Conferences, board meetings, gala dinners, private receptions and weddings can be organized at Raffles Dubai, a hotel of 240 rooms and suites in the Wafi district of Dubai. Events take place in the Raffles Ballroom, The Library, Raffles Garden and the Signature Penthouse Suites, with indoor and outdoor space and the bedrooms in the same building.
Seminars and company events
The hotel sells meetings, conferences and corporate events under its Occasions offer. It lists several meeting spaces that can be set up around the goals of each event, with in-house planners and current audiovisual technology. Its position is the main argument for business groups: Dubai International Airport, the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Dubai International Financial Centre are each about 10 minutes away by car. That makes the hotel a practical base for a delegation attending a trade show, a board meeting the day after a long-haul arrival, or a client dinner close to the financial district. Organizers can arrange a site visit with the events team before they commit.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are part of the offer. Couples can choose between the chandeliered ballroom for a large reception, smaller private rooms for a family dinner, and the garden terrace for an outdoor ceremony or a cocktail hour. The events team works out the menus and the setup with each couple.
Rooms and capacities
The Raffles Ballroom is the largest room and the main choice for gala dinners, award evenings and wedding banquets. The Library suits a private dinner or a small meeting in a quieter setting. Raffles Garden, with its open-air cabanas, works for receptions and evening events outside. The Signature Penthouse Suites, decorated with Turkish and Moroccan influences, can host private gatherings for a small group. The official site does not publish capacities or floor areas, so the events team should be asked for figures and floor plans for each room before a layout is chosen.
Accommodation
All 240 rooms and suites are in the hotel, which lets a delegation sleep, meet and dine in one building. Guests have a 24-hour butler service and an outdoor pool.
Catering
Catering is handled by the hotel and adapted to the needs of each event. Six restaurants and bars give options for group lunches and dinners outside the event rooms, among them Solo for Italian cooking, Raffles Salon for afternoon tea in the lobby, Azur for buffets above the garden terrace, the Pool Restaurant and Bar, and Raffles Garden for Arabic dishes in private cabanas.
History and setting
Raffles Dubai opened in 2007 under the Raffles brand, whose first hotel opened in Singapore. The building takes the shape of a pyramid, in line with the Egyptian themes of the Wafi development, and it connects directly to Wafi Mall.
Getting there
The hotel stands on Sheikh Rashid Road in Wafi. Dubai International Airport is about 10 minutes away by car, as are the convention center and the financial district, and the hotel is close to the main shopping areas of the city.
