22 I Business Bay

D

ubai has always had ‘that district’, the

supercharged, always-in-fast-forward

one where it’s hard to keep up with

all the changes. Palm Jumeirah,

Dubai Marina and Downtown have

all laid claim to the mantle over the years, but now

it’s Business Bay’s turn in the spotlight.

Its profile recently soared to another level

when Lonely Planet named it among the top 10

neighbourhoods to live in globally, alongside districts

such as Sunset Park in New York, Botafogo in Rio de

Janeiro and London’s Tooting – and it’s only going

to keep escalating as more hotel supply comes on

stream. Here is an update of hotels in the vicinity,

covering the established five-stars, new properties

and ones to look out for in the next few years.

The city’s rapidly changing

central district is catching the

eye of everyone from hotel

operators to Lonely Planet

readers, reports Dominic Ellis

THE ST REGIS DUBAI, W DUBAI, WESTIN

DUBAI AL HABTOOR CITY

Alongside the elegant St. Regis and hip W is the

huge Westin – and while it promises to be a key

season for all three, the corporate-friendly high rise

will need to pull out all the stops to fill its 1,004

rooms amid universal rate challenges. But the three-

in-one complex can draw on the collective strength

of Marriott International, whose distribution power

is unrivalled.

WHAT’S NEW This season sees Al Habtoor City

fly into a new lifestyle realm with the aqua-based

spectacle, La Perle by Dragone, being performed

twice daily at 7pm and 9.30pm (Bronze AED400,

Silver AED600, Gold AED800 and VIP AED1,600).

St. Regis Dubai’s Versailles Evolution Brunch at

BAY CITY

Rollers