LouisW

Does the Chedi have alcohol?

Which category did you originally book at FS DIFC?

thanks

rz5

We didn't have the chance to eat at Chedi and only used their resort to get a night's rest before our flight so I can't give a definitive answer as to whether they have alcohol or not.

I believe we originally booked the deluxe room at FS DIFC.

stargold

Chedi doesn't serve alcohol, as Sharjah is a dry emirate. I doubt anyone will care too much if you drink your own bottle of wine in your room, but anything in public is forbidden.

That aside, I am also a big fan of this hotel and would love to visit for a longer stay next time - 1 night was not really enough to properly get settled in and know where everything is, as it's a sprawling property spanning a number of buildings.

sandeep.thilakan

Any reports from the new Taj Exotica resort on the Palm?

G-CIVC

It's been a while since I've been to Dubai. I assume the upcoming Royal Atlantis won't make the cut for the thread here?

scented

Hard to say yet... the sheer number of rooms will surely be difficult but in terms of hard product it will be stunning no doubt.

Don't think it can be priced to compete with the likes of FS Dubai, Bulgari and MO Jumeira -- all of them world class.

greycap7

Other than the Bulgari, what's the best Marriott property in Dubai?

CanaryWharf

Grosvenor House.

St. Regis on the Palm I have mixed feelings about. I had some great stays there, but some rather poor ones when they couldnt cope with the high occupancy.

GH is consistently excellent.

mecabq

Agree, and the Royal Meridien and Le Meridien airport are very solid a half-step down and of course not luxury. The Royal Tower at Le Meridien (there's also, confusingly, a Royal Tower at Royal Meridien), a hotel-within-a-hotel with a separate building including front desk and its own club lounge (in addition to the club lounge in the main complex), has nice refreshed rooms and good service, plus the hotel has copious amenities including some good midrange restaurants. For a Bonvoy member, the value there is strong (plus it's the only hotel I've found that explicitly encourages you to leave your car there when you travel).

The two Ritz-Carltons are, in my view, average for their brand, which is to say decent and moderately luxurious in the physical plant and service. Edition is so-so all around, and I can't recommend the St. Regis (former Renaissance) Downtown. Thus the five-star sub-luxury properties are more of the sweet spot for Marriott in Dubai, especially given the respective rates.

sandeep.thilakan

Not that it belonged to this forum, but Anantara has taken over the management of the downtown Oberoi hotel. Al Zorah stays as it is.

shoonye

This is our first time to dubai, visiting for 5 nights third week of Dec and am considering either the PH as a globalist with confirmed terrace suite upgrade or WA DIFC as a gold. Both award bookings. We will be going to al maha for two nights after this and later to the maldives (so don't really care about the beach or pool situation). In dubai we will want to see the major usual stuff but what we really enjoy is visiting the cultural, more historical sights whatever little there is left in dubai. What would you recommend?

CanaryWharf

WA DIFC has a superior location - you can reach the downtown attractions by foot or a short taxi ride. Marina/JBR side will be 20-40 minutes depending on traffic.

PH is closer to Old Dubai if it matters to you.

WA is primarily catering to business travelers - but it is one of the finest non-resort hotels in Dubai along with FS DIFC.

PH is good if you want to be bit more secluded - it has more of a resort vibe. The Lagoon can get crowded though as they have an outsourced lounge/club operating there. The pool in the courtyard is more quiet.

lost_in_translation

I vote for The EDITION rather than GH, but it’s close and depends exactly what you’re looking for. The EDITION has a superior hard product and better location unless you want a beach holiday, GH has better service (GH is almost luxury level service, The EDITION is just a generic five star hotel from a service perspective). Agree with CanaryWharf on St. Regis The Palm, I’ve had two stays which were a really odd mix of great and three star service, the whole hotel just feels sloppy. RC DIFC is uber dated and feels very business oriented, RC Dubai has beautiful grounds but too much construction, too expensive for what it is and service is quite variable. St Regis Downtown I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole after a shocking stay just before COVID when it was a Renaissance.

shoonye

Thank you that's very helpful. Are the terrace suites at the PH anything special? Leaning a bit towards the PH due to proximity to old Dubai where i think we may spend a fair bit of time.

m0hamed

PH DXB is less modern, but I still prefer it.

It's a little remote as it's located in a gated upscale residential village alongside the Marina and Golf Course. It takes a few minutes from the main gate to drive to the hotel entrance. I find this an oasis of calm in a city of glitz and glamour.

The Terraces are quite large and both the Pool and fake beach, aka Lagoon, are very inviting.