The Canvas Hotel Dubai

The striking interior architecture of The Canvas Hotel Dubai is complemented by a variety of more organic cultural additions which include low-lying leather couches, tables laden with traditional Middle Eastern tea sets, and ikebana arrangements. The lobby features a soaring atrium and is hung with a chrome, wall-mounted sculpture whose radiance dominates a space overlooked by room hallways. The outside of the hotel, by contrast, is either quite plain or magnificently mod depending on your tastes, consisting of a single glass block comprised of windows.

Set in the northern section of Bur Dubai, just north of downtown, the hotel’s surrounding neighborhood is nondescript -- a mixture of vacant land, residential blocks, offices, and other hotels that generate virtually no street life. The closest area of note is the old town section of Bur Dubai, which is about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. (The popular and lovely Basta Art Café, for example, is a 25-minute walk northeast.) The large indoor shopping complex of Bur Juman is a 30-minute walk or five-minute ride southeast. Downtown Dubai is about a 45-minute trip south via a bus that stops about four blocks from the hotel while Dubai International Airport is a 35- to 40-minute bus ride east, or 15 minutes by car.

Keep in mind that there’s no street-level access to the hotel, something guests should be aware of upon their approach in taxis. Visitors must enter through a driveway that leads underground and into the property. 

The Canvas Hotel Dubai guest units offer neutral shag rugs over smooth wood floors, large standing mirrors, and sleek black wood furniture, giving off a highly contemporary feel. Larger rooms have separate living spaces sectioned off by plate glass doors in some cases. Matte monochrome prints of mosque architecture adorn walls. Bathrooms have rain showers with stone tiling and separate tubs, which in larger suites are situated near windows that allow for city views. All rooms have work areas, interactive 42-inch flat-screen TVs, high-speed Internet access, iPod/iPhone dock stations, coffee and tea facilities, and international adapters, among other features.

A lovely pool on the roof of the hotel gives spectacular views of the city and is tastefully outfitted with glass-walled open-air showers. A wood deck is also on hand with plenty of shaded loungers. The fairly sizable on-site spa, in addition to its wide array of treatments, has a calming atmosphere that’s pleasantly lit with recessed bulbs and candles. The space includes an interior stone garden walkway and steam room along with a modest but airy fitness center with a handful of machines. The Canvas Hotel Dubai also offers formal, executive-style meeting rooms for business travelers as well as several elegant restaurants and bars, with cuisine ranging from sashimi to South Asian specialties.