The days of impersonal hotel rooms and waiting for service have been banished to the past with the opening last month of the Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel.
The international hospitality chain has ushered in a new era in the Middle East with this new lifestyle property. With only 154 rooms on 16 floors including four suites, 42 executive suites of which 24 are alcove rooms, the new hotel boasts a high ratio of staff per guest underlining the management's claim that every guest's wants and whims will be catered for. The procedures have been streamlined to such an extent that guests need not even have to check in, that can be done in the back of a limousine pick-up from the airport. "We want to close the gap between hotel and home," said Guy Hutchinson, manager of the new hotel. "We aim to create a connection to the way guests choose to live at home. We wanted to remove the unnecessary formalities from the hotel, so a guest can check into a room from the car, the bar or the room itself." The hotel and the concepts behind it fit in with the minimalist ethos of London, Paris and New York. The design of the interiors, while fashionable, allow even the fixtures to become works of art. The design is modern, but the guest treatment is attentive and discreet. Each guest can expect a personalised service and is offered the choice of a range of lifestyle features as near to their home or workplace as possible. Kees Hartzuiker, general manager Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and Hilton Dubai Creek, said: "Previously there was the feeling that top hotels had to offer white-gloved service and epauletted doormen, which was in no way related to how guests live at home for the most part. "We have moved closer to how people choose to live, allowing them all the comforts in a stylish, clutter-free environment." When checking in, guests can chose to customise their room or suite right down to whether they want green apples in the fruit bowl, foam pillows on the bed and a de-stressing aromatherapy bath in the evening. The attention to detail is evident from the moment of entry into the granite and aluminium lobby with twin glass staircases, punctured only by two, flat water features with fibre optic lighting. On the walls are matching recycled wood artworks, commissioned by the architect, Carlos Ott, from a Brazilian artist. Ott together with Arenco Architects and Engineering Consultants designed the exteriors and interiors of the building - the first time he has done so. Ott's themes are continued throughout every aspect of every room, maintaining a visually arresting mix of chrome, granite, steel, beech wood and black leather furniture by the Italian company, B&B. Verre is the hotel's signature restaurant, an outlet for the famous chef, Gordon Ramsay. All rooms have views of the Creek. Guests can request in-room DVD player and library, espresso machine or foot massager. Turndown options include an aromatherapy bath. The ultimate touch has been saved for the rooftop swimming pool with Internet connections in the sunbeds. The hotel also offers two boardrooms with built-in audio-visual facilities, and the rooms are only used for business meetings.