Right in the middle of Dubai’s finance centre, the Ritz-Carlton offers welcome respite from the punishing summer sun
When temperatures rise in the UAE, those who are smart/able enough to leave for the colder climes do so in droves. After six months of perfect weather, being outside for more than a few minutes is almost impossible. Some of the biggest five-star hotels in the UAE are – as you’d expect – resorts.
These thousand-room properties feature private beaches, swimming pools and lavish gardens, intended to help guests forget that they are in a desert. All well and good, for six months of the year.
However, what happens when the punishing sun sends temperatures to 40 plus degrees?
Traditionally, this is where the most business-savvy hotels take the lion’s share of the trade. Suddenly, a beachside villa is second to a prime location, with quick access to restaurants, malls and bars. But rating an urban property is different to a five-star luxury resort.
Facilities are second to service, and quality restaurants and club lounges trump private beaches and pools. But they also must be functional. Businessmen and women want to check in, get their work done, and get out. They spend less time in the confines of their hotel, and more time on the reason for their visit: meetings, business lunches, client dinners, and the like.
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Being able to cater to both these people – the weary business person and the luxury traveller – is easier said than done. However, it is a challenge that the Ritz-Carlton in Dubai’s International Financial Centre has set itself.
For business, it is a near perfect example of the hotel genre. It has a private walkway that leads to the heart of DIFC, with easy access to its many offices and restaurants. It’s a prime location, be it for meetings during the day or wining and dining clients at night.
Over the last few years, the Ritz-Carlton has put more emphasis on becoming a luxury destination. It has crowd-favourite restaurants, a much-celebrated spa and service that goes above and beyond what you’d expect (from both a business-centric or luxury property).
For example, look no further than the rooms. They come fully-loaded with the customary desk-side chargers for a host of business gadgets, but you don’t expect walk-in raindrop showers and room-sized closet.
The spa too is worthy of mention. It contains the ever-important fitness centre (open 24-hours), as well as treatments designed to ease jetlag or provide relaxation.
There’s even an indoor pool – with access to steam and sauna rooms – meaning you can still get your swim on, despite the exhausting heat outside.