Two Seasons Hotel & Apartments

For its large size, the hotel lobby and reception are not a particularly welcoming place to hang about. Comparatively few places to sit in the ample, marble-floored lobby means that there’s little lingering by guests in the common areas. Still, because of its proximity to office buildings and the highway leading downtown, the hotel is constantly bustling, though the atmosphere is not particularly one of leisure. Hallways have a slightly ‘90s corporate feel to them, with low ceilings, shiny floors, and a few armchairs here and there. Guest rooms are housed in a single tower dozens of floors high.

Surrounded by tall offices and residences, Gloria Hotel is located directly on the very busy Sheikh Zayed Road, a major artery that runs north-south through Dubai. The property is about 15 minutes by car from the downtown area. Access to Dubai Internet City Metro Station, about 500 feet from the front door of the hotel, is via a footbridge, as the area around the subway may be undergoing construction. The proximity of the metro offers easy access to downtown Dubai, which is about 45 minutes north. Dubai International Airport can also be accessed via public transportation, about an hour’s ride north as well, though the hotel can arrange for a transfer with advance notice.

The tile-floored rooms here generally receive high marks from guests for size and comfort, though a few have noted couches may be in need of a deep cleaning. There’s also the occasional musty smell in some rooms, and some of the furniture may be a bit dinged up. Decor is modern and bright; rooms are painted white and feature poster prints of modern art, Aeron-style desk chairs in separate living areas, dark laminate wood furniture in clean contemporary lines, and draw shades in linen. Beds have cushion frames in sand-colored natural fabrics or real wood frames. All rooms have washer/dryers, air-conditioning, large flat-screen TVs (LCD in larger suites), safes, terraces, small work desks, and more. Kitchenettes feature microwaves, fridges, and coffeemakers, while plain, slightly cramped tiled bathrooms have shower/tub combos, bathrobes, and slippers. Larger rooms have whirlpool tubs.

The fitness center has a generous amount of equipment in a large room with laminate-wood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows; several banks of machines enjoy views of the city through the glass, and there are also free weights and nautilus equipment. There’s a small, if slightly run down, children’s play area on a roof deck well protected from any ledge with a small jungle gym, a swing set, a bouncy house, and foosball. A spinning room and squash courts round out the exercise options. The rooftop pool has lovely views of the city, and there’s a spa with body treatments as well as wet and dry saunas. The hotel restaurant offers buffet, all-you-can-eat-style dining. Gloria Hotel also has an expansive business center that can host a variety of meetings and conferences, with spaces suitable for special events as well.