Style and the City: A Stay at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre

Regular readers will know that Four Seasons is my favourite hotel brand, we even chose to spend Christmas Day at the one in London! I was excited to discover that the Four Seasons actually has two properties in Dubai…so why not stay at both?

We were very sad to leave The Maldives, but fortunately we weren’t back with too much of a bump as we totally fell in love with our first hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre (or Four Seasons Hotel DIFC). Staying in the city in the major financial hub of Dubai also allowed us to see a totally different side of the place and have a fantastic taste of this glamorous and cosmopolitan location.

With our flight arriving just in time for us to get lunch, the Firebird Diner was our first port of call, Mr S and I absolutely loved this twist on the American-style Diner and stay-tuned for a separate post on our lunch and breakfast there! Fully satiated with a hearty lunch, it was time to explore this beautiful hotel. 
Opposite the Firebird Diner on the upper lobby is the beautiful Penrose Lounge. We stopped to admire this beautiful custom-made tear drop chandelier before stepping into the cosy room.
Filled with squishy blue sofas where you can relax and enjoy afternoon tea, paired with Jing tea or hot chocolate. Or if you’re in the mood for something savoury there’s a generous selection of Mezze, inspired by the Egyptian heritage of Chef Michael Mina.

Or you can pull up a bar stool at the stylish geometric bar, chat to the bar man and order a cocktail, mocktail or glass of wine. 
Or pick up a selection of chocolate, all made by hand in-house by chefs at the hotel using only the finest ingredients and presented beautifully in luxurious black and gold boxes. 
Or grab a book and just enjoy the comfort of the place. Honestly, the Four Seasons Hotel DIFC seems to get that magical balance of being homely, whilst remaining glamorous and true to its location in the prestigious business district. The hotel actually feels like a private members club, somewhere you’ll always be welcomed whether it’s just for a coffee or if you’re looking for something to eat.

What struck me the most was that it was nothing like a big branded city hotel, it had the intimate and personalised feel of a boutique hotel. In that sense Four Seasons Hotel DIFC reminded me a lot of one of our favourite city hotels, The Upper House in Hong Kong. 
Just outside from the Penrose lounge is an inviting terrace. Once again, a stylish space but full of soft furnishings that give it a homely feel. And what a view! Just over the hedge we could see the Burj Khalifa pointing to the sky. With the world’s tallest structure being only about five minutes away from the hotel, there are several different vantage points to see it from… 
The best place to see that iconic needle is from the terrace of the Luna Sky Bar. Located on the eighth floor of the hotel, the magnificent view of the Burj Khalifa is almost uninterrupted. Classic decor on the terrace means that the view really is the star of the show and comfy sofas, cabanas and stools and twinkling candles make the bar a great place to spend your evening.

The glitzy interior of the bar has been designed by New Yorker Adam Tihany with the symbolism of the Falcon in mind, a Middle Eastern emblem of luxury and bravery. 
Black and gold are the dominant colours with light fixtures representing the bird’s coat and the bar featuring a bird cage style design. Cocktails are a twist on American classics and food is inspired by Peru. There’s also a huge cigar menu if that’s your thing.

And talking of cigars…

Like a hidden secret, upstairs from the Luna Sky Bar is the Churchill Club. Now, if you’re really looking for a private member-type place… this is the lounge for you. I almost want to keep the secret of this intimate bar all to myself, but some secrets are too good to keep! Wooden walls and Persian rugs make it feel like someone’s study whilst the black and white prints on the wall are a homage to famous smokers…Jack Nicholson, Cary Grant, President Kennedy and of course Winston Churchill himself! There’s a huge selection of cigars available, and members can even have their own locker.

When cocktail hour comes there’s a large selection of fine liquors and a mixing trolley…where can I get one of these for my flat?!
And the perfect addition to the best fine member’s club is a gorgeous spa and rooftop pool located on the seventh floor. 
The rooftop pool area has an exclusive and intimate feel with everything you need for a day of poolside fun. There’s four private cabanas, a dedicated bar and plenty of loungers with shade and sun. (Apols for the inconsistency in the photos, I retook these the next day when the sky was more blue!)

The pool itself is an innovatively designed glass rectangle that mimics an aquarium, so you can truly channel your inner mermaid. It even lights up so it sparkles like an emerald at night! Unfortunately the pool was out of use when we were there, but guests of Four Seasons Hotel Dubai DIFC were welcome to use the facilities at sister property Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach – more on that later.

If you did still want to enjoy the water with the stunning views of the Al Yaqoub Tower (the Big Ben of Dubai), the heated whirlpool was available. Inside and adjacent to the pool is a spa with five treatment rooms offering facials and massages with a salon soon to be added. The fully equipped gym is also the perfect place to get your exercise on in between the decadent brunches and dinners.

Heading back down to the lower lobby, we had a little time to explore the local area before we needed to get ready for dinner. Dubai International Financial Centre is definitely not just for business travellers and actually it has a really lovely neighbourhood-like feel and it’s really easy to walk around. There’s a beautifully selected and carefully curated selection of shops and galleries…and best of all over 40 restaurants and cafes including some of the most well-regarded in Dubai and some highly recognisable names. We had very precious short time in Dubai so we hurried up to our room to get ready for our night out.

Four Seasons Dubai DIFC really isn’t like most city hotels and our Superior room was incredibly spacious. I loved the beautiful pillows monogrammed with the Four Seasons logo and the personalised welcome on the big screen TV.

A beautiful sofa curved into the wooden walls and I loved this ‘make-your-own-cocktail’ kit. 
A small but perfectly-formed limestone bathroom area comes complete with snuggly bathrobe and a well lit area for doing my make up!
I also loved the beautiful Roja Dove products which I made good use of as I got ready to go out.

All dressed up and ready to go we headed to take a quick look at the Burj Khalifa and the fountains by night, though sadly we had no time to head to the observation deck on the 124th floor of the mighty tower. We had a dinner reservation to get to…

Back at the DIFC, one of Dubai’s hottest restaurants, and an outpost of one of my London favourites, Zuma is just seconds aways from the Four Seasons. Renowned restaurant La Petite Maison is literally next door too. After an incredible meal at Zuma, it was an easy walk back to our hotel for one last drink at the beautiful Luna Sky Bar… 
And a sparkling view of Dubai by night with live entertainment.

The atmosphere was excellent at the Sky Bar and it was definitely one of our favourite hot spots of the trip!

If you’re looking for a hotel in the city, I couldn’t recommend Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre enough. It’s not just for business travel, it’s a super stylish home away from home with a personal feel to it and a great location.

PIN FOR LATER:

Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre
Gate Village
Building 9
DIFC
Dubai

+971 (0)4 506 0000

Our stay at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre and lunch at Firebird Diner was complimentary

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