the luxury hotels of Dubai
Aug 31, 2018, 5:18 pm
Aug 31, 2018, 10:40 pm
Meanwhile on the air conditioning front. I don't think this will room ever achieve that temperature because it's on the 4th floor and you want to have some sort of view (curtains open). It's hovered around around 19°C. @bhrubin
edit: down to 18.5 after 6 straight hours on full.
Last edited by Aventine; Sep 1, 2018 at 1:02 am
Sep 4, 2018, 7:27 am
Sep 6, 2018, 5:23 pm
FHR would be a wash in terms of amenities, but you won't get the follow-up from Amex than you would through a Virtuoso/STARS agent.
Book a minimum of five nights and receive a USD $100 food and beverage credit (one per room, per stay).
Sep 7, 2018, 2:02 pm
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Jumeirah Road Dubai, AE 128777
FS Dubai Jumeirah Beach end of summer stay (4 Photos)
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
This is a flagship FS property and comes with the typical FS good and the bad. Service great in spurts. Exemplary at fulfilling special requests and catering to food allergies. Delicious F&B. The legendary beds.
Check In
This was probably the biggest misstep of our stay. The hotel had an approximate time range that we would arrive and check-in and I guess they were caught sleeping. Anyone who has been to this hotel knows the lobby desk area is very small and not really made for waiting.
We had to stand in line, then present documents and then they realized this was an in-room check-in FSPP booking. The front desk person hurriedly gave us welcome drinks and escorted us to the 4th floor. The guest relations woman joined us in the room. It was almost like they had never conducted an in-room check-in before because we weren't prompted to sit, get comfortable, etc. Everything happened in the room's main door area. Fortunately, things would get better during the stay.
Room
This was one hotel where getting an upgrade wasn't such a big deal since their sea views are marred by the various villas, sandbars and jet ski noise. I would have preferred a Premier Skyline view room that didn't over look the valet temporary parking area and this is something I would definitely request to be away from.
The room was decorated in a very neutral way. Some would find it almost too plain compared to the shiny golden counterparts that exist in Dubai. comfortable. Very well appointed. The plush FS mattress topper felt heavenly. You really can't beat an FS for sleep quality and comfort.
Service
Service was excellent in spurts. Some areas really shone like fulfilling special requests, pool attendants but there were some hiccups.
Service for the room was outstanding. Every special request was fulfilled like extra water bottles, bath salts, etc. Housekeeping came and went without us encountering them.
Pool and beach attendants were very attentive to find loungers, spread towels, bring the insulated ice bag of water and take orders for drinks, etc.
Pierre from Seafu was a wonderful waiter. Suggested drinks pairings for the various seafood and Japanese dishes. A class act in being attentive and knowledgeable.
Service in Suq was impersonal. Dishes were cleared but not really any friendly or distinctive service. Some regulars got doted on by the suited management characters. You can order anything you like (Arabic food, specialty eggs, breakfast sweet items) a la carte but you need to tell the service staff to put it through. A small menu of a la carte items would help diners go beyond the buffet.
Dining
Seafu- The Hokkaido sea urchin and caviar rolls were wonderful but their sashimi quality was mediocre for the prices. Cocktails were inventive and delicious.
Shai Salon - a beautifully decorated lobby lounge for coffee or tea. Their sweet Moroccan mint tea made for a great nightcap.
Room service - Wagyu burger was delicious and they got the temperature just right. The fries and onion rings were disappointing.
Breakfast at Suq - high quality offerings marred by poor, inattentive service. Bakery selection was divine.
Location
Close to everywhere but secluded and quiet. You probably won't want to go anywhere considering the wonderful pools (indoor and out) and the beach area.
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Overall
The resort is a very busy place, especially, on the weekends and it can feel a little (big?) impersonal with the 237 rooms. The app works to get hotel things done and senior management will probably introduce themselves to you. A great resort feel with a lot of trees, hammocks, some birds and tons of greenery.
