The Lana Dubai overview: Dorchester Assortment’s first Center East lodge

Standout options

• Huge rooms with among the most snug lodge beds round.
• One of many solely Dior Spas on this planet with gorgeous skyline views and unique therapies.
• Eating places from Michelin-lauded cooks Jean Imbert and Martin Berasategui.
• The Thirtieth-floor pool and Excessive Society bar are the locations to see and be seen at sundown.
• Welcoming employees prepared to satisfy any visitor request.

Drawbacks

• In order for you the Dubai seaside resort expertise, this isn’t the lodge for you.
• Some rooms solely have views of the encompassing desert and highways.
• The placement can require prolonged drives to a few of Dubai’s hottest points of interest.

The vibe

Even in a metropolis populated by distinctive skyscrapers, the 2 interlocking towers that home The Lana and its related residences handle to face out. Designed by Foster + Companions, the edifice displays the desert sky and the waters of the Marasi Bay Marina’s basin beneath with ripplelike curves paying homage to a megayacht’s stern.

Though you may seemingly see a global fashionista or footballer alighting within the small, round drive (maybe in one of many lodge’s personal maroon Rolls-Royce Phantoms), every visitor is greeted like a VIP by the burgundy-clad doormen and ushered into the ethereal, high-ceilinged foyer.

You can, in fact, full the check-in formalities on the walk-up entrance desk. You may discover that tucked behind a dramatic arch reverse an infinite ornamental urn overflowing with flowers (a duplicate of the pair you may discover within the foyer of The Dorchester in London). However earlier than you may make your strategy to the desk, you may seemingly be seated at one of many velvet sofas so as to be fetched a cappuccino in a bespoke bone china saucer whereas your particulars are taken down and your room is made prepared.

Make a psychological observe to come back again for the opulent afternoon tea and take a second to admire artist Sophie Coryndon’s dramatic work, “Golden Honey,” a gilt, honeycomblike set up cascading down a pink tiled wall. It’s each palpably decadent and discreet … similar to the fashion of luxurious typified at The Lana.

The room

In a metropolis as busy in any respect hours of the day as Dubai and surrounded by desert, having a quiet place to retire on the finish of the day can really feel like reaching a shimmering oasis. Albeit one paneled in shiny wooden and marble.

Simply contained in the lobby of my Marina Junior Suite was an enormous, darkish wood-paneled closet and dressing space with loads of room for suitcases … and baggage of latest purchases from Dubai’s many luxurious vogue boutiques, to not point out finer touches corresponding to a Dyson hair dryer.

A set of double doorways led into the primary room, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doorways revealing a view of the Burj Khalifa and the encompassing skyline past. Anchoring the neutral-toned house was a white Frette linen-dressed king-size mattress with a Vispring mattress that made me really feel like royalty once I sank into it for an evening’s relaxation. No marvel, since Vispring is a most well-liked provider to Buckingham Palace.

Previous the mattress was a chic vignette with an artwork deco-inspired couch and chair round a espresso desk, the place I discovered a choice of seasonal uncommon fruits like Williams pears and gold-flecked dates. I snacked on them as I watched the information on the Bang & Olufsen tv, sauntered out onto the balcony to benefit from the views whereas enjoyable on the lounge chair, or sat on the desk as soon as the temperatures began to dip within the night.

I settled in on the slender desk throughout from the mattress to ship some notes on the lodge stationery and peruse the lodge’s eating retailers and different facilities (to not point out place a room service order) by way of the offered pill.

The mirrored minibar with floral door papering held a Nespresso machine and kettle for brewing the sachets of bespoke tea varieties in addition to treats like vegan gummy bears and black truffle almonds.

The point of interest of the expansive lavatory was a free-standing deep soaking tub set in opposition to the home windows, which offered panoramic metropolis views that got here alive when the buildings lit up at evening.

In the meantime, a protracted marble countertop with twin sinks and lighted vanities offered loads of primping house. The lodge’s custom-made, cruelty-free Wildsmith Pores and skin merchandise had a vibrant however not overpowering mixture of magnolia, jasmine and cedarwood notes — all the higher for laundry off the grit of the day within the huge walk-in bathe with overhead and hand-held showerheads.

Spacious however cozy with lavish accents, together with parquet flooring and velvet upholstery, the Marina Junior Suite felt like simply the fitting stability of opulence and refinement.

Foods and drinks

Dubai has turn out to be one of many world’s prime eating locations because of the slew of internationally famend cooks who’ve put down stakes (and grilled up steaks) on the town, so it ought to come as no shock that The Lana went large with its eating retailers.

