Review: Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre [UAE]

It’s my first time here in Dubai, and I decided to visit in the middle of hot summer of August because my flight back home is with the Emirates First Class in the A380 booked with Qantas miles.

So, why not try visiting Dubai in the meantime even in the hottest month of the year? The upside of visiting Dubai in the summer is how cheap luxury hotels can be so I thought it’d be fun to try out some that interested me.

The Waldorf Astoria in Dubai’s Financial Centre seemed really nice with attractive rates, and it’s my second time with the Waldorf Astoria brand after the one in Las Vegas. A Waldorf Astoria experience from one desert to the other. 

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Booking

I booked a 2-night stay in cash through the Amex Fine Hotels & Resort program. Cash rate for hotels in Dubai in summer can be very cheap. This Waldorf Astoria charged $200 per night which was then covered by the hotel credit provided by the Amex Platinum Card if it’s prepaid.

I booked the second night without prepaying so I can use Hilton gift cards I’ve collected ever since the quarterly Hilton credits given through some Amex cards like the Amex Business Platinum, Hilton Business, and Hilton Surpass. Thankfully, they all worked so I ended up having the second night paid that way.

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Location

The hotel is located at the Financial Center of Dubai just as the name suggests. It’s close to landmarks like Museum of the Future, Burj Khalifa, and Dubai Mall. Even with the close distance, cars are very recommended to get around this city, and I don’t dare walking outside for too long in the middle of summer.

Careem was our go-to ridesharing app in Dubai, and it even gave us a free trial of Careem+ for a week which gave us 10% cashback after every ride which helped save some money since Dubai is very car dependent, and you’ll need taxis a lot to get around the city if you’re not driving.

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Check-in

We arrived some time after noon flying from Chisinau landing in DXB. When arriving at the hotel grounds, we’re met with a rounded huge driveway. The staff then meets us in front of the glass structure.

After entering the glass structure, the hotel’s name made its presence on the floor tiles.

The ground floor made an impression with the art-deco style. Bold linings all over. The hotel’s reception is on the 18th floor so we took the elevator to get there down this hall.

After stepping out of the elevator, we’re met with the lobby with a more old boys’ club feel with the dark brown walls.

Check-in itself was smooth, and the front desk explained to us about the Amex FHR benefits which we used shortly after for lunch at the restaurant Bull & Bear just to the left of the reception hall.

I was also able to use my Hilton gift cards to help pay for the non-prepaid Amex FHR rate, though it took a different front desk agent to make them work. I was concerned with how seemingly random nature whether the gift cards will work or not, so I’m glad that they all ended up working here so I can be done with them for a very long time!

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- King Premier Room

As a Hilton Gold, I was upgraded to the King Premier Room in either the 30-or-40th something floor. The room itself is sized over 50 sqm which is quite spacious enough that I was fine with not getting a suite upgrade (not like being a Gold helps with that anyway).

After entering the room, there’s the foyer with a giant mirror and a small table and chair. Across them are closets where you can find the safe, bathrobe and slippers, and the main bathroom area.

Continuing straight from the foyer is the bedroom area. The hotel staff has prepared a little surprise since the stay was a few days after my actual birthday! Never had balloons in my room before, and the birthday cake towels were funny.

The bedroom area feels massive with generous space in-between the bed and the living area. Everything felt compact and all space were well-utilized.

Flat-screen TV is across the bed with fancy marble-top luggage space to the left.

The table area has nice ornaments in the cabinet. I was also presented a chocolate birthday cake, but forgot to take a picture of it! The painting still gives 1920’s vibes.

The pantry area offers complimentary Nespresso and tea. Snakcs are chargeable along with the drinks in the minibar.

The room featured a view of Dubai’s iconic style of architectures and the hotel’s rooftop pool before them.

Moving back to the bathroom by the entry, it featured two separate singular sinks on each opposing side of the walls.

A huge bathtub is to the right of one of the sinks.

Then, the shower room to the right and toilet room to the left of the other sink. The water pressure was good.

