Hotel Rose Rayhaan by Rotana

Located on the emblematic Sheikh Zayed Road, next to Trade Centre, DIFC and its metro station, the Rose is situated only few minutes away from the world's tallest building- Burj Khalifa as well as the major shopping centres such as Dubai mall and Emirates mall. Dubai International Airport is 12 miles away and Dubai Media City and Internet City are just 4 miles away.

No alcoholic beverages are sold at the hotel. There is a variety of connecting rooms for large groups.

The blue glass and aluminium exterior gives away what to expect inside. Although fairly neutral in its colours, there is a local influence in the hotel's décor. This was a big project for Rotana and a much-awaited property for Rotana fans. With its 72 floors, the hotel is now the tallest hotel in the world, reaching 333m high which is taller than the Eiffel Tower! The reception area is typical of a Rotana hotel, so fairly compact - during our visit we found that there weren't enough staff members to serve guests checking in/out, which left a lot of people milling around impatiently. The lobby is decorated in marble, frosted glass and dark wood panels with fresh flowers to add a little colour to the area. To the left of the reception desk is the hotel's coffee shop, Café Rose. On the first floor is the hotel's all day dining restaurant, Petals, and there is Aquarius, the pool side bar. Otherwise, where recreation is concerned, the hotel has a pleasant roof-top pool area, which is very noisy due to the hotel's location. There is also a well-equipped Body Lines gym as well as a Jacuzzi, steam and sauna room. The views from the pool are breathtaking, especially on a clear day when you can see as far as the Burj al Arab in Jumeirah.

There are 482 rooms spread over 65 of the hotel's 72 floors making it one of the largest, if not the largest, hotel in Dubai. The rooms are divided into Classic, Deluxe, Premium and Classic Suite categories. The main varying factor is the room size, ranging from 28m² to 75m²; otherwise the rooms are all decorated in a similar style. The Classic Suites are situated on the 54th to the 60th floors for the best views of the city including the Burj Khalifa, whereas the other categories are situated frm the 9th to the 51st floor. All rooms are equipped with internet data port, wardrobe, writing desk a 26-inch LCD flat screen TV and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities. All Deluxe rooms have a walk-in wardrobe, a small seating area and a bed bench. The suites are larger, ideal for guests on a long stay, and have a master bedroom and separate living room area. The furnished kitchen is equipped with microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and washing and drying machine. All rooms are decorated in dark brown tones with flowery dark pink throws adding an Oriental touch. All rooms also have bath tubs, and Rotana own-brand amenities apart from the Suites which have l'Occitane toiletries and a rain shower as opposed to just a bath tub. The corner suites are the best rooms here as there are two windows, and with the colour scheme being fairly dark, getting in as much light as possible is a plus. Also, the suites are higher up the building meaning that the views are even better than in the rooms further down.

There isn't much in terms of restaurants at the Rose, which encourages guests to go out and explore the city at meal times - most hotels have great restaurants so not having much choice here doesn't make too much of a difference. There are three outlets at the Rose. To the left of the reception desk is the hotel's coffee shop, Café Rose (07:00am to 12:00 midnight). On the first floor is the hotel's all day dining restaurant, Petals, (06:30am to 10:30pm) and there is Aquarius, the pool side bar (09:00am to 09:00pm).