Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Luxury Hotels and Travel
Reload this Page >

Madinat Jumeirah - Mina A'Salam (Dubai)

Madinat Jumeirah - Mina A'Salam (Dubai)

Old Aug 27, 2017, 4:15 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
SPG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: SLH Indulged, M&M, SPG, IHG Elite, Hyatt Member
Posts: 129
Madinat Jumeirah - Mina A'Salam (Dubai)

Mina A Salam Madinat Jumeirah

Map| 1 Review | 100% Recommended

Mina A Salam Madinat Jumeirah

Po Box 75157 Jumeirah Beach Road Dubai, AE

Madinat Jumeirah - Mina A'Salam (19 Photos)

Mina A Salam Madinat Jumeirah

Let me take you to an Arabian palace from times long gone. Actually it was more than just one palace, it was a whole city: the Madinat Jumeirah Resort Dubai. A recreation of an old Arabian town complete with bazaar (the souk), wind catchers and water canals.

We stayed at the Mina A'Salam, one of five hotels on the premises of the Madinat.

To read a whole report with more photos, visit my blog:

https://www.continentaltraveller.blog/home/2017/8/27/madinat-jumeirah-dubai

IMG_7429.jpg

Check In

As we walked inside the impressive entrance, the marble, pillars, gold, and sublime lighting transported us directly to 1001 Nights.

IMG_7593.jpg

Check-in was quick and friendly, while we were given wet towels and a fresh smoothie to relax. This showed yet again the middle-eastern hospitality - don't expect that in Europe...

 

Room

This room was the "cheapest" the sultan had to offer and as you can see, it was really nice and spacious. The rooms have been completely refurbished in 2015 and I do like the old Arabian style. It's warm and cosy and doesn't go over the top like the Burj.  

Turndown and housekeeping service was fantastic and always left something for us in the room.

 

IMG_7873.jpg

IMG_7882.jpg

IMG_7879.jpg

IMG_7870.jpg

IMG_7474.jpg

Large bathroom with shower and bathtub.

IMG_7483.jpg

Amouage amenities, very nice.

IMG_7421.jpg

IMG_7416.jpg

The view from the balcony was not a direct sea view, but it was fine for us and the Burj gave us different colors every night.

IMG_7683.jpg

Service

The service was very professional, friendly and well-trained. From the porter, to the concierge, to the boat captain, to the restaurant and bar staff, to the beach staff.

One example: We ordered our fruit mocktails when we arrived at the beach. We decided to go swimming directly and after a while in the water I could see that the waiter brought our iced drinks. But at that moment he realized that we are probably swimming and so picked up the drinks again and returned them. Only to bring them to us when we arrived at our loungers - fresh and ice-cold. It's the little things.

Beach

Going to the beach is really one of the main attractions when residing in the Madinat. As a hotel guest you are free to use all the beach facilities on the grounds. Except for the new Summersalt Beach Club next to the Al Naseem, where you have to buy a day pass even as a guest.

We loved the clean beach with soft sand and clear water. And it was empty. We were basically the only ones there. This was of course due to the heat of Summer. I gotta say though, the heat was not as bothersome to us. I rather lie on an empty beach at a dry 111° F (44° C) than at a humid 93° F (34° C) Italian beach where I can't walk around without stepping on people.

IMG_7732.jpg

IMG_7803.jpg

IMG_7801.jpg

Pool

As with the beaches you are also eligible to use all the pools in the Madinat and we did try two of them: Mina A'Salam and Al Qasr. The water in both pools seemed to have been cooled down, which was refreshing coming from the sea water temperature of 93° F (34° C).

We liked the Al Qasr pool a little better for it being larger than Mina A'Salam's. Both were not that busy, but slightly more than at the beach.

IMG_7626.jpg

IMG_7555.jpg

Wild Wadi Waterpark

We used our free access to the Wild Wadi Waterpark only once. We have been a little bit disappointed. After the fantastic surroundings of the Madinat, this waterpark came across as dirty and cheap. Too many children, changing and shower rooms are a joke. We saw cockroaches. The rides are great though.

Souk

To complete the illusion of an old Arabian town, a souk was re-created in the middle of the Madinat. While the hallways were nicely done, we didn't really like the things on offer at the various shops. 

IMG_7511.jpg

Abra Boats

Taking a boat in the Madinat is really a fun and relaxing experience and comes with the room.

The captain of our very own abra (traditional Arabian boat) was very nice and gave us a tour through the Madinat's waterways with a stop for shopping and tea at the souk.

IMG_7494.jpg

IMG_7501.jpg

 

Dining

We tried several restaurants in the Madinat and it had always been very good, but we wished for more casual, cheaper options at times. For this we had to go to the Dubai Marina or the Mall of the Emirates. More about the dining in my blog.

