The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the luxury brand’s second property in the emirate of Dubai and its first business hotel located in the prime Financial Centre district. Although after our stay we can surely say that the hotel is much more than a business hotel. As they say, it’s all about Location, location, location, and this stunning hotel has surely one of the best ones out there.
First Impressions
Set in the heart of the DIFC, one is easily drawn by its stunning traditional European architecture, which also seamlessly blends in Middle Eastern elements like Palm trees and shaded outdoor terraces. The hotel’s most prominent feature, a 10-story outdoor waterfall that cascades down the facade of the building into the courtyard, welcomes you. Walking into the opulent marble lobby, it’s hard to miss the bright purple-colored dog sitting smugly in the center of the lobby. Jack, the Dog, is just one of the 131 art pieces that feature across the property, from the Opera Gallery, as part of a unique partnership that sees the DIFC gallery loan pieces to the luxury hotel on a quarterly basis.
Rooms
The Ritz-Carlton DIFC features 341 elegantly appointed guest rooms, including 38 club rooms, 80 suites, and two royal suites. The hotel also offers the Ritz-Carlton Executive Residences, DIFC, with 124 serviced, luxury, private residences comprising one- to four-bedroom apartments. Residents have access to a range of Ritz-Carlton VIP services, including personalized services by a professional staff dedicated to the legendary Ritz-Carlton standards of service.
We stayed at the hotel’s spacious Premium Suite, which also provided Club Level access to its guests. On arrival, we were ushered to the Club Lounge on the 13th floor for a personalized check-in experience. After the quick formalities, we were taken to our room, and the room features and facilities were explained to us.
The spacious Premium suites (121-134 sq m) feature a large balcony with stunning views of the busy DIFC Gate and cozy seating spaces; two 32-inch LED TVs, 400 thread linen, and Asprey branded bath amenities, Nespresso coffee machines, and a remote desk connectivity unit.
The room was designed in subdued tones and featured some contemporary showpieces. Comfortable recliners, functional working spaces, and lovely views over the bustling city completed the room. The suite bathroom featured generous wardrobe space, twin basins, a bathtub, and a rain shower.
We were served with a complimentary fruit plate on check-in along with a bento box loaded with some exotic berries, macaroons, and white chocolate, while milk chocolates were tucked by our bed every night.
Service was impeccable despite being a busy weekend night. In true Ritz-Carlton style, the staff went out of their way to make our stay a comfortable and pleasant one with room service twice during the day and our complimentary morning coffee after our scheduled wake-up call. At every level, there is absolutely no compromise on style, food, or service. The staff’s genuine desire to make your stay memorable in a classic business hotel setting with oodles of style is surely a winning combination among Dubai’s corporate guests.
Prices for an Executive Suite start at Dh2,025 ($551), while the Premium Suite is Dh4,000 ($1.090) a night.
Club Level
Located on the 13th floor, the Club Lounge offers intimacy, comfort, and personalized service that are the hallmarks of The Ritz-Carlton. The lounge offers continuous culinary offerings throughout the day (breakfast, light snacks, hors d’ oeuvres, beverages, and sweets), various international newspapers and magazines, and internet access. While compact in size, the lounge offers all the facilities to conduct a meeting or unwind.
Leisure
To unwind and relax, the Ritz-Carlton DIFC offers a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness center and an adjoining indoor pool, with its sky-blue ceiling and soothing diffused lighting, making your swim time a relaxing one. There is also an outdoor pool on the terrace for those who would like to soak up some sun.
The hotel provides a specially tailored schedule of kid’s activities during the summers months and key holiday periods for its young guests.
The hotel is just a 5-minute walk away from the nearest Metro station giving you easy access to the city’s prominent malls. The hotel building is interconnected to the rest of the DIFC that house several prominent art galleries and restaurants and bars.
Spa
The Ritz-Carlton Spa offers a spa experience ideal for those looking to escape the rigors of city life. With 13 treatment rooms, including couples’ suites, separate ladies and gentlemen’s relaxation lounges and steam rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, it caters well to its corporate clientele. It features treatments like Deep Impact Massage, a Desert Hot Stone Massage, and Foot Reflexology.
