First In: Delano Dubai

Why book

For an antidote to Dubai’s over-the-top marble and chandelier-laden five-star hotels.

Set the scene

When the Delano opened on Miami’s South Beach in 1995, it upended notions of luxury and brought a fresh energy to Florida’s hotel scene. Dubbed “a place for pleasure and play”, the property (named after US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt) was discreet, whimsical, and effortlessly cool...

The backstory

Delano was the brainchild of the zeitgeist-busting Ian Schrager, who, having revolutionized New York’s club scene with the infamous Studio 54, went on to invent the boutique hotel—properties that were smaller and more intimate but also, as Schrager has always maintained, stylish, site specific, and with a distinct point of view...

The rooms

Evocatively lit corridors lead to Delano Dubai’s 251 rooms and suites. Forget your run-of-the-mill “standard” and “sea-view”—rooms here have romantic-sounding monikers like rising light and waking eclipse...

Food and drink

The hotel has launched with only its all-day dining restaurant, Tutto Passa, fully operational. Drawing inspiration from the Amalfi Coast, the restaurant offers a limited selection of Italian classics...

The spa

The Banyan Tree's new full-fledged destination spa is a short walk away, so Delano has cleverly focused its efforts on fitness...

The neighborhood/area

Dubai’s Bluewaters Island got off to a bit of a false start after Ain Dubai stopped turning, but the world’s tallest observation wheel is apparently set to begin operating again soon...