St Regis Dubai, UAE
Dec 8, 2015, 5:34 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 337
St Regis Dubai, UAE
The St Regis Dubai, United Arab Emirates property is now open. Have any FlyerTalkers had the opportunity to stay there yet?
It's located in Al Habtoor City (the same complex that houses the W) on Sheikh Zayed Road. Prices look sky high at the moment, at around AED 2,700 for a standard flexible rate, but the property looks beautiful and I am considering the merits of trying it out on my next trip to Dubai.
By the looks of some of the reviews on TripAdvisor, construction is still ongoing. Pool is not open yet.
It's located in Al Habtoor City (the same complex that houses the W) on Sheikh Zayed Road. Prices look sky high at the moment, at around AED 2,700 for a standard flexible rate, but the property looks beautiful and I am considering the merits of trying it out on my next trip to Dubai.
By the looks of some of the reviews on TripAdvisor, construction is still ongoing. Pool is not open yet.
Dec 8, 2015, 6:06 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
summer is low season in UAE/etc - almost half that rate
seems it (soft?) opened december 2nd/3rd?
seems it (soft?) opened december 2nd/3rd?
Dec 9, 2015, 5:12 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
The current rate of 2,000 AED per night is, put bluntly, wildly optimistic given the current market in DXB which is seeing unusually low prices for the December peak season. If memory serves right, rates were typically 30%-50% higher this time last year. The Russian demand has all but collapsed in the past year which is putting serious downwards pressure on the rates, particularly at the top end.
In the longer term (after any initial excitement/interest has died down), I would imagine the rates for the StR will stabilise at around AED 1,200 per night for the summer off-peak, and somewhere around AED 1,500 per night for the winter half. And even then, they probably will never be full.
In the longer term (after any initial excitement/interest has died down), I would imagine the rates for the StR will stabilise at around AED 1,200 per night for the summer off-peak, and somewhere around AED 1,500 per night for the winter half. And even then, they probably will never be full.
Dec 9, 2015, 6:52 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,716
The current rate of 2,000 AED per night is, put bluntly, wildly optimistic given the current market in DXB which is seeing unusually low prices for the December peak season. If memory serves right, rates were typically 30%-50% higher this time last year. The Russian demand has all but collapsed in the past year which is putting serious downwards pressure on the rates, particularly at the top end.
In the longer term (after any initial excitement/interest has died down), I would imagine the rates for the StR will stabilise at around AED 1,200 per night for the summer off-peak, and somewhere around AED 1,500 per night for the winter half. And even then, they probably will never be full.
In the longer term (after any initial excitement/interest has died down), I would imagine the rates for the StR will stabilise at around AED 1,200 per night for the summer off-peak, and somewhere around AED 1,500 per night for the winter half. And even then, they probably will never be full.
"Wildly optimistic" indeed.
khabah
Dec 9, 2015, 7:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
I have a reservation there booked in March, though I'd suspect that someone here will be there before then.
Dec 28, 2015, 4:25 pm
#6
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: SFO/JFK
Programs: Hilton: Gold, Starwood: Platinum, Hyatt: Platinum, AS: MVP Gold
Posts: 630
Great stay at new St. Regis dubai
Had a wonderful stay at the brand new St. Regis Dubai.
A few caveats that should be taken into consideration when you read this review:
- At the time we stayed, the hotel was 5 days old.
- I was a Platinum 75 at the time of the stay.
- We were on our honeymoon.
The hotel is one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at in terms of quality of rooms, quality of service and quality of public spaces. You can find a lot of pictures from my stay here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asmyth...57662737991022
When I arrived shortly after 11 p.m., they knew who I was and welcomed me. They were expecting me at 9 and said they had been waiting for me.
We were upgraded to an "Empire" suite. I can't say whether it was pure Platinum status, our honeymoon (noted in comments on reservation) or low occupancy. Probably some combination. (There were only about 20 guests in the house.) The room had a big box with a certificate stating that we were the first guests ever to stay in it.
About an hour after I went to my room, I was called by the manager who insisted I had to leave my suite. There was a plumbing problem in the room above mine. They sent two butlers who moved my (still packed) bags to the other suite.
The suite was a huge two-room suite with two bathrooms, a living room, large walk-through closet and bedroom. (See pictures.)
When my wife arrived later, she had forgotten to pick up AED currency and the cab didn't take credit cards. (We decided not to go with the hotel's offer of a $200 Bentley transfer from the airport.) The hotel paid cash for her taxi ride and added it to our folio.
They acknowledged our honeymoon in many ways. They wished us a happy honeymoon, brought some amenities, which included custom decorated chocolate. They even browsed through our Facebook accounts and set some of our public pictures to music and put it on a flash drive. (The butler plugged it into the TV and played it for us.) Creepy or personalized? You decide.
