Finally making it to the desert oasis of Dubai, of course we had to stay at a camel-themed hotel!!! Located right in the heart of Dubai, close to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, the Renaissance Downtown Hotel perfectly blends modern design with absolute luxury. It turns the humble camel into something super chic! This is truly one of those picture-perfect Dubai stays you just can't miss!

🐫 Rebranded to The St. Regis Downtown, Dubai

📌 The "Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai" was rebranded in December 2021 to the even more luxurious "The St. Regis Downtown, Dubai".

This shift in brand positioning brings it into the ranks of the three other St. Regis hotels and resorts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Along with this update, the hotel has beautifully redesigned its lobby, room decor, and the executive lounge. They also added the St. Regis Ballroom, providing a stunning new venue for business meetings, banquets, and weddings. And of course, staying at a St. Regis means you have the chance to experience their legendary, signature St. Regis Butler Service.

Let's take a look at the newly renovated spaces through these official photos~

🐫 Other Three St. Regis Hotels & Resorts in Dubai / Abu Dhabi

• The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm / The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm
• The St. Regis Abu Dhabi / The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
• The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi / The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi

🐫 Renaissance Downtown Hotel Review Table of Contents

🐫 Location & Transportation
🐫 Lobby
🐫 Renaissance Navigator
🐫 Free Hotel Shuttle to Nearby Attractions
🐫 Grounded Cafe
🐫 Buffet Breakfast
🐫 Club Lounge
🐫 Club Lounge Breakfast
🐫 Club Lounge Happy Hour
🐫 Swimming Pool
🐫 Dubai Travel Information

🐫 Location & Transportation

This hotel boasts an absolutely fantastic location! Being incredibly close to the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, and the Dubai Fountain, it's the perfect place to stay if you're planning to watch the spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks nearby. Just keep in mind that the hotel gets quite fully booked around New Year's Eve, so scoring a free room upgrade during that time can be pretty tough.

The hotel is about a 20-minute walk from Dubai's most famous attractions: the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Dubai Fountain. However, since taxis in Dubai are quite affordable, we never actually walked it XD. The closest metro station is the Business Bay station on the Red Line, which is a 25 to 30-minute walk, or you can take a taxi or bus. If you take the bus, the ride is about 10 minutes. Since waiting for the bus is a bit of a hassle, we ended up just taking a taxi from the hotel to the metro station to save time 😆.

🐫 Lobby

With its glittering high ceilings, ultra-stylish reception desks, and gorgeous suspended art installations, the Renaissance Hotel's lobby might not be massive, but it's incredibly impressive. And of course, the camels—the stars of the design theme—are present and accounted for!

Next to the lobby, there's a really cool art installation: a map of the United Arab Emirates covered in actual desert sand. Above it is a cylinder that reflects the face of the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The UAE has an annual theme every year—for example, 2017 was the "Year of Giving," and 2019 was the "Year of Tolerance." Their founding father, Sheikh Zayed, was born in 1918, making 2018 his 100th anniversary. Thus, 2018 was dedicated to him as the "Year of Zayed." You can see his portrait everywhere in Dubai, which truly shows his special place in people's hearts. Even the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is named after him!

At the main entrance, there's a striking skyline art piece featuring Dubai's skyscrapers. Right in the center, goes without saying, is the tallest tower in the world 👉🏻 the Burj Khalifa!

➡️ Renaissance Downtown Hotel Official Website (English) / Official Website (Chinese)

🐫 Renaissance Navigator

Right next to the lobby is the Renaissance Navigator desk (similar to a Concierge service at other hotels). So far, we've stayed at two Renaissance hotels—besides this one in Dubai, we later visited the highly recommended Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort. We have fantastic impressions of the Navigators at both properties! During your stay, whatever questions you have—whether about attractions, transportation, or just general travel troubleshooting—you can just head over to the desk and ask the Navigator. They are incredibly attentive. For example, when we were planning our Abu Dhabi day trip, the Navigator not only explained all the important details thoroughly but even printed out an A4-sized guide for us! It highlighted the best spots to visit in Abu Dhabi and meticulously listed all the unique architectural wonders we shouldn't miss. It was really amazing!