Overall

The advertisement states that the Mina A'Salam is actually a family resort, while the Al Qasr and the new Al Naseem are designated as luxury resorts and the Dar Al Masyaf as a boutiqe hotel. I haven't noticed any difference though, since all the beaches were empty anyway (low season) and children have also been in the Al Qasr pool and the small children's swimming area was directly next to it. I also didn't feel any luxury missing from our experience.

Granted, the Al Masyaf villas have their own butler service included and the Al Qasr seems to offer even nicer rooms and a has a very impressive drive-way to the entrance, but the overall standard of the Madinat resort is real 5-star luxury all the way. There might be more difference in winter, when the hotels are probably more occupied and you will be happy to have your own small pool only shared with one or two other Al Masyaf villas.

The Madinat is really unique and it provides a real five star holiday feeling. 

While I love those sumptuous Dubai Buffets(tm), I can't have it every day. It's just too much food! I don't want to eat that much and still feel I missed a lot. I just want to enjoy and not feel stuffed afterwards. It seems this stems from the otherwise fantastic hospitality of this culture: offer the guest everything, even if it is too much and most of it goes to waste. 

I want to see it in winter though. Does it still feel exclusive then or does it feel like Rimini beach with every inch occupied by people? Because for that, the price would be too high in winter. My idea of luxury always includes less people than the cheaper options. In summer this was definitely the case here.

Personally, I didn't mind the dry heat that much. What I didn't like though was that all the outdoor seating areas of the restaurants were closed. And there were some very nice terraces there. (In a restaurant in the Dubai marina they solved the problem with movable AC units :D alright alright, not the most energy efficient thing)

I can't comment on the Talise Spa, since we didn't have time for it - I know, sounds odd, but 6 nights is not enough to experience the whole Madinat (and marina). I would recommend to go for about 10 nights. If you can spare the moneys, that is.

More photos on my blog: https://www.continentaltraveller.blog/home/2017/8/27/madinat-jumeirah-dubai

Madinat Jumeirah - Mina A'Salam

Would you like to write a review on the Mina A Salam Madinat Jumeirah?

No, thank you.
Yes
uggboy and jp-mco like this.
lightwalker is offline  
Old Aug 29, 2017, 8:37 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,223
Thanks for the review. I've always wondered what the other hotels at the Madinat are like. Regarding Talise Spa, I went to it when we were staying at Dar al Maysaf. It was not a good experience at all!
jp-mco is offline  
Old Aug 31, 2017, 8:55 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Dubai
Programs: skywards
Posts: 13
this place is one of my favourite places in Dubai, even though i never stayed there but i always like to go there on weekends for dinner.
Thank you,
ek201 is offline  
Old Aug 31, 2017, 5:19 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York
Programs: SPG Platinum, AA 2.0 MM, DL Plat, Hertz Plat, LY Gold
Posts: 1,602
Agree regarding Madinat Jumeirah. We are big fans!

Had a lunch there on my first visit to Dubai and fell in love with the place. Stayed there on our recent visit and enjoyed all of the facilities immensely. Seems that its much busier there in the Winter but we didn't have any issues with loungers etc. Riding around the canals and walking around in the Souk is fun and while a bit Disneyesque (Which Souk has a Starbucks in it?) it makes for a great well priced Luxury stay in Dubai. Would def recommend the resort when traveling with kids.

A nice bonus was concierge arranging a tour of (sister property) the Burj Al Arab for us . We were driven over on a golf cart and given a really great tour by an assistant manager. He tried (selling?) us lunch there but we had a flight to catch so passed on it.
damaxer91 is offline  
Old Sep 1, 2017, 3:49 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Sussex by the Sea
Programs: BA Silver, for now at least...
Posts: 572
Originally Posted by damaxer91
well priced Luxury stay in Dubai
Is there such a thing

I really want to stay here next Easter, but room rates are utterly insane - approaching 1,500/night. Even with free half board this is unjustifiable.
Professor Yaffle is offline  
Old Sep 1, 2017, 4:03 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,223
Originally Posted by Professor Yaffle
Is there such a thing

I really want to stay here next Easter, but room rates are utterly insane - approaching 1,500/night. Even with free half board this is unjustifiable.
That's not what I'm seeing. You can book 7 nights at Dar al Masyaf (Arabian Summerhouse Deluxe) for 780 per night over the Easter weekend. I don't think that's bad actually. If you're preferred to stay a week later that price drops to 510 per night.
jp-mco is offline  
Old Sep 1, 2017, 5:22 am
  #7  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,865
But if Madinat is charging that then you won't pay much less elsewhere and it will be a lower quality experience, if you've got kids.

Remember that Wild Wadi is 200 for a family of 4 if you don't stay at a Jumeirah ....

What we have done in the past is do the first night (remember most UK flights land very late) near the airport cheaply, eg IC or CP Festival City. If our flight home is 9am or so, we do the same on the last night. This chops out two expensive nights. Bit of a faff though .....
Raffles is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.