alf_fly

Went to Dubai in June 2021 and took a few pics from a helicopter ride. Not the best pictures in the world but they do give insights to the hotels layouts and surroundings and may help understand some comments in this thread...

Mandarin Oriental Dubai viewed from the city


Mandarin Oriental Dubai view from the sea


Four Seasons Dubai viewed from the city


Four Seasons Dubai view from the sea


Burj al Arab with new pool


Burj al Arab new pool detail


Bulgari Dubai overview


Bulgari Dubai


Park Hyatt Dubai overview. We can see the new "beach". We did not fly closer

EuropeanPete

The design briefing was presumably to build on the Kempinski Emerald Palace designs, but with more inspiration of Saudi Princes snorting cocaine off Russian instagram models, mixed with a bit of BBC costume drama about the decadence of Louis 15th.

SojournsOf

That Raffles dome is really something...

HoneymoonFlyer

I could use a bit of hotel advice please. We’re travelling for our first time to Dubai for 6 nights in early Feb 22 with our (by then) 18mth old son. Looking for a resort type hotel with decent variety of dining options and attractions, preferably on half board or all inclusive basis. Would like a suite so we can put our son to sleep and we have a separate space to relax. Ideally under Ł1000 (AED 5000) per night but I understand that rates are high at the moment.

I’ve made a refundable booking at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf thinking that the Madinat fitted the bill for what I’m after but I’m a bit peeved with them because 1) suite guests no longer get Club access and 2) the Wild Wadi water park will be closed for maintenance (both were advertised as inclusions before booking).

Should I be considering other properties or on balance does Dar Al Masyaf most closely offer what I am looking for? I had also looked at the Rixos hotels and Le Royal Meridien. Could also look at the Jebel Ali hotels but they are a bit further away from attractions like the malls and downtown which would be valuable daytime time fillers for us.

As you can tell I’m a bit unsure so any thoughts and advice would be most helpful!

m0hamed

None of the hotels you mentioned are luxury.

I think your best bet would be the Armani Hotel which is within the Burj Khalifa and attached to Dubai Mall or the Park Hyatt, however it doesn't have attractions but a very nice lagoon and pool area.

I can't speak to half or full board options.

SojournsOf

I think Dar Al Masyaf is fine.
Three best in Dubai are Mandarin, Four Seasons, Bulgari. The One&Only's may suit you. Not sure you'll find much true luxury with half/full board though.
Armani isn't resort-style.

HoneymoonFlyer

Both good points, thank you. I suppose the luxury element plays second priority to the other things that we are looking for in this trip, but I appreciate I posted on the luxury thread! Thank you, will have a look at the Mandarin.

Bulgari is out of budget, as I think are the O&O. The Armani isn’t on the beach. FS I usually like but it sounds a bit noisy next to Nammos and is also out of budget for these dates.

chinmoylad

Have you looked at Jumeirah Al Naseem?

lost_in_translation

Wanted to provide some feedback on the much discussed FS Jumeirah beach noise from Nammos issue. I am here now having spent three days at the beach in the last week and was somewhat expecting the worst, but actually find it a minor issue. If you are very noise averse then I can see how you would dislike it (but then Dubai as a whole is maybe not for you in that case!). Perhaps they turn it down during the week but it is pretty faint if you sit at the far end of the beach and gets louder as you go closer, therefore it is possible to mostly avoid it. I am a millennial who spends time in Mykonos so perhaps that’s the issue, but to be honest this is still better than all the other beaches I’ve tried in Dubai, which are all either too crowded, suffer from construction noise, feel overly artificial, etc.

sfflyer415

Hello,

Has anyone been upgraded to a Suite or a better Room when booking through the FF&H? I'm looking at the following Hotels:

1. St Regis Downtown
2. Ritz-Carlton Financial Center
3. Raffles Dubai
4. Waldorf Astoria Financial Center

Thanks for any feedback!

CanaryWharf

I’ve personally stayed at option 2-4.

