In May 2021, the St. Regis Dubai The Palm opened. This month the St. Regis Dubai Downtown opened, and this looks like it could be a good option for Marriott loyalists visiting the city.
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Basics of the St. Regis Dubai Downtown
The St. Regis Dubai Downtown has just opened, roughly coinciding with the start of Expo 2020. As the name suggests, the hotel is located downtown, along the Dubai Water Canal. The hotel is in close proximity to the Dubai Mall, Dubai Design District, and the International Financial Centre.
The St. Regis features 298 guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, open bathrooms, and walk-in wardrobes. The website suggests that standard rooms at the property are 624 square feet, which is huge.
The hotel also boasts a variety of food & beverage outlets, including Basta (an Italian restaurant), Bleu Blanc Oysters & Grill (a French restaurant), The Library (a bar and lounge), and the St. Regis Bar (which is found at all St. Regis properties around the world). The hotel also has a spa, fitness center, and indoor and outdoor pool.
Below are some pictures of the St. Regis Dubai Downtown.
This is a Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property?!
Rather bizarrely, the new St. Regis Dubai Downtown is a Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property, which is Marriott’s highest hotel category. This means that a free night redemption costs anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 Bonvoy points per night, depending on whether you’re staying off-peak or peak.
I can’t make any sense of the award pricing here, because paid rates are currently around $300 per night for a base room, and that’s even during Expo 2020. I’d expect a Category 8 Bonvoy property to retail for closer to $1,000 if paying cash.
I’m not sure what exactly Marriott and the hotel are thinking here. Maybe the hotel has very high hopes that rates are going to triple, but realistically a nearly 300 room hotel in downtown isn’t going to be able to command a much higher price than what’s being charged now.
If you are gong to book a paid rate here, make sure you do so through Marriott STARS, so you can take advantage of benefits like a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more.
I could see myself staying at this property
When I wrote about the St. Regis Dubai The Palm, I mentioned how I probably wouldn’t stay there. I’m not a huge fan of The Palm to begin with, and if I’m going to stay there, I’d like a hotel with balconies and direct beach access, neither of which the St. Regis offers.
I feel a bit differently about the St. Regis Dubai Downtown. If I wanted to be downtown (which I sometimes like to be, given the proximity to so many things, including the airport), this seems like a good option. The hotel’s decor looks fairly tasteful (though perhaps a bit over-the-top), and the standard rooms seem to be huge, so I might check this property out the next time I’m in Dubai.
St. Regis is also my favorite luxury Marriott brand, since Platinum members receive full elite perks at these properties, including suite upgrades subject to availability, breakfast, and more.
This is the fourth attempted St. Regis in Dubai
The St. Regis Dubai Downtown is St. Regis’ fourth property to open in Dubai. However, the first two properties no longer belong to Marriott:
- The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor opened in 2015, and left Marriott (or Starwood, at the time) in 2018; this is now operating as Habtoor Palace Dubai, a Hilton LXR property (hilariously the W Hotel next door was also rebranded as a…. V Hotel)
- The St. Regis Dubai Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club opened in 2017, and left Marriott (or Starwood, at the time) in 2018; this is now operating as Al Habtoor Polo Resort, an independent property
Bottom line
The St. Regis Dubai Downtown has recently opened, just months after the St. Regis Dubai The Palm opened. The new hotel has nearly 300 rooms, but on the plus side they’re large, and the hotel seems to have a good number of amenities.
The cash rates at the hotel aren’t unreasonable, though I really can’t make sense of this being a Category 8 Marriott Bonvoy property.
What do you make of the new St. Regis Dubai Downtown? Anyone plan to check it out?
(Tip of the hat to Faisal)
Ben, so what was your experience staying there, in comparison to the Palm? Which one would you recommend? Or any other?
St. Regeis the Palm was very good they upgraded my suite night to a better suit and I got a nice view of Atlantis and the palm, they have decent breakfast and are closer to the Exp than downtown hotels
IF YOU CHECK - I THINK THAT Marriott goes up to cat. 9 ! NOW
I can tell you,
To have a higher rate - it needs to be a very solid hotel par to Emirates palace, Atlantis or Burj Al Arab.
To stay at hotel in Dubai, I don't think i will solely stay on one particular brand as you will see all over hotel company sub brand even the unknown brand. Yes, Dubai is a business, conferences, and leisure destination but also the amount of people willing to stay here isn't that much.
