
The Armani Ristorante is located on the first floor of the 163-floor, 2722-foot (830m) Burj Khalifa. People who know me understand my preference to avoid Italian food at all costs. This was a rare exception, where the allure of dining at a designer brand’s restaurant was simply too strong for me to overcome. A set menu was provided with our rate, and everything tasted quite good like everything else we had eaten so far in Emaarland aka Downtown Dubai. What really stood out was the exceptional service. I’m used to being welcomed my name when arriving at a hotel, but in my 21 years of memory I don’t think I’ve experienced this at a restaurant. Unlike Thiptara before it, I didn’t have to mention my name. They just knew it was me. Throughout the meal, the servers were exceptionally polite and attentive. The ambiance of the restaurant was extremely elegant, with curves of gold and brown decorating the space. I watched as a server set up a table. He took a few minutes to ensure every piece of silverware was aligned perfectly.
One interesting moment happened when my dad was served a dish without a fork. We asked for a fork and the server immediately seemed flustered and profusely apologized for his mistake. We were both taken aback- we really didn’t think this was a big deal. I assured him it was no big deal and he apologized yet again. Before the next course, not only did the maître d' come to our table, but the chef and the same server came to apologize yet again together. Honestly, every time I tell this story now I can’t help but laugh because it all seems so unnecessary. Makes for a great story though.
I really don’t want people to get the wrong impression here though. Things were not so uptight here. We were able to have a nice conversation with our server about his background, and it was quite interesting to hear the stories of the multinational team at the Armani Ristorante. As we were served the dessert course, the chef came out again and asked for any feedback we had for him and his team. For me, this signals someone who truly cares about his work and strives to improve on a daily basis.
By the way, because this restaurant is located in the Burj Khalifa, we had a great view of the Fountains again. Not as good as Thiptara though.
Wellness Facilities
The Address Downtown has a fantastic infinity pool setup overlooking the Palace Downtown and the Burj Khalifa, among the other skyscrapers in Downtown Dubai. Unfortunately, during my visit a new dining concept was being built which blocked the normally unobstructed views of the Dubai Fountain. I have did not take many pictures of the pool area here, but I do have a video which I’ll include at the end of this review. The Address also has spa facilities which I did not make use of.
One detail I’d like to note is that while Address guests can use any restaurant in the Address portfolio, we are not allowed to enter the pool facilities of any hotel we’d like. It’s a shame, because the pools at the Address Beach Resort and Address Sky View are probably among the world’s best, along with the Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool in Singapore.
Club Lounge
As mentioned, we had access to the Club Lounge. Unfortunately, due to jet lag (it was real bad) I did not get to experience this as much as I wanted to. The Club Lounge here is strikingly elegant, with a dress code of no shorts or uncollared shirts. They serve delicious canapés throughout the day, including afternoon tea. You could easily come here for a lunch or dinner.
We relaxed in the Club Lounge for half an hour before our dinner at the Armani Ristorante. I definitely enjoyed the ambiance, with an oversized terrace area overlooking the Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa. My dad enjoyed some wine and canapés, while I had a decaf coffee.
Service here was great as well. Over the 30 minutes we were there, we were offered food and beverage multiple times. I really wish I got to make use of this amenity more than I did, considering how much extra I paid for it…
The Dubai Mall and Other Activities
One of the main attractions of the Downtown Dubai is The Dubai Mall. Out of all my travels, this mall is far and away the greatest mall I’ve ever been to. Not only is the building itself impressively grand, the selection and quality of stores is unparalleled. Designer boutiques are multi-level in this mall, with some of the more popular ones like Hermes, Gucci, LV, having completely separate children’s boutiques. No, this isn’t technically part of the hotel. There is, however, a direct connection from the lobby to the mall so I’m using that as justification for including this here. Some of the mall’s boutiques also have displays advertising their products in the lobby of the Address Downtown.
