Versace Me Up: Palazzo Versace Dubai

When you walk into the Palazzo Versace Dubai, the luxury hotel certainly has that Versace va-va-voom but it isn’t garishly flashed in your face. This place is about subtle sophistication and catering to an eclectic audience that is a mix of business and leisure, nationals and expats.

Located on Dubai Creek and a mere 15 minutes from the airport and 8 minutes from both Burj Khalifa and the Dubai International Financial Centre, you can’t deny the central and convenient location of Palazzo Versace Dubai. And yet, there is a sophisticated tranquility that drapes over you the moment you step through the doors and leave behind the zooming speed of city life. The hotel manages to create a wonderfully welcoming ambiance that makes it feel like someone’s (posh) living room.

Living

Palazzo Versace Dubai – Floor mosaic made up of 1.5 million pieces

When you enter the grand lobby, you’ll be greeted with a smile, a stonking 1.5 million piece mosaic of an original Gianni Versace design, and a 3,000 kg Bohemia crystal chandelier imported from the Czech Republic.

The Versace brand and touch are present wherever you look. From the iconic Versace Medusa to the artwork to the more subtle designs inspired by their legendary prints, it’s clear you are IN the House of Versace. During the planning stages, there were meetings about the china and the shape of the glasses; the fabulous friezes in the lobby were hand-painted; the lush textiles with the peacock, horse, and falcon motif were designed with 3 variations. Versace is about luxury and that is what you will feel here.

Room

Palazzo Versace Dubai – Suite

The hotel is split into the east and west wings, with 150 rooms and 65 suites plus 169 residences ranging from one to six bedrooms.

The rooms are all based around a detailed colour theme (turquoise, blue, salmon, beige, gold) and the interiors and furniture have all been touched by the artistic hands of Versace. These luxurious rooms are like mini palaces and the attention to detail is exquisite—think parquet flooring, proper bedspreads (not a bed runner in sight!), and marble bathrooms.

Look up and you’ll spot the design house’s signature Greek key motif. Stories of the legendary Gianni Versace and his keen interest in Greek mythology are peppered throughout the entire property, sometimes overtly and oftentimes so subtly that you wouldn’t realise unless you were looking for it.

Dining

Palazzo Versace Dubai – One of the fresh and delicate dishes at Vanitas

For dinner, we dined at Vanitas, Palazzo Versace’s signature Italian restaurant, which is surprisingly subtle in terms of the design. Whilst the food was fantastic, the lighting was way too bright but this certainly isn’t a make-or-break factor among all the positives!

Another fantastic option is Enigma, the avant-garde restaurant that features a new Michelin chef every 3 months, plucked from the world’s 50 best restaurants. It is mysterious and unique and will likely please the palates of gourmands everywhere.

Level of exigency

The people here are what make this place stand out in Dubai’s oversaturated 5-star hotel market. From check-in to poolside service to my massage at VSpa (which was above and beyond), the staff are nothing short of phenomenal. (Bonus points to the spa for stocking my fave Carol Joy and QMS products.)

Marco Pierre White may have said it best after his recent stay: