A calm and sophisticated haven to unwind and recharge in the heart of a buzzing metropolis, The Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai, heralds a culture shift in how the well-heeled want to holiday.
If you’ve been to The Dorchester hotel in London, you couldn’t have missed Sophie Coryndon’s gilded honeycomb sculpture in the lobby. Inspired by the bees of Hyde Park, this shimmering beeswax tapestry is also the focal point of The Lana, Dubai, the brand’s new address in Middle East; only, just like everything else in the city of gold, it is bigger and bolder, mounted on a soaring pink mosaic wall, drawing you in from the minute the doormen, handsomely dressed in burgundy tailcoats and top hats, swing open the doors to welcome you.
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The Lana’s elegantly appointed lobby – bedecked in veined marble, plush pink velvet and burnished brass – is dotted with easter eggs that link it to its British mothership: cosy lounging nooks akin to an updated manor home, a quaint bar that serves drinks from a trolley and a sun-drenched gallery serving the city’s most decadent afternoon tea (the menu boasts 40 different brews), for a second you might think you’ve been transported to London. But all you have to do is look out: sights of a dazzling skyline and sleek yachts bobbing on the marina will bring you back to Dubai.
And this is the secret to The Lana’s appeal. From the outside, it is quintessentially Dubai: A slick, glass-lined waterfront-facing building designed by Foster + Partners, centrally located on Marasi Drive in Business Bay. Inside, it's a heady mix of European influences, courtesy of interiors by the Paris-based duo Gilles & Boissier, with an impeccable art collection and flawless service that’ve made The Dorchester Collection a global icon.
All 225 rooms and suites have outdoor terraces, promising front row seats to Burj Khalifa’s mesmerising light show or golden sunsets over the desert. The Marina Duplex and Marina Terrace Suites feature double-height corner living rooms and wrap-around balconies, while the majestic Marina Royal Suite runs the length of the building facing Downtown Dubai.
For its first hotel in the Middle East – and the brand’s first new opening in a decade – The Dorchester Collection has left no stone unturned. In addition to Txakolina, a speak-easy cigar lounge and Riviera, a modern Mediterranean restaurant by Jean Imbert, the culinary star of the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, The Lana is home to 12 Michelin stars winner Martín Berasategui’s ode to Basque cuisine, Jara, where an amber-hued light installation mimics the hot coals used to grill meats and fish in the Basque Country. With interiors that match the exceptional dishes on offer, these venues are set to make a mark amongst Dubai's most beautiful restaurants.
Located on the 30th floor is the hotel’s rooftop lounge, High Society, where this urban resort comes to life. From its unique, wrap-around infinity pool the city may seem within grasp, but the comfy sun-beds lined with parasols and butlers remind you that you are still in your private perch up in the clouds.
What's next? The UAE’s first ever Dior Spa opens at The Lana, Dubai, in April. Get ready for the most advanced facials and sculpting therapies in town. dorchestercollection.com