🐫 Free Hotel Shuttle to Nearby Attractions

The Renaissance Downtown Hotel Dubai provides free scheduled shuttle buses to various nearby attractions every day. Before dropping you off, the friendly drivers even explain exactly where to catch the shuttle for your return trip. We only took the shuttles to La Mer Beach and the Dubai Mall, but it was incredibly convenient!

👉🏻 A Hipster's Must-Visit! A Local Favorite~ Dubai La Mer Beach
👉🏻 The World's Largest! Where to Start at the Dubai Mall? | Your Anti-Getting-Lost Guide is Here!

🐫 Grounded Cafe

Located just behind the lobby, Grounded Cafe primarily serves light bites. Its design seamlessly continues the lobby's chic vibe, complete with an entire row of glittering, golden curtains.

The indoor seating area is exceptionally clean and cozy~

And, naturally, camels are an essential part of the decor! 🐪🐪

Right next to the cafe is the Dubai Canal. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows, you get a sweeping view of the waterfront and the soaring skyscrapers outside. If you prefer not to look through glass, there's outdoor seating available too!

While we were just chilling at the hotel on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, we sat out in the cafe's outdoor area to watch the sunset. The row of skyscrapers looked exceptionally beautiful, bathed in the red glow of the evening sky! 🌆

🐫 Buffet Breakfast

Located on the 3rd floor of the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, BHAR is an upscale Mediterranean-style restaurant that serves the hotel's buffet breakfast.

The buffet breakfast offers a much wider variety of choices compared to the Club Lounge. Besides the standard hotel breakfast fare of hot dishes, pastries, salads, and fruits, the most impressive station is the freshly kneaded and baked flatbreads! Just watching the chef's skillful dough-kneading technique and seeing that traditional clay oven in the back, you instantly know it’s going to be delicious!

Paired with some curry, the freshly baked bread can only be described in one word: Amazing!

During the week we stayed leading up to New Year's Eve, thanks to our Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, we would usually only get complimentary breakfast in the Club Lounge. However, on two mornings of our stay (Dec 31st & Jan 1st, 2019, right around NYE), the lounge was completely packed! So, we were unexpectedly sent to this restaurant to enjoy two days of free breakfast. If you were paying out of pocket, breakfast here costs AED 150 (about $40 USD) per person. It really shows the value of having Marriott Platinum status!!! Even though the lounge breakfast has slightly fewer options, over a seven-day stay, the two of us saved $560 USD just on breakfast alone—what a crazy number! 😱😱😱

➡️ Book on Renaissance Official Website (English) / Book on Official Website (Chinese)
➡️ Check Agoda for Live Room Rates and Deals

If you get the chance to dine at this 3rd-floor restaurant, we highly recommend sitting outdoors so you can eat and enjoy the view simultaneously (though it is a bit warmer 😆). While it isn't perched up high like the Club Lounge, looking out over the wide waterfront and the cluster of towering skyscrapers, the view honestly feels even better than from the lounge!

🐫 Club Lounge

The Club Lounge is open to Marriott Bonvoy members with Platinum Elite status or higher. The entire lounge is incredibly spacious, with seating neatly divided into a dining area filled with tables and chairs, and a comfortable sofa area~

The hotel thoughtfully provides plenty of mini-games and board games for guests to enjoy. During opening hours, you can pop in anytime to play a game, grab some snacks and drinks, and just blissfully lounge on the sofas!!! 🤩 Escaping the scorching Dubai heat into such a comfortable, air-conditioned haven makes you feel wonderfully lazy~ 🏖️

It’s open daily from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, serving nuts, sodas, tea, and coffee all day long. (Note: Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.)

Perched on the 21st floor of the Renaissance Downtown Hotel Dubai, the window views from the Club Lounge are fantastic, offering a great look at the neighboring skyscrapers! We did a thorough investigation, and our conclusion is: "You cannot see the Burj Khalifa from the Club Lounge!" Still, looking out from that high up is pretty spectacular!

Even the floor-to-ceiling windows by the 21st-floor elevators offer stunning views, and they hold a tiny easter egg that we didn't notice until we’d been there for five days! One time, while looking out the window, we suddenly spotted a tiny golden picture frame standing tall in the distance! It turned out to be the world's largest frame, the Dubai Frame!

