The welcome
Driving from Abu Dhabi, finding the correct turning to bring me to this hotel is surprisingly difficult. I end up driving through the car park of Dubai Mall to exit on to Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. From there, it’s easy to find, and I’m pleased to be able to abandon my car with the valet. At 3pm, there’s a few minutes’ wait to check in, but staff are alert and competent, and the welcome is nicely understated.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is part of Emaar’s The Old Town development in Downtown Dubai, itself rather grandiosely described as “The Centre of Now”. It’s just across the road from The Palace Hotel, Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Mall, so if you’ve come here to shop or relax in the area’s many cafes and restaurants, this is the place to be.
The scene
Despite a recent designer refurbishment, the relatively small-scale hotel has a very local feel, and the attractive lobby and Courtyard are an informal hub for Arab business (I overhear one Emirati property owner discussing new British tax structures with a western adviser), and at night The Courtyard comes to life with beautiful lighting, lounge music and shisha smoke. Every table is taken. Generally, the clientele seems to be mostly male.
The room
My room is a standard deluxe on the sixth floor, overlooking The Address Downtown Dubai and Dubai Mall. It’s quiet, and as in the nearby Vida, the windows open. The room feels bigger than its 38 square metres, although the soundproofing from the corridor could be better. The bed is extremely comfortable and everything works, apart from the bath-shower transition, which needs replacing. Noise from the corridor is audible but bearable.
The service
Available and attentive, even when the hotel is busy.
The food
I have dinner in The Courtyard, with food coming from the hotel’s main restaurant, Boulevard Kitchen. The Arabic appetisers are delicious, but I’m not blown away by the main courses of sea bass (slightly dry) and the lamb shank (fatty and difficult to handle in low light). The breakfast is excellent, with a lovely selection of fresh juices and yogurts, and a tempting, hot à la carte selection. Nezesaussi, a sports bar attached to the hotel but accessed from Souk Al Manzil, is surprisingly good. The barbecue chicken wings, for Dh60, come in a large basket with an equally large basket of tasty seasoned chips. The steak sandwich (Dh70) is a soft baguette filled with sliced rib-eye and mushrooms – delicious. Beside the swimming pool, I tried the calamari (Dh45) – satisfyingly fresh and lightly battered – and the penne arrabiata (Dh65), good and enough for two to share.
Loved
The night-time atmosphere in The Courtyard.
Hated
There’s no spa, so if you arrive feeling like you need a massage, unless you feel like an unscripted outing to Dubai Mall, you’ll have to front up to the high prices in The Palace hotel opposite or SensAsia Spa in Souk Al Manzil. A four-star spa at four-star prices would be welcome.
The verdict
A good base in Downtown Dubai, especially for businesspeople.
The bottom line
Double rooms at Manzil Downtown Dubai (www.vida-hotels.com) cost from Dh869 per night, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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