Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk review

The AstroKids Kids' Club takes children aged 4 to 12 and opens every day from 10:00 to 20:00. That is the latest closing of the clubs in our Dubai family list, an hour after Sofitel Dubai The Palm and Raffles The Palm Dubai, which gives parents time for an early dinner on their own. The club is themed on The Little Prince, like Le Petit Prince Kids Club at Sofitel Dubai Downtown.

At the Soleil pool, children have outdoor activities such as aqua dance and kids' yoga. Babysitting is available on request, for evenings after the club closes.

Children under 4 have no club of their own here, and no rule for them is published. A family with a toddler should plan on babysitting or on a parent at the children's pool.

In our view the long hours are the reason to choose this Sofitel over the other two in Dubai for children of school age: a day can start late at the pool and end at the club.

The Family Room measures 88 m², with a king bed and a double, and sleeps up to 6. Rooms start on the 19th floor, with views over Old Dubai, Dubai Creek, the harbour or the skyline, depending on the side of the tower.

The serviced apartments are the stronger choice for a long stay. They run from a 53 m² studio to a three-bedroom apartment of 204 m² for up to 10 guests, and the hotel lists a fully equipped kitchen with utensils, a washing machine and a dryer. Two families travelling together could share one of the largest.

The tower holds 498 rooms and suites, plus 96 serviced apartments and residences. The Opera Two Bedroom Suite measures 161 m², and the suites include butler service and access to the Club Millésime lounge on the 51st floor.

The smallest rooms, Deluxe Rooms of 41 to 44 m², are tight for a family of four. For three people, the Luxury Room of 55 m² gives more room for a cot or an extra bed, if the hotel confirms one.

Less is published here than at the other Sofitels in Dubai. As at 12 November 2026 the hotel publishes babysitting on request, and no free-stay age for children, no policy on cots and extra beds and no kids' menus. Sofitel Dubai Downtown and Sofitel Dubai The Palm, by contrast, both publish free stay and dining for children under 12.

Ask the hotel about all of this in writing before booking, especially with a baby who needs a cot.

For meals, the hotel has four restaurants open. Soleil Pool & Lounge serves Mediterranean and Levantine dishes by the pool, the easiest lunch with children in swimsuits. The Nine is a British gastropub with big screens for sport, Bijou Patisserie serves the afternoon tea called Le Goûter, and Brasserie Boulud, by the chef Daniel Boulud, is a French brasserie in the MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2026 selection.

On 12 November 2026 the fourth-floor Asian restaurant and bar was temporarily closed for a planned transition. Dogs and other pets are not permitted.

The Soleil Pool & Lounge opens daily from 08:00 to 20:00. It has an adults' pool shaped like the Egyptian key of life, with a swim-up bar and cabanas, and a separate children's pool with a splash pad. No age rule is published for the adults' pool. The gym, with Technogym equipment, is open 24 hours.

There is no beach. The hotel runs a shuttle to the beach and to The Dubai Mall, and it is paid. Accor lists The Dubai Mall 9 km away, about 14 minutes by car, and the Burj Khalifa 10 km, about 15 minutes.

For days without a car, Dubai Healthcare City metro station is 500 m away, a seven-minute walk, and the hotel connects directly to Wafi Mall, useful on a hot afternoon. Dubai International Airport is about 10 minutes away, 7 to 8 km, according to the hotel, the shortest airport transfer in our list.

In our view the address suits a city holiday with one or two beach days, rather than a beach holiday.