We had a daily buffet breakfast. The list price of the buffet was ~$65 a person. Again, the picture link has many pictures of the buffer. We were comped the buffet each day. Again, can't say whether it was our honeymoon, platinum status or low occupancy. I was actually surprised that they offered a full buffet every day given the low occupancy. It's possible they were just trying to train staff.
There is a pool atop the hotel. It's not huge, but beautiful. (Though nothing like the fancy pools at a resort hotel.) It wasn't open yet during our trip, but they expected it to be open within a week. We were told that the pool would be shared with the Westin and W which would be opening adjacent to the St. Regis.There is no way the pool is big enough for three hotels.
A Heineken by the pool would run you about $15. Everything in Dubai is expensive, but I'm not much of a drinker to say how out of line this might.
Concierge service was fantastic, always available and helpful. We didn't want to use hotel's expensive car services and they were happy to order taxis for us.
At the time of our stay, the hotel probably had a staff-to-guest ratio of 10:1. Obviously that can't sustain.
The biggest knock against this hotel is that there is nothing nearby, and nothing likely to be. It will be surrounded by new hotels on one side and two main highways on the other. It's not close to any of the tourist sites.
If you're trying to book, note that they are adjusting availability based on their readiness. When we initially looked, it was sold out and PC offered guaranteed availability rate of $1,500. The hotel wasn't really sold out, they zeroed out availability. We were eventually able to redeem points. (Cash rates when loaded were ~$600.)
Happy to answer questions!
A few caveats that should be taken into consideration when you read this review:
- At the time we stayed, the hotel was 5 days old.
- I was a Platinum 75 at the time of the stay.
- We were on our honeymoon.
The hotel is one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at in terms of quality of rooms, quality of service and quality of public spaces. You can find a lot of pictures from my stay here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asmyth...57662737991022
When I arrived shortly after 11 p.m., they knew who I was and welcomed me. They were expecting me at 9 and said they had been waiting for me.
We were upgraded to an "Empire" suite. I can't say whether it was pure Platinum status, our honeymoon (noted in comments on reservation) or low occupancy. Probably some combination. (There were only about 20 guests in the house.) The room had a big box with a certificate stating that we were the first guests ever to stay in it.
About an hour after I went to my room, I was called by the manager who insisted I had to leave my suite. There was a plumbing problem in the room above mine. They sent two butlers who moved my (still packed) bags to the other suite.
The suite was a huge two-room suite with two bathrooms, a living room, large walk-through closet and bedroom. (See pictures.)
When my wife arrived later, she had forgotten to pick up AED currency and the cab didn't take credit cards. (We decided not to go with the hotel's offer of a $200 Bentley transfer from the airport.) The hotel paid cash for her taxi ride and added it to our folio.
They acknowledged our honeymoon in many ways. They wished us a happy honeymoon, brought some amenities, which included custom decorated chocolate. They even browsed through our Facebook accounts and set some of our public pictures to music and put it on a flash drive. (The butler plugged it into the TV and played it for us.) Creepy or personalized? You decide.
We had a daily buffet breakfast. The list price of the buffet was ~$65 a person. Again, the picture link has many pictures of the buffer. We were comped the buffet each day. Again, can't say whether it was our honeymoon, platinum status or low occupancy. I was actually surprised that they offered a full buffet every day given the low occupancy. It's possible they were just trying to train staff.
There is a pool atop the hotel. It's not huge, but beautiful. (Though nothing like the fancy pools at a resort hotel.) It wasn't open yet during our trip, but they expected it to be open within a week. We were told that the pool would be shared with the Westin and W which would be opening adjacent to the St. Regis.There is no way the pool is big enough for three hotels.
A Heineken by the pool would run you about $15. Everything in Dubai is expensive, but I'm not much of a drinker to say how out of line this might.
Concierge service was fantastic, always available and helpful. We didn't want to use hotel's expensive car services and they were happy to order taxis for us.
At the time of our stay, the hotel probably had a staff-to-guest ratio of 10:1. Obviously that can't sustain.
The biggest knock against this hotel is that there is nothing nearby, and nothing likely to be. It will be surrounded by new hotels on one side and two main highways on the other. It's not close to any of the tourist sites.
If you're trying to book, note that they are adjusting availability based on their readiness. When we initially looked, it was sold out and PC offered guaranteed availability rate of $1,500. The hotel wasn't really sold out, they zeroed out availability. We were eventually able to redeem points. (Cash rates when loaded were ~$600.)
Happy to answer questions!
Dec 29, 2015, 12:05 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Tennessee
Programs: SPG, Marriott, United, SWA, AA
Posts: 700
Admittedly I am a fan of the St Regis brand, that said the property looks lovely. Its very cool that you got to be the first person to ever stay in the room and also cool they left you a note saying that. Its something I would hang onto for sure as a keepsake and as a piece of history. I doubt I will ever make it to Dubai, as it is not on my radar, but I am glad to see more St Regis hotels open. Well done sir indeed!
Dec 29, 2015, 4:42 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 337
Nice report! Glad we've finally got a Flyertalk review of the new property. I'll be back in Dubai in May and plan on giving it a try then. It looks lovely in the photos you've shared.
