Palace DowntownvsBurj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and Palace Downtown are both highly recommended by writers. On balance, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah ranks significantly better than Palace Downtown. Burj Al Arab Jumeirah ranks #5 in Dubai with accolades from 15 sources including The Telegraph, Star Service and DK Eyewitness.
Palace Downtown
Old Town Island, Downtown Dubai, Dubai 9770, United Arab Emirates
From $261/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Free Breakfast
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
Concierge
"Editor's Note: This property was the Sofitel The Palace The Old Town until fall 2008.
The "Old Town" is actually brand-new—a hotel, condo, and shopping complex built in Arabian..."
i
When to go: November through March, to avoid the desert heat.
Rough Guide
"One of the flagship properties of the vast Downtown Dubai development, this opulent, Arabian-themed “city-resort” offers a surreal contrast to the nearby Burj Khalifa."
Star Service
"As an integral part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development, this hotel serves as the home base for a mix of leisure and business guests who bask in the shadows of Burj Khalifa." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"From the razzle-dazzle entrance lined with towering palm trees to the pretty petal-filled pool in the lobby, The Palace hotel has no shortage of Arabian splendor." Full review
The Telegraph
8.0
"The Palace Downtown has more soul than many other Dubai hotels and the 242 spacious rooms and suites feature Middle-Eastern touches in the form of carved-wood panelling and rich fabrics." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler
"It sounds like a gimmick, but the architectural contrast is pleasing, and many of this hotel’s 242 rooms have breathtaking views of Dubai’s latest monument to hyperbole." Full review
Lonely Planet
Top choice
"A successful blend of Old World class and Arabic aesthetics, the Palace appeals to those with refined tastes." Full review
Burj Al Arab Show All Reviews
Jumeirah Beach Rd, P.O Box 74147, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
From $1,470/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Hot Tub
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
Frommer's
"The Burj is among the world's tallest... and most expensive hotels, certainly in first place for sheer over-the-top appeal." Full review
i
A "pillow menu" lets you choose from 17 pillows and quilts to make for a decadent night's sleep.
Concierge
"Low-key it is not, with Rolls-Royce pickups at the airport, a rooftop helipad, and an entrance that denies mere plebeians the right to gawk."
Insight Guides
"A stay in this iconic ‘seven-star’ hotel offers the last word in opulence, with every mod-con and indulgence you could imagine... ranging from remote-control curtains to ‘pillow menus'."
Travel + Leisure
"This iconic, sail-shaped hotel—which soars 1,053 feet over the Persian Gulf, on an artificial island off Jumeirah Beach—literally epitomizes Dubai’s over-the-topness." Full review
DK Eyewitness
"The interior is gaudy but the spectacular coastal views, especially from the Skyview Bar, make up for it."
Rough Guide
"A stay in this staggering hotel is the ultimate Dubaian luxury."
Time Out
"Welcome to the only seven-star hotel in the world. Okay, it’s officially a five-star hotel, but if there ever was a seven-star rating, the Burj Al Arab or ‘Tower of the Arabs’ would probably get it." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler
""Feel like a sheikh in your own palace" at this sail-shaped Dubai landmark, where interiors are embellished with 24-karat gold and the atrium lobby rises some 600 feet." Full review
Oyster
Luxury
"Billing itself as the “world’s mostluxurious hotel,” Burj Al Arab is a destination unto itself." Full review
Afar Magazine
"Sets the bar for outsized luxury with Rolls Royce airport pickups, gold-plated iPads, and butler-serviced duplex suites equipped with beds with mirrored ceilings." Full review