A worthy staycation tends to factor in a healthy dose of R&R. Staying in your home city or country often takes away the pressure – as well as the pleasure – of cramming in as many sights as your stamina will allow, signing up for as many activities as your savings can handle and eating at as many restaurants as your stomach can accommodate.
And then I visited Address Downtown.
The welcome
The invigorating scent of vetiver and cedar dominates my first impression of the property. That, and the equally heady blend of having Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain within view.
The pearlescent counters of the lobby are offset by colourful glass displays of the latest fashion from Elisabetta Franchi, Elie Saab and Manish Malhotra, among others. My family of three enjoy complimentary dates and gahwa while check-in formalities are completed, and wander around the buzzing and deceptively large reception area.
The area is broken up with nooks filled with the aforementioned window displays, plus plush seating, an excellent cafe and pastry counter, glimmering chandeliers, water installations, larger-than-life sculptures (the iridescent butterflies enthral my six-year-old) and even a grocery shop offering fresh coconut water. As such, our luggage precedes us to the room by nearly an hour.
The room
We stay in a 70-square-metre, one-bedroom Residence suite facing Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa. This has a separate bedroom and a living room with a sofa bed, plus a kitchen stocked with all the white goods, and a study with fitted floor-to-ceiling shelves on three sides. The latter is ideal for those on a working holiday, or those with children who insist on carting their stuffed toys around – or, indeed, those who need the extra room for their Dubai Mall shopping bags.
Given the space dedicated to the kitchen and study, the suite feels quite compact, with a queen bed and a shared bathroom that has a shower, rather than a tub or both – a la UAE five-star hotels.
But the space is enough for smaller families, and any quibbles I have are put to rest once I step on to the expansive balcony. The world’s tallest building feels close enough to touch, even when the world's largest choreographed fountain dances directly in our line of sight every 30 minutes. No matter that I’ve seen it several times from a distance, the ever-changing illuminated facade of Burj Khalifa is awe-inspiring at this proximity.
The neighbourhood
The time it takes to reach Dubai Mall, find parking there and eventually drag yourself away has become something of a running joke among my circle of friends. My husband and I have avoided it over the past 15 years unless we can help it. To have a pedestrian bridge that gets us to the Human Waterfall section from our room in three minutes is a revelation – primarily of my inner shopaholic.
One of the largest in the world by area, the mall stocks collections from several labels and brands not found elsewhere in the UAE. So my alter ego decided to go on a mission to browse and buy as many one-offs as 24 leisurely hours would allow, returning after each meal and once again the next day. Being able to head to and from the room as often as we liked was a game-changer.
We even had enough time to check out the excellent Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, and talk about catching a show at Dubai Opera when we return sans child, all on foot of course.
The food
All-day restaurant Italian Cetara serves a great family brunch every weekend, a steal at Dh145. It offers premium dishes such as beef carpaccio with black truffle shavings and piquant mustard; pan-seared sea bass with sweet potato puree; and profiteroles that tick both the crunchy and creamy columns.
We also sampled the Italian restaurant’s a la carte menu, highlights of which include hamachi ceviche with caviar and lemon emulsion (Dh95); baked eggplant with aged Parmesan and basil sauce (Dh80); and baby chicken with rosemary jus (Dh145), plus a vanilla panna cotta (Dh50) veritably buried under a garnish of fresh berries, for dessert. This is simple yet confident cooking was served with a sunny smile.
The space itself mirrors the service. Its airy, open-plan layout with floor-to-ceiling windows looking on to a Burj-facing terrace make it a must-reserve spot come winter.
Guests can also ask the concierge to book a spot at a sister property, so one evening we dined at Solara at Address Dubai Mall. Particularly well-executed dishes from its Arabic-Mediterranean menu include: creamy tomato prawns with garlic croutons (Dh125); Australian lamb chops with lemony couscous (Dh195); and the classic truffle pasta with porcini puree (Dh155).
An amuse-bouche of a hummus-muhammara hybrid lathered with pesto surpassed the hazelnut hummus (Dh45), while the caramelised butternut squash with harissa oil (Dh45) was a bit too sweet and cold for me.
Cetara serves a buffet as well as a tableside menu until 11am each morning. From the latter, my usual go-to of truffled-poached eggs was excellent, yet it paled in comparison to my first taste of Turkish cilbir eggs, with its mix of Greek yoghurt, toasted garlic, dried mint and burnt paprika butter elevating the dish. The menu also takes in avo-toast, acai bowls, English porridge and granola-fruit parfait.
The breakfast buffet, meanwhile, is a mix of international, Arabic and Asian cuisines – with everything from American and the full English staples, to idli, dosa, aloo paratha and chana masala from the Indian subcontinent, and freshly made manakeesh and foul medames.
A whole room doubles as the pastry corner, serving all manner of sweet and savoury breads; half a dozen types of honey and jam from home-grown brand Seedra; and even a generous gluten-free selection of individually wrapped marble, walnut and almond cakes and vegan oat protein balls.
There’s enough here for my family of three to not repeat a single dish over the two mornings of our stay.
Insider tip
While I didn’t leave the mall long enough to visit The Spa Longevity, a glance through its menu revealed treatments that go well beyond typical facials and massages.
Thermal dry floating with alternating heat and cold exposure (from Dh150), non-invasive Endospheres face therapy with micro-vibration technology (Dh630) and Light Therapy with cold atmospheric plasma (Dh350) are all worthy contenders for those prioritising rest and recuperation during their stay at Address Downtown.
The verdict
The hotel is a microcosm of the multifaceted Dubai life, offering everything from cultural and family activities to excellent dining and spa facilities, and – given its proximity to Dubai Mall – the chance to shop but not drop.
Bottom line
Rates at Address Downtown start from Dh1,500 per night, depending on room category and season. Check-in is from 2pm, checkout is at noon.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time
