I'll state it flat out and upfront: The Fairmont is the best hotel my wife and I have ever been privileged to stay in, bar none.
Service:
Absolutely superb, from registration all the way to check-out. The desk clerks and the concierge were on top of things all the time, always smiling, willing to take the time to explain things, e.g., directions, and always available to help in any way possible. Five-star hotel staff, in our experience, fall into two categories: the patronizing and the obsequious. Each is equally odious, but neither was evident here.
Facilities:
Two swimming pools, one of which is always in the shade, something very important in the oven that is Dubai in spring and summer.
Business Center, including secretarial services and conference rooms with "smart walls."
Exercise facilities with every conceivable apparatus
Plus: Saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, and a dedicated aerobics area.
Rooms: Our double was massive, roughly 16x22, not including the bathroom. There was a chaise longue in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, a king-size bed, and a 29-inch TV with an attached computer and a DSL line (free!) allowing unlimited web surfing. Then there was the minibar (expensive!), not to mention really incredible amenities, like mints on the pillows at night, Japanese-style slippers, lush terrycloth robes, and the biggest bath towels we’ve ever encountered.
As for food, the hotel has no fewer than 12 food outlets. I’d recommend having breakfast on the main floor in the atrium. This is an experience in itself (check restaurant listing for details).
Since the restaurants in the hotel tend to be a bit pricey, if you want to cut down, just go straight out the door, turn right, and walk for about 10 minutes on the same side of the street. (Under no circumstances should you jaywalk here, because Shaikh Zayed Road is a bit of a race track.) You’ll find a number of small restaurants serving the usual kebabs, shwarmas and falafels. There are lots of others within a 10-minute cab ride, too.
To save money on the rates, make sure you check out Expedia or AsiaTravel.com. Both often have discounted offers at The Fairmont. In fact, check its own website, too, because they do offer lower-priced packages sometimes. At the end of the day, I guess, I may seem to be pushing The Fairmont, something I don’t often do. It’s just that this hotel is almost a good enough reason to come to Dubai in the first place!