REVIEW: Inside Armani Hotel Dubai

Today we'll cover the pros and cons of the ultraluxe Armani Hotel Dubai. So, sit back, and afterward, you might wanna start planning Valentine's Day for 2023. 

Pros

1. Armani Hotel Dubai is on the first 8 floors and levels 38 and 39 of the tallest skyscraper worldwide, Burj Kalifa. Opened in 2012, Burj Khalifa has a total height of 2,717 ft. The building was originally named Burj Dubai. But it was renamed in honor of the Abu Dhabi ruler and the president of the United Arab Emirates. 

Using geometries derived from a regional desert flower and Islamic architecture patterning systems, the 162-story tower is designed to evoke the beauty and elegance of the desert. The building's mass is reduced as it rises from a tripartite Y-shaped base, with setbacks occurring in an upward spiral. The centerpiece of an extensive mixed-use development, the Burj Khalifa contains offices, retail space, residential units, and the Armani hotel.
 

2. The 5-star hotel is located in Downtown Dubai, surrounded by green spaces, water fountains, and boulevards. The location is perfect for exploring some of Dubai's well-known attractions, including direct access to the Dubai Mall. It's the second-largest shopping mall worldwide and the most visited building on Earth. The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa encircle a manmade lake where you can enjoy the world's largest choreographed fountain system every hour, shooting water up to 500 ft. Some hotel rooms offer an unparalleled view of the hourly spectacle.
 

3. Armani Hotel Dubai is one of the world's only two Armani-branded hotels. The other one is in Milan, the home base of world-famous fashion designer Giorgio Armani. From elegant fabrics draped over walls to Eramosa marble and Japanese tatami wooden floors, Armani oversaw every aspect of the Dubai hotel's design and style. The hotel's couture quality aesthetics and discreet minimal opulence reflect Armani's signature palette of dark greys and neutrals, creating a serene and chic ambiance. Nowhere is this more evident than in the majestic ground-floor lobby: nestled between three glass pavilions at the base of the tower, this symmetric space reveals a remarkable, almost obscure ambiance dominated by a tubular arch construction overhead. There is also an impressive double-volume wall of jewelry displays in the lobby, which leads to Armani gift shops with fashion, jewelry, chocolate, and flowers.
 

4. With their zebra paneled wood, the ultra-stylish guest corridors are adorned with LED cove lighting at their base, giving them a look similar to a catwalk on a spaceship. The 160 rooms and suites come in 11 different categories and are entirely outfitted in Armani Casa furnishings with earthly tones and textured fabrics the designer is known for. If you're lucky, you can be upgraded to a magnificent Armani Fountain Suite with a separate living and sleeping area featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with unhindered views of the famous Dubai fountains. Offering a haven of Armani's signature luxury, the room features state-of-the-art technology, with an iPad that controls the 40-inch LCD flat-screenTV, lighting, blinds, and the room audio (as soon as the jets of water of the Dubai fountains begin, the music plays straight out of the TV). The bathroom's massive rain shower, limestone flooring, Armani monogram, white bath robes, and deliciously scented, pebble-shaped soaps add to the glamour. The minibar is stocked with complimentary cold drinks.
 

5. Reflecting Armani's lifestyle, the spa's interior design includes separate Arabian thermal areas with saunas, dry-heat aconitums, steam rooms, and relaxation and plush lounges, oval-shaped treatment rooms with adjustable massage tables. The 14 square-foot Armani Spa on the third floor creates an environment where guests can relax, refresh and invigorate themselves. Products from SkinCeuticals and Georgio Armani are for treatments specially prepared for the Armani Spa by L'Oréal.
 

6. The spa offers access to an outside deck that includes a bar, 2 rows of terribly comfy sun loungers, and a pool that wraps around one in all the building's corners. It offers incredible views of the glistering spine of the Burj Khalifa. Admittedly, it could be more important and the foremost spectacular pool in the city. Still, how the look conforms to and reflects the leaf-like curves of the Burj Khalifa within which it's housed is doubtless spectacular. Another pool in Burj Khalifa's price sorting out, too. Perked up on the 76th floor and a part of the Armani Residences (not the hotel), it offers glorious views of virtually all of the city.
 

