Armani's first hotel is super chic

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  Welcome to the Armani Hotel

  © Armani Hotels & Resorts

We managed to make it past rigid security measures when it first opened to make sure we could tell you about the world’s first Armani hotel, perfectly designed within the world’s tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - in the flourishing Downtown Dubai district.



The hotel has just 160 rooms but has managed to pack in no less than eight food and beverage outlets, including Japanese and Indian restaurants, as well as the world’s first in-hotel Armani Spa, outdoor pool, Prive nightclub, exclusive Armani Galleria boutique, florist and divine confectionary shop.

The hotel sits in the base of Burj Khalifa, officially the world’s tallest building following its opening in January, and rooms are said to start from AED4,000 (around £700) per night. For that, you will get a sleek room custom designed by Giorgio Armani himself, a Lifestyle Manager to deal with your every whim and way, as well as inclusive mini-bar.



Reaching up eight floors – as well as rooms on floors 38 and 39 - from the concourse level of the tower, the hotel is staffed by 700 ‘ambassadors’ (don’t call them employees) all clad in Armani outfits, and the designer has influenced every element of the hotel, from the flowers, to the custom-sourced and designed bathroom amenities. 



Long corridors to the guestrooms are designed as if artfully-lit catwalks so you can practice your strut. Touches of Milan arrive in Dubai with the introduction of ‘aperitivos’ – small snacks served with drinks for the after-work crowd – in the large and airy Armani Lounge, while Armani Peck makes its first foray outside of Italy. A relaxed atmosphere, shiny monochrome and endless food stations demonstrating the best of Italian cuisine are the hallmarks of the Peck deli, based on the 125-year-old Milanese landmark, said to be a favourite of Armani’s.

The philosophy behind the hotel is one of being welcomed into Armani’s personal home and is the realisation of a long-held goal for him to open a hotel. Whether his home has a spa, a nightclub, florist, chocolatier, boutique, swimming pool and eight bars and restaurants I’m not sure, but I get the gist.



All guests are assigned a Lifestyle Manager who will be in touch as soon as the reservation is made. The Lifestyle Manager is on hand to ensure all preferences are carried out, to organise visits to the Armani store in Dubai Mall, or to arrange a trip to At The Top, the observation deck of Burj Khalifa (warning: it is VERY windy up there, so anyone in a dress beware unless you want a Marilyn Monroe moment).

Your Lifestyle Manager can also be reached via one-touch technology from the hi-tech remote control in the room. The gadgetry in the rooms also allows for an image of whoever is calling at the guest’s door to pop up on the TV screen and automatic door release so you need never leave your Armani sofa.

Armani fans will recognize his design trademarks, with a soothingly muted colour palette combining taupe with creams, browns, natural marbles, bamboo, shimmering black, beiges and subtle hints of colour occasionally dotted around. Fans of Aman resorts and Ed Tuttle may also find themselves having a spot of design deja vu.



The lobby is simple and stylish but with enormous arched sculpture soaring to the ceiling and constantly repeated in all logos, signage and artwork. Gone are traditional check-in desks; your Lifestyle Manager greets you from the car and is specially trained to gauge guests’ needs, either whisking you up to the room or sitting in the lobby café with an espresso to soak up the atmosphere.

The hotel has been built by Emaar Properties, also responsible for the Burj Khalifa, The Address hotels, the dancing fountains and the Dubai Mall which all form the new Downtown Dubai district.



Having opened the tower and now the hotel, the task is still on to sell the residences and office space which fill the other 140+ storeys of the tower, but in the short term, the next tourism magnet will be Atmosphere, a restaurant set to open later this year on floor 122, making it – you guessed it – the world’s highest restaurant.

And after that? Well, Armani Hotels & Resorts will be opening in Milan next year, followed by Marrakech and Egypt, as well as plans for Tokyo, New York, Shanghai and even London.



What else is part of Burj Khalifa?

In the tower, you will also find:

At The Top – the observation deck experience on level 124 (reached via Dubai Mall if not an Armani guest)
Atmosphere – a fine-dining restaurant on level 122 opening later this year
The Residence – 900 Burj Khalifa residences
The Corporate Suites – 37 floors of office space
Armani Residences Dubai – 144 private residences
The Park – 11 hectares park, 6 water features
The Club – a 4-storey fitness and recreation annex

Location: Dubai