Anantara Downtown Dubai Reviews: Everything Guests Say

To sum up, the hotel has enough business right now because it is high season, so they don't really care if you come back or not again, which I will not, I come every month for business and this was a bad value option, there are much better ones.

The beauty of the place, the warm hospitality of the staff, their professionalism and outstanding service, along with the cleanliness and elegant design of the rooms, all came together to make our stay extremely comfortable and enjoyable.

This difference was acknowledged by the hotel staff themselves, who blame it on management policies which seems stingy with an excessive focus on cost control, resulting in poor value for money for a discerning customer.

It is unfortunate that Anantara took over the chain 2 years ago - the differences in management across these hotel chains are strikingly visible in each and every aspect of the stay.

Also I stayed in this hotel when it was still the Oberoi and it was much better, somehow the Anantara brand has a magical property to make things worse.

Everything - from arrival experience to the gorgeous room to the pool and restaurants and checkout - I love returning to this hotel and always warmly welcomed back

This experience was a stark contrast to the high standards I have always associated with Anantara, and it made for a very unpleasant stay.

The hotel is rated five stars, which is not true; the quality of the rooms should be at most 3 stars

Lack of taste or special features in design or in technology you expect from a hotel of this caliber.

It was a complete disappointment - the services were poor and there was no value for money.

What was supposed to be a special celebration turned into a stressful and frustrating experience.

Stayed there in 2021 when it was named the Oberoi hotel and enjoyed the stay.

Almost all good, not the super modern (digital) but still good value for money.

I would say that this is the best hotel I have ever been to.

Very clean and luxurious and has a great location in Dubai downtown ..

Thank you so much for a delightful stay, I will definitely come back!

The hotel is exceptionally clean and the lovely scent in all areas!

Our stay at the hotel was truly exceptional in every aspect.

The hotel is very clean, smells good and is well maintained

The furniture was poor and the path room was bad smell

This hotel does not represent dubai luxury in any way

Staying in this hotel was a great experience in itself.

Great hotel, great staff, and a great central location!

It became much more expensive for less the quality.

I will go back again to this hotel.

Would definetly stay again at anantra downtown Dubai

Our stay at the hotel was fantastic!

This time around can’t say the same.

Overall excellent and I recommend it

Best sleep of my life 😂

They did celebrate and surprise us in the room for our daughter as they knew from her passport her birthday date one day sent us a cake with the team singing for her and second day arrived to the room and the room was full of balloons.

The only good thing that one of old stuff from Oberoi she still there her Name is SU Philippine she still remember my preferred while i was staying there more than 8 years back she is the only positive thing in the Restaurant

The receptionist I think his name was Gangan the guy with the glasses .. he upgraded me because it’s my fiancé anniversary to a very nice room, took me by himself to the room and surprised us with a cake ! Amazing guy

Shockingly, at around 12:30 PM, a staff member entered the room without prior notice or permission, while she was in the middle of prayer, and asked her again to check out.

Its phrases like 'welcome back' when getting out of the car in the evening or 'same as yesterday' and being greeted by name that make the difference.

The reception by Mr. Mustafa was exceptional, as he offered us an upgrade to a room with a stunning view of the Burj Khalifa.

They also seemed to always be there throughout the day and would come by to check on guests several times a day.

The staff - always so happy and eager to help - even remembering what coffee we had each morning at breakfast

Never a smile on their face, nor did they greet on arrivals into the hotel besides the doormen who were polite.

The staff who helped me check in and bring up my luggage were super helpful and very friendly as well.

This is perhaps the only aspect of a slightly distracted staff compared to all the other impeccably experienced areas.

Want to give a special thanks to Anthony from Neelam and Hameed as he was the most kindest person

Even though when i pointed out the deficiencies the staff and duty manager made efforts to correct it.

I saw most people go up to the bar and ask for things rather than be served.

The best part was the very attentive staff who made it a great stay for us.

Overall the staff were very caring and whenever we needed something they were always there.

I can’t believe how the stuff was professional and attending especially Maria and Emaan.

Special thanks to the front manager Kikali Zhimomi for her kindness and understanding!

The staff was amazing-especially Ms Maria and Mr Mustafa very kind and welcoming

I extended my stay due to the great service provided and everything.

The staff are so sweet, especially the doormen and the breakfast team.

Staff went out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Low key luxury coming to life through the excellent staff.

The other staff Bilal was also very helpful and serviceminded.