Having the Dubai Mall at your doorstep is unquestionably one of the biggest draws of staying at the Address Downtown specifically. A plethora of restaurants are literally minutes away. For shopaholics, you can definitely spend days just at the mall walking around.
The Dubai Mall also contains one of the complimentary activities included in our rate. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is located in the mall and very impressive considering you can walk out of the aquarium into a Hermes boutique a minute later. Also included is access to the Burj Khalifa’s observation deck, which we did not have time for. These activities can be arranged by informing the Address’ concierge. They’ll deliver an envelope with tickets to your room sometime before your scheduled activity.
Conclusion
The Address Downtown is the perfect Downtown Dubai hotel. It’s newly renovated, so even though the building itself is a little older than it’s sister properties, it’s just as luxurious and contemporary. Being the flagship hotel of Address Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio, the hotel’s location is unparalleled for exploring not just Downtown Dubai but the entire Emirate of Dubai. If what you’re looking for isn’t minutes away via walking, you can call an Uber and reach your desired location within 15 minutes, max (the Palm Jumeirah is the furthest Dubai attraction I can think of from this hotel).
The hard product is fantastic, but the service isn’t quite up to par. While nothing particularly offensive happened, I thought in general, the service was not as polished as the three other hotels we visited during this trip. It was by no means bad- in fact, if you put this hotel exactly how it is in the middle of any city that isn’t in Asia or the Middle East, I’d reckon it’d be at the very top of the scene.
Because of this, I struggled a bit to rank the hotel. Hard product wise, it’s definitely S Tier. The service, while good, isn’t up to par with what I consider to be S Tier. My rating methodology places it comfortably in A Tier. I think this is appropriate.
Click here to fast forward to the aforementioned videos & photos of various experiences throughout my stay at in Downtown Dubai. Thanks for reading and be sure to reach out if you’ve got any questions!
Final Rating
Service: 18/30
Standards: 10/20
Arrival
✓ Greeted at entrance
Doors opened
✓ Bags taken
✓ Refreshments offered
Introduced to hotel facilities and room/suite
Intimacy
After interaction with staff, do they remember your preferences?
After interaction with staff, do they remember and address you by name?
Housekeeping
✓ Turndown service
Aware of whether or not you’re in the room
✓ Concierge
Attitude: 8/10
Rooms: 22.5/25
Quality 4/5
Views 5/5
Cleanliness 4.5/5
Standards 7/10
✓ Entry room larger than 500 square feet
✓ Electronic controls for room functionality
✓ Separate bathtub
✓ Rainfall shower head
✓ Reputable brand of amenities
Pillow menu
✓ Nespresso or equivalent coffee machine
✓ Balcony
Welcome amenity
Multiple welcome amenities
Facilities 16.5/20
Public space design
Lobby 4/5
Pool 4.5/5
Other Areas 4/5
Quality and Cleanliness 4/5
Food 11/15
Standards 3/5
✓ Multiple restaurants
One prestigious chef owned restaurant
✓ Breakfast buffet
✓ a la carte option with breakfast
Asian, Local, Juice, Pastry, and Western sections in buffet
Quality 8/10
Location 15/10
Standards (3 points possible, 1 point each)
Walking distance to a major mall (within one block): Literally connected to one of the most amazing malls in the world. +2 points
Walking distance to at least 4 restaurants (within one block): There are dozens of incredible restaurants within a 5 minute walk. +2 points
Walking distance to at least two major attractions (less than 10 minutes) The Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Fountain, the Dubai Mall, etc… +2 points
Safety 3/3
Walkability of surrounding area: Incredible walks to be had at night. +2 points, 6/4
Total Score: 85.5/100
Additional Photos & Videos
Above are some photos from our lunch in the world’s highest restaurant, Atmosphere Grill & Lounge in Burj Khalifa’s 122nd out of 163 floors. The service was every bit as exceptional as we experienced at the Armani Ristorante. The price for two was around USD $380. Was it worth it? Yes.
Rough 360 video (drag it around!) of the breakfast buffet.