7. The “warm, Italian-style service" sets this hotel apart, providing guests with a “home-away-from-home” experience. Every guest is assigned a Lifestyle Manager, or personal butler concierge, who handles everything from arranging childcare to booking the hottest restaurant tables in the city. The young staff at his hotel is clearly very well-selected and well-trained. They make you feel welcome in a way that seems more genuine and relatable than at other hotels.
 

8. The Armani Hotel is the megacity’s hotspot for dining. It features five caffs, offering a taste from Japan, India, Italy to the Mediterranean.

• Armani Ristorante is the hostel’s flagship dining venue, an ultramodern Milanese- style eatery offering Italian cookery in open spaces and private apartments girdled by exquisite selections of the finest wine.
• Armani Mediterraneo, elegant in its restrained tones and rich textures, is the hostel’s casual eatery, offering dining throughout the day. Every morning, it’s also the place of a lavish and well-presented breakfast buffet.
• Armani Hashi offers a creative interpretation of Japanese cookery (with the freshest fish, artful sushi, and sashimi) in a vibrant setting overlooking the iconic Dubai Fountain.
• Armani Amal is the hostel’s Indian eatery on the third bottom. The venue, interpreted as a photograph reflecting subdued forms and traces of deep colors, offers a culinary trip to India with fantastic curries, tandoor specialties, and ambrosial side dishes.
• Armani Deli is modeled after an Italian- inspired epicure request, offering everything from a simple snack and manual pasta to daily changing menus and an indulgent Friday brunch.

Cons

Armani's impressive design, world-class facilities, and spacious rooms make the hotel one of the city's most exclusive places, housed in the world's tallest tower. Yet, the property does have a few minor issues that you need to know before considering a stay here:

1. The views from the hotel are not as extraordinary as they could have been since most of the rooms are on the tower’s eight lower floors, which means you can still see the ground. If a view is what you are after, make sure to book one of the hotel’s Signature Suites or the Armani Suite, which occupies the hotel’s exclusive 38th and 39th floors.
 

2. The spa and all its facilities are accessible by non-hotel guests, who can use the pool, gym, rain-shower, sauna, and steam rooms. Although the clientele and vibe are upscale, some guests might not like the fact that they have to mix with non-guests on the pool deck.
 

3. Although the pool deck is very nice, the pool is relatively small for a hotel of this size. Also, loud music is played all day long on the pool deck, which is at odds with the hotel’s overall tranquil ambiance and has the potential to disrupt your state of mental relaxation. 
 

4. Armani Hotel Dubai is a downtown hotel and not a beach resort. However, the hotel is ideally located to access Dubai’s main tourist attractions. Still, if you’re looking to relax on a beach, you should stay at another hotel.
 

5. The room windows can be pretty dirty (due to frequent dust and sand storms). This can lead to poor visibility, making it difficult to take pictures through the windows.
 

6. It’s not cheap to stay at Georgio Armani’s Dubai outlet, with rooms typically costing around $600 per night. Unfortunately, suites can cost many times that. And that’s not even considering the pricey spa treatments and restaurant meals. But you can always save some money by checking the price via Ratepunk, which lets you know which website sells the hotel at the lowest price. 

Our verdict

• Location: 9/10
• Design: 10/10
• Pool: 8/10
• Rooms: 9/10
• Food: 8/10
• Breakfast: 9/10
• Spa: 8/10
• Service: 9/10
• Value for money: 10/10

Tips for you

Save money: read our tips for getting the best deal at a property like Armani Hotel Dubai.

Save money: check out for the best available price with Ratepunk.

Room tip: the rooms and suites with the best view are located on the Burj Khalifa’s fountain side. The hotel’s Signature Suites and the Armani Suite, which occupy the hotel’s exclusive 38th and 39th floors, have the best panoramic vistas.