Thanks to him, our experience was smooth and enjoyable.

Every staff member we met was wonderful and welcoming.

The Staff where amazing, so professional and attentive.

Service, staff, quality of food and amazing amenities.

Thanks for all the team in breakfast.

Staff were amazing (especially Mustafa in reception)

Room design, enter the room directly you are in the room, bathroom door is just next to the bed, dressing room inside the toilet, and the tv location is beside the bed on the left side.( not in-front of the bed ) Its more like an office room than a bedroom

The property charges a premium for a burj khalifa view room, but you can see the burj khalifa only if you stand on the left corner of the room, right next to the window and look to your far right, which is very misleading if you want to charge a premium.

All the rooms are facing the other rooms since the building is in somewhat of a U shape, so good luck with any privacy if the blinds are not up (and in the evening you'll need to make sure you use the blackout blinds if the lights are on).

Housekeeping don’t take my instructions not to touch my personal things when cleaning as it’s covid time and I try to avoid other people touching my stuff and arranging them in good order.

Location of room on the 24th floor 3 floors under the very very loud night-time bar was a bad call , had to change room after we couldn't sleep,

Room is one of the best rooms I had in my life, very spacious for 4 family members 54 square meters, very luxurious, comfortable and clean.

The bed was very uncomfortable, with a mattress is pended due to the over use and bad quality which caused me back-pain.

Bed sheet was not clean when we entered the room also have bad smell like no one cleaned them long ago

Some light switches would get stuck between the on/off positions and were obviously aged and in need of replacement.

The rooms were also cleaned very often and a lovely surprise was always left on the bed :)

Within just a few hours, we had to change rooms three times due to various issues.

We had to change rooms due to rising water from other rooms filling the bathtub.

We came to the room late and the door wasn’t unlocking due to technical issue.

Employees walking into the room in the evening waking me up more than twice.

Rooms looked a little stale, not in terms of dirtiness, but just not modern.

I woke up many times at night due to noises outside the room.

The room was huge and beautiful, the bathroom had all the amenities.

Brighter paint for walls and door might freshen up a bit more.

Special thanks to Karuna who made our room very nice daily.

Bed was not comfortable at all and my back suffered.

Rooms corridor smell as you are living in the kitchen

Special room for people of determination. ( special needs)

For the cost of the room I expected more.

Big rooms, poor breakfast and not enough sockets.

The bed was very comfortable to sleep in.

House keeping was not up to my expectations.

Room got into the years, matress also.

The room and the view was exceptional

Also the furniture was a bit old

The rooms are big and nice.

Dubai is a ever growing city and unfortunately when we visit another construction was under building in front of us so the view was a little different from the presentation pictures, but it’s not the hotel fault.

One thing that bothered us was that the lobby is on the second floor and only accessible by car; there is no easy pedestrian pathway to enter or exit the hotel.

The location of the hotel is excellent, between the business bay and downtown, meaning in the blink of an eye you find yourself on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard ❤️

One thing to mention might be that it's hard to get anywhere from this hotel without a car/taxi, but that's more of a Dubai-issue, not a hotel-related topic.

My husband and I attended the NYE fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa and we were safely back at the hotel - less than 30 minutes (walking).

The location is ordinary and there is no view; it is in the middle of nowhere; you can't see the canal or the Burj Khalifa.

If you’re looking to stay around burj Khalifa and the mall then it’s perfect but it’s quite far out from all the beach clubs etc

The entry is frequently clogged up at busy times of the day because of a long one lane road to the front of the property.

The place is close to the Dubai Mall, about 7 minutes, but at peak times, the distance takes more than an hour, unfortunately.

The central location in Business Bay was incredibly convenient, putting me close to top attractions like the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.

For a short trip you can easily stay in the Hotel without the need to go around Dubai if you are tired.

Quite a walk from train station and bus stop..lengthy approach to the hotel in emirates car from airport to hotel.

Getting down to the street from lobby is a little puzzle, but that's more related to the building itself.

Walking to anything is a hard thing to do considering dubai is not for pedestrians

Location is good, not far away from all the places I wanted to go.

Hotel location allows you to walk to Dubai mall or walk along the canal.

It's a quiet place for spending time during a business trip not for leisure.

Proximity with Business Bay metro station and Burj Khalifa at a walking distance.

Good location but traffic jam all around because of the business district.

The location is easy to access and has a nice view

We used the metro once (10 minutes walk to the metro).