Dining
Guests at the Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, can enjoy a wide range of upscale and casual dining experiences.
Blue Rain is the hotel’s Thai fine-dining restaurant that features a dramatic wine-wall, home to 3,000 bottles of the world’s finest varietals. The hotel’s 10-story high water feature spills through the restaurant’s center while a hand-blown glass bubble chandelier lights up the room. The menu is as authentic as it gets with several recipes inspired by those handed down through generations of Thai families. The restaurant is popular for its three-course Thai Business Lunch too.
Center Cut, as the name suggests, serves some of the finest cuts of US and Australian beef paired with some of the finest selection of wines. The décor in the restaurant is stately with ornate iron doors, dark burgundy wine, and rich butterscotch textures, and wooden floors surrounded by dark green marble. Centre Cut also offers private dining rooms for its guests.
A highlight artwork at the restaurant is Pierre Matter’s ‘Cyberbull,’ an impressive bronze sculpture of a bull that compliments the masculine hues of the décor and the nature of the cuisine.
Sunken Garden is the hotel’s alfresco venue for shisha, drinks, cocktails, and light evening meals. A calming space, it is surrounded by a landscape of palm trees and a dramatic water fountain. Popular during the Ramadan months, guests can choose from a selection of over 30 flavors of shisha. A selection of French tapas served with an impressive selection of teas, coffees, cocktails, and mocktails, making it an ideal place to relax and unwind after a busy day at work.
The No5 Lounge and Bar links the hotel to the DIFC offices through a direct walkway. With an elegant terrace, lounge-style sofas and contemporary black and white tables and chairs, the venue is easily the social hub of The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC.
Lastly, the Lobby Lounge and Terrace in the hotel’s podium level holds one of the most striking ceiling art, designed to look like crystal branches in the moonlight. The Lobby Lounge Terrace overlooks the majestic Porte Cochere and the 10-story waterfall and serves light snacks and a wide selection of wines, cocktails, mocktails, and coffees. The traditional Ritz-Carlton afternoon tea is also served here.
Meetings
With dedicated Meeting Service specialists, a wedding advisor, eight meeting rooms, an expansive ballroom that can seat up to 900 guests, and a stunning outdoor terrace overlooking a fountain and a manicured garden, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre can accommodate small and large-scale events as well as intimate celebrations.
To Splurge
The hotel has joined hands with luxury department store Bloomingdale’s to create a shopping package for guests enjoying a weekend stay in one of the hotel’s luxury suites. Called the ‘Shop with You,’ the package allows guests of the hotel’s Club, Premium and Royal Suites some retail fun, including a personal shopping session with Bloomingdale’s-Dubai style experts. Guests can choose the ‘At Your Service’ experience at the Dubai Mall store, which allows for some shopping from the comforts of your hotel suite, as the Bloomingdale’s-Dubai personal shopping team brings the latest collections from the store. Guests will also enjoy 10 percent savings on all purchases from Bloomingdale’s-Dubai, a ‘Soul to Sole’ foot massage in The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC Spa, and access to The Ritz-Carlton Club Level with complimentary internet, food, and beverage, and a private concierge service.
The ‘Shop with You’ package is available for hotel stays on Thursday-Sunday nights, and personal shopping experiences with Bloomingdale’s-Dubai must be made via the hotel, with a minimum of 48 hours- notice. Pricing is available on request.
Did you know?
The Ritz-Carlton DIFC boasts an art collection of over 130 pieces from a range of international artists spread across the property. The hotel is currently showcasing 18 sculptures from the Opera Gallery throughout the hotel, including the lobby, two of its signature restaurants, The Lobby Lounge, and the Spa. Many of the pieces are from French artists, in keeping with the French-inspired art-deco design of the hotel. Pictured here with a backdrop of an electric ceiling (in the literal sense) is ‘Sandre,’ an illusion of a floating metallic fish in a cage by a French artist.
The hotel has also commissioned Art consultancy Soho Myriad to source over 100 pieces of art, including paintings and sculptures from international artists from all over the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and the USA. Pictured above is Jack the Dog sitting in the hotel’s lobby.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 482032, Gate Village,
DIFC, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 372 2222
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Downtown Dubai in the night from our balcony.