RC DIFC = fairly generous, at worst you should get the Premier room. I’ve been mostly upgraded to a Junior suite.
Raffles = this bit unique because the entry-level rooms are all big (70m2). You are likely to get an upgrade to a Club Level Room, but suite is very unlikely. I literally stay at that hotel 1x per month and am Diamond with Accor, and I don’t get upgraded to Suites. But with such big “standard” rooms there is no need.
WA DIFC = very reliable. I expect you would get a Premier Room. If you are HH Gold/Diamond on top of the FHR, you may get the Premier Suite (that was the case for me)

i’ve heard that the STR Downtown is stingy with upgrades for Marriott Elites (havent heard anything about FHR), but i havent personally stayed there.

if you want to be within DIFC, go for the WA. its a lovely hotel and service is consistently good.

if you dont mind being bit outside of Downtown and like the design of the Raffles hotel, I can only recommend it. The service is superb.

NikonDuser

Another update on the Nammos situation at FS JBR. We’re here now for a weekend and today (Friday) the beats are incredibly loud. It didn’t bother me at the pool, but thinking back to the property before Nammos next door I think it’s a huge downgrade. You can literally hear the beat and full music with balcony door closed and we’re in the wing away from Nammos, albeit facing the sea.

On another note, they have the “famous” eye mask in the minibar for sale - only USD35 :-)

Service and food have been amazing as always!

uhm

There's also a very reasonable argument to be made that Nammos has vastly improved the FS beach experience. I certainly enjoy sitting as close as possible to Nammos in order to enjoy the music, even though I'm really not a big fan of the super crowded beach club itself. Sitting on the FS side of the fence, enjoying FS service with Nammos music certainly strikes a good balance.

The beach at FS never really felt like a slice of paradise anyway, there was no atmosphere for the music to ruin.

And a minor nitpick: Jumeirah Beach is nowhere near JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence), you might end up on an unexpected adventure if you confuse the two. Confusing, I know.

rz5

I recently got back from a trip to Dubai and just wanted to give a brief review of the places where I stayed. The accommodations that I stayed at were all from Flyertalk so hopefully this will assist anyone who is seeking to take a trip to Dubai.

The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zorah, Ajman - Wonderful service and staff. The room itself was impressive as well. The breakfast at the international restaurant is terrific and was included with our stay. We ate at the seafood restaurant for dinner and was unimpressed (food was decent but too pricey, the service was slow). The outdoor pool is pretty breathtaking as well. I highly recommend the Oberoi for anyone trying to escape from the Dubai city life to relax by the beachside. For its price point (we paid about $500 a night), it's fantastic value. The only downside that I can think of is that it's pretty out of the way so I personally couldn't see myself staying more than 2-3 days or else there's really nothing to do but to lounge about by the pool/beach.

Four Seasons, DIFC - I got upgraded to the executive suite and it was perhaps the most impressive hotel room I've ever stayed out. The service is impeccable, which makes sense because they only have about 100 rooms total if I'm not mistaken). They truly make you feel like you're royalty. It's located in a very convenient part of Dubai in terms of getting around (at least for where I had to go). Very nice gym facility as well. Out of all the hotels that I stayed at for my trip, this was by far the best. Value-wise though, it comes at a steep price. But is it worth it even if you're paying a premium? I believe so.

Rove Hotel, Expo - For convenience, we stayed at the Rove due to it being in the heart of the Expo. Value-wise, it was pretty bad, but that's the bullet you have to bite for being at the Expo. Very mediocre service and facilities, but that's to be expected.

Al Maha resort - Very nice and breathtaking scenery. The villa itself was nice as well, keeping in mind that it's an outdoor villa and there are some limitations to what they can put in there. Value-wise, it wasn't the greatest though. It's basically an oasis for the well-off tourists traveling to UAE who want the stereotypical desert experience. Since I grew up in the Middle East and I'm used to camels, deserts, etc, it was a little underwhelming. But I can see how someone who's never been to the Middle East before would love Al Maha as they give you the ideal desert experience. A couple things one should be aware of before booking: There will be the occasional ant or ants that crawl around the back door of your villa. As I mentioned above, it's an outdoor villa in the middle of a desert, so not that big of a surprise. The same goes for flies/mosquitos that find their way inside your villa when you open the doors. Also, if you live further away from the reception area, you have to call a buggie every time you want to go and do your activities/eat. The food was very good though.

Chedi al Bait, Sharjah - I wish I had a chance to stay here longer. Value-wise, it's terrific as the facilities are very impressive and give you an authentic UAE vibe (makes sense given that it's a former residence that was renovated). We didn't get a chance to try out the restaurant there, but the accommodation itself was wonderful. The downside is that it's located in Sharjah, so if you want to go to Dubai for anything, it's a bit of a drive, especially with traffic.

m0hamed

Great first post! Welcome to FT.