Review: One&Only One Za'abeel

Why book?

If you love Dubai, One&Only One Za'abeel is a welcome new vantage point from which to take in this beautiful city. Waking up to a glowing pink skyline at the foot of my bed, at the start of the New Year – the hotel opened on January 1 – feels like a gift. Architecturally, One&Only One Za’abeel is undeniably striking: the hotel sits in one of two imposing towers linked via a cantilever. Once inside, this boulevard-style bridge called The Link is Tardis-like, with room within its three storeys for beautifully designed restaurants by a roster of Michelin-star-earning chefs. Don't let the rather self-conscious moniker “vertical resort” put you off; beneath the shine, the One&Only brand values are resoundingly present: warmly intuitive service, considered luxury and a sense of occasion.

Set the scene

In its first week of opening, One&Only One Za’abeel is yet to throng with guests, but the brand’s track record augurs a well-dressed crowd keen for new experiences. Breakfast at all-day dining restaurant, Aelia, is busy with smartly dressed business people in meeting mode, couples and families with children and grandparents in tow. The dress code is stealth-wealth casual. The infinity pool suspended on the roof of The Link is dotted with pool-chic couples enjoying the DJ’s relaxed tunes and views out towards the Burj Khalifa. This deck area positively hums with IG brunch-scene potential.

The backstory

One&Only is best known for its accomplished, Condé Nast Traveller Readers Choice Award-winning beach resorts, including the elegant One&Only The Palm in Dubai and One&Only Mandarina on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit coastline. One&Only One Za’abeel is the brand’s first foray into urban resorts, swapping sand for a skyscraper vibe – and more city hideouts are on the cards. One Za’abeel is also the address for Siro, a new hotel brand for luxury hotel developer and operator, Kerzner International Holdings, which also owns Atlantis.

The rooms

It might be the glass curtain walls drawing the eye to the horizon that make One&Only One Za'abeel's rooms feel wonderfully spacious, but there's enough floorspace even in entry-level rooms for a king-sized bed, stretched daybed and bathroom with standalone tub; 85-square-metre “grand” category rooms have a separate dressing room. Jean-Micheal Gathy's interiors are decorated in pale sand, taupe and gold tones, with marble floors and silken carpets. I'm in a Sanctuary Suite, one of three themed, corner suites, with its own treatment room and, somewhat inexplicably, three orange beanbags, as well as a separate living and dining area, and king-sized bed with silky soft linens. The mosaic-tiled bathroom-cum-dressing area runs behind the full length of the bedroom but my deep rectangular bath-tub sits in one corner of the living area for a window view. The best bit? Every time I open the door of my suite, the curtains begin their magical sweep back to reveal the horizon. I know… I've mentioned the view. But, honestly, it's really something.

Food and drink

Fine dining is perhaps the biggest lure for One&One One Za’abeel, with a host of starry venues from leading chefs in The Link, including La Dame De Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic; DuangDy by Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones of Bangkok’s Bo.Lan; Sagetsu by Tetsuya Wakuda; QABU by Paco Morales; and Arrazuna by Turkish chef Mehmet Gürs. At Tapasake, a Peruvian-Japanese, indoor-outdoor restaurant, a DJ provides an upbeat soundtrack for pool deck dining on top of The Link. Down in The Garden on level 4, there's the own-brand Indonesian concept Andaliman and a graffiti-emblazoned tunnel leads you to StreetXO by Dabiz Muñoz.

Many of these restaurants will open during January’s launch phase; meanwhile, lunch at Tapasake lives up to its extraordinary surroundings, perched on The Link’s broad rooftop, sheltered between the two towers. I’m guided through a narrow but delicious menu of ceviches, tiraditos, nigiri, sashimi and maki rolls, all of which have the right balance of sweet and savoury, crunch and smooth, before I surrender completely to a particularly wondrous vanilla and tonka cream flan with cinnamon ice cream.

For dinner in Arrazuna, the fine-dining marketplace, I have to download a menu app then wander the eight open kitchens-cum-food stalls before ordering at an open table. Instead, I find a friendly member of staff to recommend dishes to me. It’s a concept that requires a buzzy crowd and it has huge potential. Meanwhile, I'm captivated by darkly promising cocktail bar, Sphere, that capitalises on the hotel’s most persuasive asset – the sweeping 360-degree views of Dubai’s twinkling lights.

Breakfast the next morning at Aelia finds me browsing a selection of immaculately presented soft fruits, dangerously tempting croissants and cakes, yoghurts and Levantine mezze at the buffet counter before choosing from European, American, Arabian, Asian and Indian menu selections. I order a beautifully balanced slice of fried halloumi with strawberries, mint and pomegranates, as well as a plate of lemon pancakes, delicately flavoured and served with a fresh fruit coulis and lemon-zest laced ricotta.

The spa

The first Middle Eastern Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, the Swiss clinic that’s pioneered the now-omnipresent concept of medicalised wellness since the 1930s, is a genuinely exciting prospect. Set over three floors, the spa offers aesthetic and wellness treatments alongside longevity analysis to determine how best to boost your body’s ageing defences. The hushed, cocoon-like space is equipped with all the essentials: comfortable treatment rooms with perfectly heated tables, a beautiful hammam and hydrotherapy area, steam room and sauna, spacious changing rooms, bespoke teas, chocolate-covered dates and beautifully scented chilled towels. Stand-out moments include the ministrations of my therapist, a trained physiotherapist, who confidently identifies my aches and pains during a 60-minute Revitalising Massage, giving me practical advice on how to improve my sense of wellness, while she kneads and soothes my body from neck to toe.

The neighbourhood

Za’abeel is an affluent area in Bur Dubai, on the border of Dubai International Financial Centre, close to Downtown Dubai to the southwest and Dubai Frame and Zabeel Park anchoring views to the northeast. From here, you'll be just a short hop away from many of Dubai's top attractions, from Burj Khalifa and the Museum of the Future to the buzzy nightlife of DIFC. The presence of the new One&One resort is sure to increase Za’abeel’s destination appeal.

The service

Attentive. Help is always at hand from One&Only One Zaabeel’s cadre of well-dressed staff, whether you need a water glass topped up, a menu recommendation or the right lift button pressed. I’m often greeted by name and a sweet, hands-on-heart gesture accompanies every interaction.

For families

Down at The Garden on level 4, Bali is the inspiration for a series of sculpted rice-paddy-style, family pools with a swim-up bar. The landscaping is really appealing, with decorative water features and tropical foliage to cool the pool deck, and lifeguards are conspicuously on-hand. A separate couples’ pool is a perfect parent hideaway while younger children enjoy the well-designed kid’s club, complete with dressing up area, drawing tables and a star-lined, chill-out level for budding astronauts. The daily roster of activities provides scheduled entertainment.

Accessibility

Lifts and ramps make One&Only One Za’abeel's restaurants fully accessible and there are three accessible guest rooms.

Anything left to mention

Modelled on padlock-fettered bridges in European cities, the One&Only One Za’abeel’s very own Bridge of Love is a brightly undulating digital ribbon that hovers overhead at Arrazuna. Romantically inclined? The hotel promises to archive guests' digital padlocks.