🐫 Club Lounge Breakfast

▶︎ Available Sunday to Thursday: 6:30 AM - 9:30 AM
▶︎ Available Friday to Saturday: 6:30 AM - 10:00 AM
▶︎ Exclusively for Marriott Bonvoy members with Platinum Elite status and above

Keep in mind that the weekend in Dubai falls on Friday and Saturday, while Sunday through Thursday are regular workdays. That's why breakfast runs until 10:00 AM on weekends and ends at 9:30 AM during the week.

The breakfast selection is typical for a city hotel: breads, cereals, fresh fruits, yogurt, salads, cheeses, cold cuts, and smoked salmon. The hot food options lean Western, like sausages, grilled tomatoes, and hash browns. Since it is a city hotel, the breakfast spread is a bit more streamlined compared to what you’d find at a sprawling resort~

Streamlined it may be, but made-to-order omelets are an absolute must-have! You'll need to order these directly with the lovely serving staff~

🐫 Club Lounge Happy Hour

▶︎ Daily: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
▶︎ Exclusively for Marriott Bonvoy members with Platinum Elite status and above

The Happy Hour served in the Club Lounge every evening from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM is seriously no joke! The food is so substantial you can easily treat it as a full dinner. What’s even sweeter is their generosity on New Year's Eve. While major restaurants were jacking up their NYE dinner prices to several times the usual cost, the Club Lounge festively offered an open bar with endless drinks and a chef carving up a fresh, whole roasted turkey! 🍗

The dishes served were also much more refined and exquisite than usual!

The desserts were stunning! One of them even had gold leaf on top! For New Year's Eve, they offered a special dessert printed with a countdown clock. Not knowing the lounge would have these adorable countdown desserts, we had previously spent AED 28 downstairs at the cafe to buy a large, limited-edition NYE countdown chocolate cake. In the end, we put them all together and snapped a cute picture! 🤩

🐫 Swimming Pool

Sunsets at the pool are unbelievably gorgeous. Besides taking in the breathtaking Dubai skyline, there's another little easter egg. Can you spot it?? (Check below for the answer 👇🏻)

The answer is 👉🏻 the Burj Al Arab (Sailboat Hotel) hiding among the buildings!

If you have the chance, you absolutely must pick a day around sunset 🌆 to swim in the pool and watch the sky change colors! It's incredible!

Newly opened in November 2017, the Renaissance Downtown Hotel Dubai flawlessly merges the luxury you'd expect from Dubai with the desert's most iconic symbol—the camel 🐪. The entire hotel exudes a trendy, fashionable, and highly thematic vibe. Conveniently located near Dubai's biggest attractions, the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, it offers excellent food and a stellar Club Lounge experience. We highly, highly recommend staying here when you visit Dubai!

Just a quick reminder for those who have Marriott Bonvoy status or are planning to join: we highly recommend booking the Renaissance Dubai directly through the official Marriott website to guarantee you receive your elite perks and earn points. If you book through a third-party website, there's a very high chance you won't get to enjoy your membership benefits during your stay!

➡️ Book on Marriott Official Website (English) / Book on Official Website (Chinese)
➡️ Check Agoda for Live Room Rates and Deals

🐫 Dubai Travel Information

★ 【Transport】Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus
★ 【Passes】Klook Dubai Attractions Pass
★ 【SIM Cards】UAE 5G eSIM
★ 【Observatories】Burj Khalifa | Dubai Frame | The View At The Palm | Sky View
★ 【Theme Parks】Legoland Dubai | Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
★ 【Desert Tours】Morning Desert Safari | Evening Desert Safari | Camel Riding | Hot Air Balloon
★ 【Abu Dhabi】Day Trip | DIY Travel Guide
★ 【Dubai Guides】DIY Travel Guide | Where to Stay | Top 10 Attractions

🐫 Other DIY Travel Guides

★ Middle East: Doha | Dubai | Abu Dhabi
★ Europe: Finland | UK
★ USA: New York | San Francisco | Las Vegas
★ Islands: Tahiti | Maldives | Fiji
★ Southeast Asia: Bali | Phu Quoc | Koh Samui

Do you also want to snag Marriott Platinum status for free hotel breakfasts and happy hours? To learn more about Marriott Bonvoy, check out the link below! We'll be continually updating our articles about maximizing Marriott Bonvoy points soon~

👉🏻 How to Maximize Marriott Bonvoy Points Through Hotel Stays and the Amex Co-Branded Card?

We have so many more articles about Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including must-visit attractions, accommodation reviews, transportation guides, and quick-reference tips. Keep reading down below! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