Chief amongst them is Riviera by Jean Imbert on the fourth ground. The chef made a reputation for himself after successful “High Chef” in 2012, adopted by partnerships in a couple of eating places with Pharrell Williams. He took over the restaurant on the iconic Resort Plaza Athenee in Paris from legendary chef Alain Ducasse; it has since garnered a Michelin star.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Riviera had a decidedly relaxed atmosphere, type of like a sunny St. Tropez backyard occasion, because of leafy potted palms, shutterlike room dividers and little nautical knickknacks.

The breakfast menu contained a couple of set choices, together with continental breakfast ($52) and the signature Lana breakfast ($64), which each included a choice of contemporary juices of the day and selfmade pastries, fruit platters, yogurt and cereal — although the latter additionally included a dish of selection from the a la carte menu, corresponding to avocado with quail eggs and passion-fruit coulis, the chef’s well-known French toast with Brittany caramel sauce and traditional shakshuka served in a piping-hot skillet.

For lunch and dinner, in the meantime, Mediterranean-French delicacies — introduced on specifically made Bernardaud porcelain — took middle stage, with choices like tuna tartare made to style tableside with the restaurant’s personal olive oil, contemporary lime zest and sea salt ($53); and fluffy focaccia with creamy burrata, pistachios and inexperienced beans ($23). The ingenious ratatouille ($37) was served in tart type with delicately shaved squash and zucchini drizzled with pistou over a flaky Parmesan crust.

Stick across the lodge for drinks and dinner one night, too, so you possibly can hop among the many different bars and eating places. Begin your evening with a cocktail at Bitter Honey, a type of open-secret speak-easy tucked into an alcove of the foyer. Lots of the drinks, that are whipped up at a bar cart off to at least one finish, take honey as each an inspiration and ingredient, leading to some cool twists on classics, just like the Trigona Previous Original ($23) with Maker’s Mark 46, honey, black cherry, fragrant bitters and orange zest.

Subsequent, pop as much as Jara by Martín Berasategui on the 18th ground. The Basque chef’s group of eating places presently holds 12 Michelin stars, and this location is a stunner. Off to at least one facet is a vigorous bar with a dramatic, fire-inspired lighting function and ornamental terra-cotta tiles. To the opposite is the primary indoor eating room fronting the open kitchen, the place diners can watch their orders being ready over open flames. Throughout good climate, reserve a desk on the massive out of doors patio for even higher skyline views as you dine on specialties like Cantabrian anchovies over crystal bread and brioche ($24.50) and juicy grilled octopus with paprika and Galician-style potatoes with paprika ($37).

Grilled proteins are the primary attraction and are priced per 100 grams, so relying on what was sourced that day, you may get pleasure from Mediterranean langoustine, succulent white shrimp from Huelva or Cantabrian blue lobster. The entire sole ($212) is meaty however mild and comes with a selection of facet sauces. However go away room for the luscious, barely tangy Basque cheesecake for dessert ($24.50).

For those who’ve nonetheless bought some go after dinner, sidle into the adjoining cigar lounge, Txakolina, for a nightcap, or enterprise as much as the Thirtieth-floor pool deck for a nightcap at Excessive Society, which has each an indoor lounge and out of doors terrace. Although there is a minimal spending requirement for nonguests; these staying on the lodge aren’t topic to it and still have first decide of seating preparations. That is how I secured one of many tables set in opposition to the glass railing for uninterrupted metropolis views as I sampled signature sips impressed by the sun-worshipping cultures of historic Egypt, Greece and Peru with intriguing ingredient lists. The highly effective but elegant Stare of Apep ($23) was a heady mixture of mint-infused rum, date honey and saffron bitters. A candy observe to finish the evening on.

Peckish between meals or after an tour within the metropolis? Duck into the ground-floor Bonbon Cafe Angelo Musa, the place the pastry chef whips up beautiful French patisseries to accompany super-strong espresso and tea drinks in addition to a wide range of sandwiches, salads and selfmade ice lotions and sorbets.

There may be additionally a backyard bar and terrace simply off the foyer known as Veranda, serving mild bites and cocktails from October-Could, and afternoon tea with a panoply of pastries, scones and finger sandwiches served within the Gallery, because the foyer lounge space is thought, beginning at $163 per particular person.

Facilities and repair

Though it is a metropolis lodge the place people are prone to be dropping by for enterprise as a lot as pleasure (and there are assembly rooms on the bottom ground giving off some robust midcentury “Mad Males” vibes), the lodge nonetheless has a stable lineup of leisure amenities.

Up on the Thirtieth ground, the massive pool deck has a wide range of lounging and seating areas with umbrellas and different shade to flee the Emirati warmth, although it might probably additionally get a bit breezy up right here. Lifeguards and different attendants are readily available to make up daybeds with towels and take food and drinks orders as you migrate out of your chair to the water and again all through the day.

Down one degree on the Twenty ninth ground lies the lodge’s well being and wellness advanced. The Lana is dwelling to the UAE’s first Dior Spa, which opened in April and was promptly booked out for a number of months. Along with a small boutique space proffering Dior skincare, fragrance and vogue fare, there’s a magnificence room for nail providers, and 5 therapy rooms — one among which is wheelchair-accessible with a roll-in bathe and a rest room with seize bars — and a {couples} suite, which has huge double-height home windows looking towards downtown Dubai.

The therapy menu contains signature experiences like an Iyashi Dome infrared session ($163 for half-hour) and the L’Or de Vie Miracle face and again therapy, together with a therapeutic massage and facial with rock crystal and Dior’s L’Or de Vie line made with antioxidant vine sap from Bordeaux’s well-known Chateau d’Yquem ($531 for 90 minutes). We’re completely not making this up.

If these costs are a bit too excessive, you possibly can at all times do wellness the nice, old school method … with a exercise within the next-door fitness center.

Fortunately, additionally, you will discover some Dior-branded touches right here, like stretching mats, stability balls, bounce ropes and light-weight weights.

The watchword amongst luxurious motels nowadays appears to be about creating residential-style experiences, however few truly stay as much as that dictum. The Lana, nevertheless, does. That is to not say my Marina Junior Suite or Jean Imbert-created meals felt like sleeping and eating at dwelling. They did not. Quite, each member of the employees I interacted with immediately put me comfortable, caring for each final element with out falling into fawning.

It was a conglomeration of little issues that added up. Issues corresponding to figuring out my particular espresso order at breakfast from sooner or later to the subsequent and noting which fruits (okay, sure, and pastries) I appeared to get pleasure from most and bringing further servings on subsequent days; or seating me at my most well-liked desk at Excessive Society once I turned up unexpectedly on a second night after which patiently speaking me by means of 5, sure 5, totally different cocktails and their elements till I may choose the one I most well-liked. Even the housekeeping employees, seeing that I had gone by means of all of the bottles of offered water, left a half-dozen extras at turndown with out my having to ask. In brief, I felt cared for however not coddled, making my interactions with everybody on the lodge really feel genuinely heat and memorable.

Out and about

The Marasi Bay Marina, the place The Lana is situated, is within the means of being remodeled into a brand new life-style district with a 7-mile-long waterfront promenade with outlets, cafes, residential buildings, yacht berths and extra. That is nonetheless a methods off, although, primarily based on the quantity of development presently happening. That mentioned, you possibly can nonetheless get to lots of the metropolis’s sights by way of a cheap automotive trip.

It is solely 10 minutes to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa (relying on visitors) in a single route and 10 minutes to the cafes, galleries and places of work of the Dubai Design District within the different. The Gold Souk is a 25-minute automotive trip away, as are among the metropolis’s greatest public seashores.

Accessibility

The Lana has 4 accessible rooms within the Horizon class. These rooms have lowered peepholes of their doorways, reachable safes and wardrobe racks, folding slightly than swinging doorways to their closets, and emergency buttons for help in addition to televisions with closed-caption programming. Their bogs permit for wheelchair maneuverability and have emergency cords in addition to roll-in bathe stalls, hand-held showerheads and seize bars close to the bathrooms.

The lodge’s elevators have buttons with Braille markings which might be inside attain of wheelchair customers. All the general public areas, together with the doorway, are accessible by way of wheelchair because of flat surfaces, ramps and elevators. Public areas even have accessible bogs (although observe that doorways to a few of them may require help).

Sadly, the pool doesn’t have a chairlift or zero-step entry.

Trying out

Taking a distinctly totally different route than another luxurious motels in Dubai, Dorchester Assortment’s The Lana opts for restraint over flash and charm over glitz, all to wonderful impact. When you may miss being within the coronary heart of the motion as its surrounding neighborhood continues to be in transition to turning into a way of life hub, the lodge itself supplies lots to get pleasure from (and eat) throughout a go to to Dubai.