Taj Dubai

Say what you want about Dubai — go on, say it, we’ve all got opinions — there’s no denying that this is a town that knows a thing or two about luxury. And while we’re aware that there’s more to life than luxury, it’s probably best to put it all out of your head before you touch down in the Emirates. Because luxury is what you’re going to get, and plenty of it — especially here in the Burj Khalifa/Downtown district, at the palatial Taj Dubai.

It’s a match made in heaven: the opulent, traditionally-minded Taj hotel group and opulence-loving, traditionally-minded Dubai. The style sticks closely to the Taj template, a contemporary take on classical Indian design, and the staff can be counted on for the sort of eminently professional service that is the bread and butter of the big luxury chains, and this one in particular.

296 rooms span the range from “more than comfortable” to “are you kidding,” from the relatively humble 45-square-meter Luxury rooms to the downright palatial Maharaja and Presidential suites. The views of the Burj Khalifa, if you’ve got them, are extraordinary, and the Dubai Mall, home of some of the world’s most over-the-top shopping, is close by as well. Add four restaurants, the Taj Club Lounge, the Chambers members’ club, and the J Wellness Circle, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a proper first-class business hotel experience — which, if you haven’t had it before, is an experience that’s very much worth having.