Dec 30, 2015, 10:54 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leicestershire / Dubai
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite & Lifetime Gold, Heathrow Rewards Premium, Tesco Clubcard
Posts: 663
I visit the UAE at least twice a year and the St Regis brand is one of my favourite, so have been looking forward to the opening in Dubai (I usually stay at Sheraton Jumeirah, Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road and more recently, Sheraton Grand Hotel).
I remember seeing the hotel when it was a hole in the ground to what it is today, and it looks stunning.
I will be staying there next time I am in Dubai if the rates settle down a little and once construction around the hotel is completed. Dubai in general has been expanding more towards Jebel Ali for some time. The St Regis is not *too* far out but if they construct anything else but hotels around the area then it may make it more worthwhile to visit.
That is creepy. I keep everything on my profile private (except cover pics which obviously must be public) but even if I did have anything public, I would question this.
I remember seeing the hotel when it was a hole in the ground to what it is today, and it looks stunning.
I will be staying there next time I am in Dubai if the rates settle down a little and once construction around the hotel is completed. Dubai in general has been expanding more towards Jebel Ali for some time. The St Regis is not *too* far out but if they construct anything else but hotels around the area then it may make it more worthwhile to visit.
They acknowledged our honeymoon in many ways. They wished us a happy honeymoon, brought some amenities, which included custom decorated chocolate. They even browsed through our Facebook accounts and set some of our public pictures to music and put it on a flash drive. (The butler plugged it into the TV and played it for us.) Creepy or personalized? You decide.
Feb 20, 2016, 11:56 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: Star Alliance G*, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium,
Posts: 3,585
recent stay questions
Any comments from recent stays? How do the room rates compare to the Grosvenor? How about SPG point redemptions?
Feb 21, 2016, 12:42 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
The Grosvenor is in the Marina so big difference right there. If we didn't live in the Marina, Id pay more to stay here regardless of how nice the hotel looks..........location, location, location
Mar 6, 2016, 6:17 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Just finished a stay here, have to say it was really nice. There is construction around the hotel still as they are building the W and Westin and from the looks of it that will be the case for awhile but the hotel itself is complete and really quite gorgeous. I had an Empire Suite which was very nice, the spa was great and had a steam room, Turkish bath, sauna, and this odd shower thing where it played different nature sounds with the water (sounds way more interesting that it was). The Champagne Lounge was nice and the bar staff did a good job, I would say though the menu was limited in that they had 3 champagnes total which I kind of expected more given the name. The St Regis bar was great and had very good service, as with all St Regis they have their signature version of the Red Snapper which is the Golden Marry that I'd recommend it was a bit spicy but also had date paste in it that balanced out the heat, naturally it was topped with gold flakes cause everything needs gold in Dubai it seems . If you're looking for a beach holiday this is not the place, but as I was only there for 2 days between cities it was perfect and I'd definitely go back. I attached some photo's of the room/etc, unfortunately while I did pick the breakfast amenity I ended up staying out late and needed to get up early so ended up skipping that so cannot comment on that part.
May 7, 2016, 11:17 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: SPG Plat
Posts: 9
Just back from a great stay here. Free breakfast and suite upgrade with SPG platinum.
You can read more on my girlfriend's blog if interested with plenty of pictures:
http://myamydiary.com/2016/05/must-stay-st-regis-dubai/
You can read more on my girlfriend's blog if interested with plenty of pictures:
http://myamydiary.com/2016/05/must-stay-st-regis-dubai/
Last edited by BravoMike; May 7, 2016 at 11:32 am
May 9, 2016, 12:54 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 48
Just finished a stay here, have to say it was really nice. There is construction around the hotel still as they are building the W and Westin and from the looks of it that will be the case for awhile but the hotel itself is complete and really quite gorgeous. I had an Empire Suite which was very nice, the spa was great and had a steam room, Turkish bath, sauna, and this odd shower thing where it played different nature sounds with the water (sounds way more interesting that it was). The Champagne Lounge was nice and the bar staff did a good job, I would say though the menu was limited in that they had 3 champagnes total which I kind of expected more given the name. The St Regis bar was great and had very good service, as with all St Regis they have their signature version of the Red Snapper which is the Golden Marry that I'd recommend it was a bit spicy but also had date paste in it that balanced out the heat, naturally it was topped with gold flakes cause everything needs gold in Dubai it seems . If you're looking for a beach holiday this is not the place, but as I was only there for 2 days between cities it was perfect and I'd definitely go back. I attached some photo's of the room/etc, unfortunately while I did pick the breakfast amenity I ended up staying out late and needed to get up early so ended up skipping that so cannot comment on that part.
May 31, 2016, 10:04 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond. SPG Plat. Marriott Plat.
Posts: 522
Staying at the JW across the street and looking at the property from the lounge. Don't know who would want to stay at the St Regis right now. Literally within a massive construction zone right now