Aesop toiletries are what’s used, which is a brand standard for Waldorf Astoria.

The toilet also comes with European-style bidet next to it.

Really nice room overall. Very spacious, modern, and comes with a great view!

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Bull & Bear Restaurant

After getting settled for a bit in the room, we headed to the Bull & Bear Restaurant to use up the $100 property credit from Amex FHR rate.

Business Lunch

Business lunches seem to be a common thing in Dubai, and you could get decent deals on multi-course meals. In Bull & Bear, you can either pick 2-course of 3-course, and the difference is that the 2-course will exclude dessert. You can pick from any of the selected entrees which seemed to be seasonal, so the menu will be different depending on when you visit.

If you’re not interested in that, there’s still a la carte menu in Bull & Bear.

For starters, a singular homemade bread will be served with butter on the side. It’s very flaky on the outside but very smooth inside. Very tasty.

For the first part of the course, we got an Asian salad that seemed to be Thai style with shrimp covered in peanut sauce. It was quite good.

The second course was wagyu steak cooked medium-rare.

My partner got a hamburger and fries.

The final course was the dessert and I got an ice cream.

Breakfast

Breakfast is also served here in Bull & Bear. It’s buffet style with some made-to-order items on the a la carte menu.

By the seats are long tables of sweets, packaged bread, and cereals.

On the kitchen side, there’s a small Asian section where you’d get fried noodles, rice, and dumplings.

There’s cold items like smoked meats, fruits, and condiments.

The pastries here all looked and tasted fantastic!

The staff also surprised me with a waffle plate in one of the days and sang Happy Birthday to me. What a wonderful thing!

Below are the a la carte menu we’ve ordered: eggs benedict, congee, noodle soup, shakshouka, and dosa.

This was my first time having dosa and I didn’t realize it would be this large looking!

Very great breakfast experience overall, and I enjoy the variety of international cuisines that are served here compared to most western hotels abroad that typically only serve western with local specialties mixed in.

One weird thing is that while the service was excellent, the staff seemed to be a bit pushy about us leaving reviews after whenever we dined there. It was no problem when they asked us after one time, but it got awkward when we were asked multiple times. That’s pretty much the only gripe I had with the stay here.

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Pool

The pool is located on lobby floor by the spa reception and the gym. Just before the entry are the locker + bathroom for both men and women.

It’s outdoor and you’ll be surrounded with views of the skyscraper. It’s a pleasant place to spend in the summer! The staff around the pool will give out water bottles for free to keep you hydrated.

There is also a bar by the pool named St. Trop, but it is understandably empty in the middle of the day in the summer.

There is a jacuzzi section by the pool which I found surprisingly still pleasant to use even when it’s 100 degrees plus outside. Not to mention that the cold pool is right next to it so it’s fun to switch things up.

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Gym

The gym is located in the middle of the pool and spa reception. It’s a long singular hall room with machines lined up by the windows. It’s one of the smaller hotel gyms, but comes with enough modern weight and cardio machines, and dumbbells station at the end.

Refreshments like water, fruits, and fresh towels are available. They do have protein shakes, but you’d need to buy them from the spa reception.

Waldorf Astoria D.I.F.C- Peacock Alley

To the right of the reception area is the Peacock Alley, Waldorf Astoria’s main bar. I didn’t get to check it out at night, but it has a classy feel that makes you fell like you’re back in time. There’s also a cigar lounge area at the far left of the bar.

Conclusion

The Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre is an excellent hotel with stylish design and very spacious rooms throughout the property. The breakfast was well thought-out with variety of international cuisines served, and they tasted pretty good overall. Though I think they should ease on the requests to leave reviews after each service.

The location is pretty much on the business-y side of things, but no matter where you stay in Dubai, you’d likely use taxis to go anywhere anyway. It’s still close to Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, and whatnot.

I can definitely recommend this hotel, and I wouldn’t doubt that this is possibly the best Hilton in Dubai.