The Lana - Dorchester Collection

Most Downtown hotels put you in the thick of the crowds. The Lana takes a smarter route. It sits on the quiet marina at Marasi Bay in Business Bay, with the Burj Khalifa rising across the water. Mornings begin with coffee on The Lana Promenade, and evenings end with the skyline lighting up. Yet the big sights are never far away. Dubai Mall is about ten minutes by car, and the airport is about 20 minutes away.

This is luxury that doesn't need to shout. Parisian designers Gilles & Boissier have blended traditional craft with contemporary flair, letting space and light do the talking, and an art collection runs through the hotel. From the moment you step into the lobby, it feels polished and assured, very much in the Dorchester Collection mould.

Rooms here are designed around the view. Every one has a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows framing Downtown, the marina, or the desert stretching to the horizon, and the smallest measure is a generous 56 square metres, balcony included. Cool stone parquet and Bang & Olufsen sound set the tone, while the duplex suites, with double-height living rooms and terraces on both levels, feel more like private residences.

The Lana has gathered one of the city's most impressive lineups of chefs. Basque legend Martín Berasategui, holder of 12 Michelin stars, brings his homeland's fire to Jara. Meanwhile, Jean Imbert takes diners on a sun-soaked tour of the French and Italian rivieras at Riviera. Come sunset, head up to High Society, the rooftop bar with 360-degree views, where the Burj Khalifa takes centre stage and cocktails turn into dancing after dark.

The only Dior Spa in Dubai, and the first in the Middle East, brings Parisian beauty savoir-faire to the hotel, with treatments built around the Dior Prestige range and the signature Escale ritual, a Japanese-inspired head-to-toe massage. Afterwards, slip into the rooftop infinity pool, where Downtown spreads out below, and the Burj Khalifa fills the horizon.