Design Intrigue at Form Hotel Dubai
Dubai’s hospitality scene might be known for a lot of things but small scale design hotels is probably not one of them. Enter the Form Hotel. Located in Al Jadaf, Form eschews the style of your typical cookie-cutter luxury properties that have become somewhat synonymous with the Dubai to deliver an original and fresh approach that is set to appeal to a new generation of traveler.
The overall design style has been conceived by Architecture-Studio who have done a lovely job of paying homage to the local area by delivering a deconstructed dhow interior that is nicely understated yet refined. From the main lobby to the guest rooms there’s a nice array of bespoke furnishings and custom fixings that feature timber and brushed brass. It’s almost mid century but with a unique twist
Another interesting nuance of this hotel is that they are offering individual, authentic and localized experiences that guests can pre-book once their stay is confirmed, including such things as amenities, service and experience add-ons. These could include a food or cultural tour or focus on in room additions like a turn down service or private assistance. These add-ons are obviously aimed towards new visitors to the city and as such someone staying on a stay-cation will probably see less value in some of the offers.
Rooms
The rooms themselves offer 24 squares of well thoughtout space, with quite a large walk in shower that is neatly hidden behind two fold out glass doors. Next to this is the open ‘bathroom’ area which is slightly partitioned from the king size bed by a black and brass framed floor to ceiling storage rack. A grey couch sits opposite which has an adjoining desk with a wall mounted TV above it. There’s a small fridge stocked with bits and pieces to go with your complimentary Colombian Organic Coffee.
Overall while small, the room is light and bright, it’s geometric features, large window and sublime design details all make it feel very livable and not too cramped. For those that are interested in these things, there’s also direct USB outlets to keep your devices going, with the rest of the room tech being modern and minimalist just like the rooms themselves.
Dining
On the ground floor, adjacent to the entire lobby you’ll find the Roots Kitchen, which is the multipurpose dining space for the hotel. It’s design is an extension of the lobby and features strong wooden vertical gestures and again is inline with the rest of the visual approach to the hotel. It’s white, light and bright and with its double height ceilings feels quite open and welcoming. The black table tops and polished brass rims provide an elegant look that would go over perfectly in New York.
It’s here that you’ll be having breakfast. You have two options, which is either a mini buffet or the al a cart menu. The buffet like the venue its self is small and functional and at 40 Dirhams pretty good value for money. For this stay we opted for the more upscale a la cart menu which has some nice options on it, with the Levantine Benedict being the most appealing. While friendly and competent, the service was nothing out of ordinary.
Amenities
The roof top is where you’ll find both the gym and the pool, each offering unique views of the area. The gym is brand new and has everything that you’ll need for a daily workout, while the rectangular pool is best for cutting laps.
Location
One of the original adages of real estate that still holds true today, is location, location, location. And in this instance it’s the location that in some respects let’s the Form down.
Yes it’s close to the Metro but to get there you’ll be walking across unsealed roads and sand. That’s because essentially the Form Hotel is located in the middle of a building site and suffers from everything that goes along with it. There were no major noise issues during our stay but I can imagine this as being an issue with the surrounding buildings and roads currently under construction. To the upside, the hotel is only five minutes away from Festival City and just ten away from Diera and at around 300 Dirhams night, great value for money for those looking for something different on the north side of the city.
Bottom Line
On balance, the Form Hotels offers a singular expression and experience that is on the one hand avant garde for Dubai but at the same time so quintessentially Dubai in the sense of being a unique outpost sitting faithfully amoungst the construction surrounding it. The result is a contemporary yet isolated venue that in many ways is quite ahead of it’s time.
Who is it best for? Design orientated travelers, city explorers, someone looking for a hotel stay that’s different from the rest.