Spa
The treatment rooms here are atrocious. I don't know why anyone would spend major dollars here for a treatment and the owners should be ashamed they cheaped out for the spa treatment rooms. They look like something you would find in a stripmall environment. The blinds. The UV sterilizer by the bed. The only decent one is the couples treatment room with the bathtub. Had a lazy therapist on a Friday night for the signature Pearl treatment but service recovery was forthcoming and more than apologetic.
Sep 9, 2018, 2:39 pm
We received an upgrade to a Diplomatic Suite, because we booked via Virtuoso.
FT review will follow. Here a few photos:
Summary:
Good
- Service was friendly, warm and pretty flawless
- Arabian antique design convincingly implemented throughout the hotel and very fitting to Dubai
- Our suite was huge and interior of high quality
- Location is very central in downtown Dubai near the Burj al Khalifa, the opera and the Dubai Mall
- Great food at breakfast, at the pool and the Thai restaurant
Bad
- A minor (temporary) point: construction sites in downtown Dubai still slightly affect the surroundings of the hotel
- The view from the room is not that impressive if no fountain view
We've put it on our map for whenever we have a transfer stop in Dubai or for parts of a UAE holiday to finish with a few relaxed shopping days before returning home.
Oct 21, 2018, 3:26 am
While I appreciate there only have 121 rooms and villas, there are many other exceptional properties who don't demand such terms.
Oddly, one can book through Expedia to avoid these terms which seems counterintuitive for the property.
Oct 21, 2018, 8:56 am
While I appreciate there only have 121 rooms and villas, there are many other exceptional properties who don't demand such terms.
Oddly, one can book through Expedia to avoid these terms which seems counterintuitive for the property.
Oct 21, 2018, 4:17 pm
If I book through Expedia I can get standard, flexible terms and they pay commission. It seems counter intuitive.
Dec 1, 2018, 12:58 am
Are they refurbing this room category or something ?
Just wanted to see how the rates compare to the Bulgari.
Alternatively maybe someone here has stayed in this room category recently ? Are rates still around the AED8,000++ per night mark ?
Cheers
Dec 1, 2018, 3:48 am
BULGARI
- The location is a bit further out from Four Seasons on its own little island/peninsula.
- Similar to my experience at Bulgari Bali, lots of staff, all standing around not doing anything (talking among themselves mostly). Arrived at reception, about 10 people are there to open the door but not many smiles and apart from the person opening the door, no one greets you. Went to near the desk, no one to reach out to and assist you with your needs. Everyone' standing behind their desks. And the 10 people are still standing at the door (and again at departure, with barely a goodbye).
- Rooms/villas are nice enough, no real complaints here.
- All style, no substance (my opinion of course) with regards to the overall place. It lacks atmosphere - I've heard people mention it before with regards to the Amans, but I still think there's quite a huge contrast between the calm and peace of an Aman and the dead, dour stillness of the Bulgari Dubai. Apart from location etc, a large part of it is also to do with the staff. This is the second Bulgari I've now been to where staff look bored as hell.
- They charge (I think it was) AED 2,000/day for a use of a proper cabana at the beach. Even if you're staying in a suite/villa. Absolute rip off.
Photos:
FOUR SEASONS JUMEIRAH BEACH
- Great location making the best of both beach and skyline views
- It's a pretty big hotel - lots of long corridors (with no real windows/open lighting). Their hotel in town is a lot more boutique at 100 rooms.
- Only got to the see the one suite, which is very nicely done with wraparound corner views
- Pretty standard, good Four Seasons.
Photos:
There's a Mandarin Oriental opening up about 500 metres from where the Four Seasons is, looks very promising.
What I find curious is that many of the hotels in Dubai are resorts with beach etc. With most people spending 1-2 nights at a time in Dubai, on the way to the Maldives (or similar), surely the last thing people want is yet another beach? The rooms/suites with a view of the skyline at both resorts I found more appealing than a beach view.