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After my trip to Ras al Khaimah, I had one last night in Dubai. Because I had experienced enough beach and poolside relaxation in the DoubleTree and Hilton in RAK, I chose a hotel with a more central location in Dubai instead of my usual hotel on Jumeirah Beach. Being a Hilton Honors loyalist, the Conrad Dubai, located at the beginning of Sheikh Zayed Road, caught my interest. This business hotel is located in between the airport and downtown (Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall). Metrostation World Trade Center is right in front of the hotel. This makes the Conrad quickly accessible from the airport and also the rest of Dubai is easily reached by metro.

Note: this stay occurred in early March before any restrictions due to COVID. The hotel has taken measures in line with Hilton’s CleanStay programme, local regulations and standards from the tourism board. Some facilities may temporarily not be available or comparable as described here. Check with the hotel prior to your stay. 

Conrad Dubai

As was the case with my stay at the Hilton Dubai Creek, guest relations contacted us a few days before arrival to enquire about our expected time of arrival and any requests. Subsequently, our room was already pre-upgraded from a regular twin to a twin executive room with lounge access.

On the day of arrival, we reached the hotel around 15h; the official check-in time. At the reception we were immediately assisted. The agent told us breakfast in the Executive Lounge was included with the upgrade. If we would opt for breakfast in the main restaurant, Ballaro, we would need to use that as My Way benefit as Honors Gold member in lieu of the 1000 bonus points.

The lobby was grand.

Seemingly there was an issue with the keycards, so the agent escorted us to our room on the 42th floor. Once in the room, I noticed it was a different room than the one I selected through online check-in. We were not informed about this. Instead of a skyline view, there was a sea view. Or more of a view of a construction zone.

The room itself was fitted nicely, and was spacious and luxurious. Next to the twin beds there were two chairs and a desk with a very nice desk chair. Additionally there was a Nespresso machine. The lights and blinds could be controlled using the bedside touchscreen.

Right after the entrance was a closet with safe and some more storage space.

Also the bathroom was very nice, with a separate bath, spacious walk-in shower and a plethora of Shanghai Tang amenities.

The Executive Lounge itself is located on the 24th floor and is located on the side facing the sea instead of Sheikh Zayed Road. The lounge was quite large, with seating areas along the windows. Executive floor guests and Honors Diamond members can also check-in and out at the lounge. The reception is always manned.

In the morning, breakfast is available and happy hour with canapés is from 18h till 20h. We did not make use of happy hour since we had a dinner reservation elsewhere. Throughout the day, coffee, tea and soft drinks are available. From 12-17h there is afternoon tea with some cold bites and desserts such as panna cotta and fruit.

On the 6th floor is the outdoor pool area which, for a business hotel in the city, was very nicely done. And quite large as well. You can relax here just fine without noticing you are right next to the busiest road in the Emirate.

In the morning, we chose to have our breakfast in Ballaro on the 6th floor of the Conrad Dubai. And we were glad we did. The restaurant breakfast was excellent, both in quality and quantity. Next to an extensive buffet, there are various live-cooking options, ranging from Turkish and Indian to British and Asian dishes.

A version of this article first appeared on InsideFlyer.nl