Lovely view of the Burj Khalifa from the hotel front.

The hotel is 10 mins on foot from metro station.

The location, the entrance is difficult sometimes to reach

Well located and a full service with four restaurants.

Close to most things in Dubai as downtown.

Mostly used taxi from the hotel lobby exit.

The location of the hotel is perfect.

You have to have a car

Noise from road all night

Breakfasts take place in the main restaurant, I really liked the table setting, it is no worse than the hotels in the Madinat chain, the service staff, and I also liked that throughout my stay of almost 2 weeks, there were always fresh juice drinks available,

There was one small incident at breakfast, but it's not even worth going into because the staff really jumped into correcting it and making my stay as amazing as possible.

The breakfast is excellent, a huge choice of fresh tasty food from around the world, served in a lovely open courtyard by a very friendly and efficient team.

The breakfast service was a bit careless; some table resets might have been missing a cappuccino cup, or a spoon, or the napkin needed to be requested.

Additionally, the hotel went above and beyond by arranging a special breakfast for my family since we had to leave at 1 AM, which was truly appreciated.

The staff were very kind but when I went to the bufe to bring something then they removed everything from my table like they thought I left.

Fruits and berries, they always had papaya, mango, dragon fruit for breakfast, all kinds of vegetables, greens, avocado, I want to highlight the always fresh croissants!

The breakfast didn’t have a lot of gluten free options, which was a bit disappointing plus the bread that was gluten free was quite unpalatable

There is a huuge variety of food and it’s changing each and every day, so you will never get bored of the same food.

Currently, because of recent events, it was not possible to go down for food (breakfast), the service was only available in the rooms.

I understand, but no alternative was offered by the hotel (such as a snack or coffee! I would consider this poor customer service!

The breakfast was top-notch, with an infinite amount of choices, from Indian food to European, you could easily have something different every day.

The breakfast options were a bit limited and didn't really change much each day, but there was a good spread for vegetarians/vegans.

Egg Benedict has to improve ( cold.. the salmon is dry and the sauce shouldn’t be baked on it).

Why will I come to a 5 star hotel and have this mockery of an omlette ?

The only highlight was the buffet breakfast which had everything you could imagine for breakfast.

We had buffet for breakfast and it was very tasty and nicely presented.

At Oberoi, the breakfast was supreme quality and service was topnotch.

Breakfast was good with numerous options to suit any palate.

Basic is to clean it before you set it up.

Breakfast was ready, fantastic an amazing selection of food.

Food at the breakfast was good as well 👍

Breakfasts and the room indeed deserve a 5!

Breakfast can be better for 5 star hotel.

Breakfast spread is also worth a mention.

The outside breakfast place is wonderful.

Also I really liked the breakfast.

The breakfast was very good

Food and in room dining

The breakfast being lovely.

The hotel has one major problem - it is designed for cars, not thinking about pedestrians at all - to enter the hotel we had to walk up and down the ramp where cars are driving or we could wander through endless corridors and shops on the main floor to find doors which lead to hotel.

There is no swimming pool for children, just one shared pool for adults and kids, and the pool depth is 1.5 meters, meaning children need supervision and also swim jackets

Pedestrian exit is hard to find at the first time if you want to walk outside (through 1st floor) - hotel may add additional signs to mark the way clearly.

This is currently more of a business tower hotel and offer, and may disappoint if you are expecting a more traditional Anantara offer for a leisure trip.

In that case - lower the prices for living in renovated hotel or close the hotel for a while and do the fast renovation of whole building.

I hope the management take all in consideration and act quickly as I would hate to say the hotel is old and it’s time to change!

The main pedestrian entrance is transferred to another building, so you have to walk around, and they do not say a word about it before arrival.

For example, the sink clogged, the shower heads are very weak and not satisfying, the WC flush is not really good, and so forth.

I travel a lot for business and because your WIFI is open you have to use a VPN to make sure you're secure.

Facilities were good (gym, pool, restaurants), but no sauna and the steam room wasn't really effective at all as it's a hybrid shower.

Hotel used to be the Oberoi, now the Anantara, we thought the hotel is looking tired, it looks in need of modernisation.

When i wanted to go information was that it is only until 9PM an the Pool-bar was closed at 6 PM.

Additionally, many of the furniture pieces showed signs of wear and tear, and the in-room magazine was in poor condition.

The overall value for money was poor, and I felt overcharged for the level of service and amenities provided.

