Bar 44 at Grosvenor House Hotel – Dubai, UAE: High atop the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai is the hot spot club and lounge, Bar 44.

As soon as you step out of the elevator, the smell of stale cigar and cigarette smoke hits you, and as you walk through the double door into the lounge itself, the stench only gets worse. The cloud of smoke, however, is not enough to obfuscate the flashy pretentions of the people who hang out there—a dizzying array of well-heeled locals and foreigners, some with money to splurge, others mere hangers-on. You get the feeling that this is a place where the rich or famous of Dubai, or should I say, those that pretend to be rich and famous, come to pose and be seen.

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Being on the 44th floor, the place has some nice views of the Dubai Marina, Jumeirah and the Burj, but the view is not extraordinarily spectacular. You could actually get the same view from any high-rise building in the area. Considering the steep prices they charge for the drinks and the stuffy and gaudy atmosphere, it would be best to order a bottle of champagne from your room and enjoy the view from your balcony.

The live pianist and singer added a nice touch but the whole experience is a bit overdone, a bit fake, and just a bit too much to take.

There are some places that are worth visiting at least once. This is not one of them.

What I liked: The live jazz and blues.

What I didn’t like: The stench of smoke, the pretentious service, and prices higher than the floor we were on!

Rating: Not Bombastic.

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