Sitting in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, both literally and figuratively, The Palace Downtown Dubai is one of Dubai's best kept secrets.

Words like "old" and "town" don't often come to mind when discussing Dubai, home of the world's tallest skyscraper as well as its only man-made world-map archipelago. Who would have guessed, then, that The Palace Downtown Dubai is one of the Middle East's finest accommodations? 

As it turns out, a number of the region's award-bearing organizations have said exactly that. The hotel boasts 242 rooms, 81 of them suites, all with balconies, high-speed wireless, spacious bathrooms, and more. The design is clean and sophisticated. 

Three top-flight international restaurants are located on-site, serving South American, Arabian, and what might be the best Thai in the city. There's also a shisha bar, cocktail bar, and tea lounge, each intriguingly designed.

The Palace's Jewel, however, is its spa, which offers ancient eastern treatments in an intricate Arabian setting overlooking the Burj Dubai Lake.

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