The property public areas are currently under renovation and there is nothing to state this in the Booking.com description.

A very small lobby area is available but not for for purpose until renovation is planned to finish soon

When you check-in they give you leaflet about their hotel with outdated information that the restaurants are still there.

Pool was nice and big but does not get as much sun as you'd like since it's between building.

There was construction work being done on the wall on the internal patio where breakfast was held

The lobby and reception is relocated during the works, and the main bar area is closed.

The current hotel public areas look nothing like you expect of an Anantara brand standard.

It is starting to get old and I think it’s about time to change.

Unbeknown to us there was a rooftop bar located on the 27th floor.

The lobby is under construction and is temporary transferred to another floor.

Unfortunately didn’t have time to use the facilities but excellent stay.

Lobby being rebuilt; temporary lobby gloomy and lacking any character

Nobody tells a word that hotel is under renovation.

The lobby area when parking is very narrow

The public space architecture is modern and nice.

The lobby was not welcoming or pleasant.

The check-in went smooth thanks to Ruhbeel/Jubeel, I cannot now remember the name but would really like to thank him for his service to make sure I got a room in time, able to checkout little later and leave luggage, because of my late travel.

The hotel confirmed me an early check in (1 hour earlier, 2 PM vs 3 PM), and I scheduled my day based on the fact that I can check in at 2 PM, when I came to the hotel the room was not ready.

Checked in with a lady in reception she was racist she don’t know rules policies and let some people pay deposit and other without paying don’t know how to count money she want to take more money for her pocket as a tip

I didn't like the fact that it took them a while to find my booking at check in and then asking me "incorrectly" to pay an extra 50% at check out although the full payment was made at check in.

I arrived a bit late due to a delayed flight, but the gentleman at reception, Moussahd (apologies if the spelling is off—I’ll correct it once I have the name), took great care of me.

They woke us up in the morning before checkout quite early just to check if we took anything from the minibar then also made us wait at checkout to confirm again.

All three of us were checked in at different times, we had to ask for the return of our passports. It was very busy and they didn’t cope at all.

At Oberoi, the guest welcome experience was king size and check in was done in the room itself - the GM personally welcomed guests staying in suite category rooms.

Upon check-in, I did not like the New Year's decorations, they were too outdated and unstylish, it felt like they saved money, which significantly spoiled the hotel's appearance!

I arrived late in the evening, and the staff who helped me check in and bring up my luggage were super helpful and very friendly as well.

Check in was chaotic and took close to 40 minutes. Young undertrained staff who couldn’t organise themselves and kept duplicating effort while making no progress.

Also Mustafa want to take money from people if they have visitors while other people in reception didn’t take any thing just took their info

We arrived very early in the morning ,Eman and her manager ensured we got a room of our choice prior to the scheduled ch

I requested a late checkout for 2:00 PM (instead of the standard 12:00 PM) as I had a business meeting outside the hotel.

The reception fellows need to be flexible and recognise repeat previous guest like me ...I expected some flexibility in some of my request

When I spoke to the receptionist, Eman, she claimed she had been communicating with my mother in Arabic—which was unfortunately not true.

We arrived very early in the morning and not only did the hotel let us into the room with no additional charge

At Anantara, the staff at the reception curtly tells you 'Wait at the lobby sir; I am busy with a guest now'.

10:30 am cards stopped working and they didn’t extend my check out time although I check in at 8 pm

We checked in at 9 am and we were charged for a full day extra, this doesn’t seem fair

Even when i was checking out the were not fast and i had the Uber wait for me

I had one unfortunate experience at check-out, but the hotel staff recovered adroitly and resolved the issue gracefully

Nothing to mention, just a tiny issue with booking details, but was solved professionally with front desk team.

They called me trillion times for check out .. they act aggressive when it’s your last day

After check-out, it is not possible to feel comfortable at the hotel due to multiple restrictions.

Took the issue to hotel reception who take 2 days to solve it, wich they did.

During check in, the front desk gave us a late checkout before even asking for it.

When the manager was called, he also failed to take any meaningful action.

I also want to express my gratitude for the exceptional service during check-in.

This request was approved at 10:15 AM.

The pool is well exposed to the sun at this particular time of year (being among the buildings, it is possible that in other seasons it may be more shaded, as noted in other reviews).

The pool in the hotel is nice, but those who are looking to enjoy the luxurious pool then this hotel is perhaps less recommended because there are hotels with huge and beautiful pools.

