Palace Downtown

Why choose Palace Downtown

Palace Downtown is the hotel to pick if you want to experience Downtown Dubai to the rhythm of the fountain, in an Arabian-palace setting. It stands on Old Town Island, on the edge of Burj Lake at the foot of Burj Khalifa: from the hotel you walk to the tower, Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Opera.

In Downtown, Sabaro has chosen three hotels with very different styles. Armani Hotel Dubai, inside the tower, is about design and reopens in March 2027; The Lana, on the Business Bay marina, about contemporary architecture and fine dining. Palace Downtown is the most classic of the three: rooms over the lake or the fountain, all with a balcony, and a pool with its own children's pool.

The show beneath your balcony

The Dubai Fountain is the water, light and music show on Burj Khalifa's lake. You can watch it free from the lakeside; a walk on the lake boardwalk costs 20 dirhams and a boat ride around 68 dirhams. Palace Downtown's "Fountain View" rooms give you the show from the balcony. On 31 December, Downtown hosts New Year's Eve at Burj Khalifa: book early for those dates.

The rest of Downtown, including Burj Khalifa's At the Top observation deck and the Dubai Mall aquarium, is covered on the Downtown page. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is about 11 km away, around 30 minutes by taxi; the metro stops at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station.

Which room to choose

Every room has a balcony and Arabian décor in soft pastel blues. The base size is generous for a city hotel: 51 m².

Apart from the suites, the view is what sets the rooms apart. For a couple, our pick is the Deluxe Fountain View Room King, facing the fountain; the Deluxe Lake View Room, on the Burj Lake side, also takes a family with two young children. The Palace level adds breakfast, a 4 pm late check-out and pressing; the Palace Suite Lake View, with a separate living room, suits a family or a long stay, and the Imperial Suite, a four-bedroom top-floor duplex, a group.

Restaurants and bars

Four venues: Thiptara, Thai; Ewaan, Ottoman cuisine; Buhayra Lounge and Al Bayt for lighter bites. In the evening, the restaurants of Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Mall are a few minutes' walk away.

Pool, spa and children

The palm-fringed 25-metre outdoor pool faces Burj Khalifa, with a dedicated children's pool, a pool lounge and a restaurant. The spa, The Spa Longevity, is open from 11 am to 8 pm, local time; it has separate areas for women and men, with hammam, sauna, steam room, whirlpools and monsoon showers. The gym is open around the clock.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: couples, and families with two young children, who want Downtown on foot; travellers who enjoy Arabian décor.

Strengths: the fountain from your balcony; rooms of at least 51 m²; a pool facing the tower with a children's pool; 4 stars from Forbes Travel Guide (an American guide that rates hotels after anonymous inspections); a score of 8.8/10 on Booking.com (3,393 reviews).

Good to know: there is no beach; for the sea you need to head to the coast. Checked in October 2026 for a March 2027 stay, the cheapest room was around €590 a night for two on a non-refundable rate, taxes and fees included according to the booking site, with a possible per-night tourism fee on top.

Our tip: three nights at Palace Downtown, then the beach in Jumeirah or on Palm Jumeirah. For more shopping ideas around Dubai Mall, see the Shopping theme.