IN A prime location of the Business Bay district, designed by arguably the most famous female architect of her time, Zaha Hadid, ME Dubai must be seen to be believed. Hadid’s signature vernacular – organic sweeping curves and spaceage futurism –underscored here by luminous whites, brushed metallics and cool marble, fuse to majestic effect.
Like its host nation, ME Dubai looks to the future, both on a functional level – the hotel’s in-room, ergonomic tech belongs in some superior civilisation’s intergalactic craft – but in a wider sense, too, collaborating with future tastemakers to inspire and enliven each experience. ME Dubai hosts monthly pop-ups that showcase influential creatives (LA-based artist James Goldcrown was in residence at the time of our stay) in spheres such as contemporary art, architecture, music and fashion.
We ate at Deseo, the latest, unashamedly hedonistic, opening at ME Dubai. It promises – and delivers – superlative Latin American cuisine and cocktails in a glamorous pool-side setting.
Atrium Podium Lobby
Downstairs in The Atrium, Executive Chef James Knight Pacheco’s three-course afternoon tea (think haute patisserie) is simply unmissable. A third restaurant, Central, majors in modern Spanish tapas, while offering extraordinary breakfasts, from zingy Acai bowls to full-on five star indulgence.
Deseo Bar & Restaurant
My Burj Khalifa-sized pancake tower had to be worked off in a state-of-the-art 650 square metre gym where PT 1-2-1s, yoga and various wellbeing activities are held daily. For a more cerebral workout, the UAE’s contemporary art collections are world class.
Midnight Master Bedroom
Currently showing in nearby Sharjah, European creative collective Random International’s extraordinary Rain Room installation explores the human condition within an increasingly mechanised world; it’s a fitting metaphor for the Emirates’ ever-present juxtapositions of old and new.
More lounge lizard than girl about town? ME Dubai has your back; try the heavenly roof-top pool with its Balearic-style beds, while the spa’s Natura Bissé treatments let you refresh, replenish and reset.
by Thea Lewis-Yates
Rates at ME Dubai start at £282 per night (prices depending on availability and seasonality).
For more information, visit www.melia.com