I booked swimming pool view and I didn’t know it means from high floor you might see the swimming pool from very far.

We enjoyed an afternoon at the pool, which is large enough for a good swim and also has a bar.

The pool had a noisy environment since new skyscrapers in Downtown Dubai are being built around the structure.

One small issue I encountered was that the pool temperature was too cold for my daughters.

The pool was a little Oasis in the concrete jungle it was so perfect.

Big pool; however, the water was too warm and not too clean.

The pool is a bit small but was enough for us.

Really liked the pool area, very beautiful and good service.

In love with quiet, spacious and beautiful swimming pool.

Pool service is really nice too and good view

Pool area looked like it needed a makeover.

Everything was so clean and well maintained.

The room, the pool, the location

Pool is in shade all afternoon

Pool area is nice and clean.

I got back from the pool.

Amazing and very big pool too.

The pool was really great.

The pool was very clean.

The pool also very nice.

Also loved the pool!

Good gym and pool

The pool always quiet.

Swimming pool and gym.

Good pool area

I payed extra.

Great pool

Pool

Special thank's to the restaurant team namely Nicholas and the two most nice moroccans whom I didn't got the names from but you really are special nice people.

I liked the Japanese restaurant in the hotel, more like a cafe, with fresh seafood!

The food was excellent and the service from all the the staff was high quantity.

I ordered a “ Club Sandwich with chicken” was already cold when I got it.

At the pool the staff is not coming to ask you if you need anything.

Drinks and food in the restaurant and bar were also very nice and delicious.

The bar was open till late which was great for us .

If you order a coffee it comes in a take away cup.

The Japanese restaurant in the hotel is the best exceptional.

Food is not great at pool area and main restaurant.

Good restaurants on site especially Girl & the Goose.

The hotel has several restaurants and highly recommend here.

The quality of food very bad , no verities

We particularly liked the food in the Indian grill.

Was expected more of Indian food at the restaurant.

Only one restaurant, other restaurant outlets where odd.

The staff and food quality is the best

I didn’t like the food during my stay.

The Menu at the Pool is very poor.

The two restaurants in the Lobby are EXCELLENT.

The room and the restaurants are good.

Enjoyed cocktails in the rooftop terrace bar.

The food was versatile and good.

The Indian restaurant is very good.

Not a nice 5 Stars feeling.

We liked Punjab Grill restaurant there.

I wish you all the best.

Punjab Grill was a unique experience.

The Japanese restaurant

Thank you.

I asked to take a shower in the SPA the evening after I checked out - no, they provided me a room to freshen up before my flight.

The spa experience was also outstanding, and I would like to extend my gratitude to the therapist, Keshika, for the fantastic service she provided.

I also visited the spa and had a wonderful treatment, and the staff there were awesome as well.

Housekeeping prepared a bath tub full of foam amd rose petals for me as a surprise.

Enjoyed the stay and mostly the spa ( therapist therene and lakana)

The spa, big room, pool, and location were all great.

The shower in the spa had no hot water.

Spa (steam room accessibility & sauna facility)

They also have a very good spa.

Massage at the spa was very relaxing

The Spa is not a spa !

Spa and beauty salon on site.

The spa services were excellent.

Massage and facial

The Spa

Spa treatment,

Spa.

The gym was well equipped, but the equipment brand doesn't represent the Anantara status, using low/mid brand for your strength equipment (where the steel parts generated static) - please do consider more "appropriate" equipment (considering many of your guests use the facility), i.e. Technogym.

You cannot use the elevator from the street or access the gym.

Well-equipped gym, 4 restaurants inside offering different types of cuisine.

The gym is excellent but too cold, new Technogym equipment

The gym is good for a hotel gym.

Small-medium sized gym but well equipped

Gym space & equipment,

Swimming pool and gym.

Great Gym trainer.

Also amazing gym.

Good gym

The drivers at the entrance were overly pushy in trying to sell you a car; in Dubai, a taxi is more convenient than hotel shuttle services or Careem.

Bit hard to get Uber or taxis to do circle to come up; reception for drive up could be better designed.

Waiting long time for the car to arrive from the parking to the lobby

Were our brilliant driver with good rates, service and smooth driving skills.

Who was always with us in transportation questions.

Taxis took forever to get to the hotel.

Very busy traffic including waiting time.

Free 9:30am shuttle to Dubai Mall