I knew I recognized the photo of the pool! Stayed here last January.
I thought it was great quality for a Renaissance (big rooms, nobody at the pool) but wouldn't pay St Regis prices. Would expect a more refined design too - it was really modern and that was part of the appeal!
I was just in Dubai stay at Taj. I just to take. A naps out a lot
I am in Dubai, arriving from Kuala Lumpur, some months ago,and have been all over Dubai.
No one needs 3rd rate,rehashed
You must be desperate just to write anything opinions stated to look like facts and that you have been to both St.Regis properties in Dubai.There are all kinds of online reviews,and local reviews,and a review from 7,000 miles away from someone who is not in Dubai,and had never been to the two...
I am in Dubai, arriving from Kuala Lumpur, some months ago,and have been all over Dubai.
No one needs 3rd rate,rehashed
You must be desperate just to write anything opinions stated to look like facts and that you have been to both St.Regis properties in Dubai.There are all kinds of online reviews,and local reviews,and a review from 7,000 miles away from someone who is not in Dubai,and had never been to the two St.Regis properties is arrogant,and ridiculous.
You must be desperate to write crap even if it makes no sense and is rehashed.
For anyone in Dubai,they know that the St.Regis at the Palm is much better,for quality, luxury,and the views, especially from the suites.
Stop posting nonsense
I was looking at the rooms and like the other poster noted, this is the renaissance, same everything. I thought it was nice and good service. Ritz DIFC is better option for higher end downtown marriott
Completely disagree with your assessment of this vs. St. Regis the Palm, albeit both are compromised. This is a rebadged Renaissance and, as noted above, whilst the hard product was very nice for a Renaissance the hard product is not that of a St. Regis, unlike the Palm which appears built to luxury standards at least. The owners have basically repainted a little bit to change the colour scheme and that’s pretty much it to...
Completely disagree with your assessment of this vs. St. Regis the Palm, albeit both are compromised. This is a rebadged Renaissance and, as noted above, whilst the hard product was very nice for a Renaissance the hard product is not that of a St. Regis, unlike the Palm which appears built to luxury standards at least. The owners have basically repainted a little bit to change the colour scheme and that’s pretty much it to justify the jump from category 5 to category 8 here. Service was close to the worst I’ve experienced in Dubai when I stayed over New Year last year, so unless they’ve replaced almost all of the staff then this isn’t going to have luxury service either. The location here is appalling (separated from downtown by several very large highways, making walking there extremely difficult) - notice that the neighbouring hotels are DoubleTree etc as the location is just not befitting of a supposed high-end hotel. At least the Palm is directly connnected to a mall / monorail, etc. In 12 months the Palm will be category 8 and this will be category 6/7, I can almost guarantee it. The rebadge of this property is pure greed (it’s barely good enough to be a JW Marriott IMO) and anyone stupid enough to think this is a luxury hotel is about to be ripped off.
Huh? I stayed at this property before. Surely it cannot be a new building, or am I experiencing a déjà vu?
Please do yourself a favor and don’t stay there. It used to be the Renaissance and for a Renaissance, it was very nice. They didn’t change anything for the rebranding. Not even the beds. It’s the same hotel, the standard is nowhere near how a St. Regis should be. It will be a disaster for Marriott.
@Lucky Marriott category creep is nothing new. Going into 2020 marriott moved all the Fairfields and Courtyards in NYC up into Cat 6 despite room rates being $130-150. They thought their $h!t was so hot they hiked the Grand Sheraton WUHAN from Cat 2 to Cat 3. They must be smoking something over there in Bethesda.
This is a former Renaissance Dubai Downtown and the interior looks exactly the same. They just changed the artwork in the rooms. Really just that. I think the pool looks bigger than before.
The Renaissance used to have Six Senses spa attached to it, at least when I last visited in 2019. It was a great hotel and rooms either had the view of the canal or Burj Khalifa. Corner rooms had both. I...
This is a former Renaissance Dubai Downtown and the interior looks exactly the same. They just changed the artwork in the rooms. Really just that. I think the pool looks bigger than before.
The Renaissance used to have Six Senses spa attached to it, at least when I last visited in 2019. It was a great hotel and rooms either had the view of the canal or Burj Khalifa. Corner rooms had both. I guess rooms no longer have the same views as the construction was happening across the street.