stargold

Summary of my stay:

Nice hardware, good location, but terrible service that is not ready for the prime time at all.

As the owner declined to pay the costs of the proper grand opening process, the EDITION new hotel opening team (which usually starts work at the hotel for several months pre-opening and into the first year or so, to bring everyone fully up to speed) were absent as a result, and there is really very little polish, enthusiasm or competency in the service throughout. It feels like the hotel is a 3-star operation in 5-star hardware.

Plus, several things are not EDITION brand standard at the moment, including toiletries and bottled water, as highlighted by lost_in_translation on the main Dubai thread. Again, down to costs and not opening the hotel properly.

It will be at least a year before I even consider coming back, particularly given the laughable rates for both paid and points.

illico

Sounds like the property is very inconsistent, based on the various reviews online. When you say the toiletries/water are not brand standard, do you mean you did not have any or there is a specific Edition brand? My stay was a first at Edition brand so I did not have a frame of reference…

stargold

EDITION has its own custom scent from Le Labo which is used throughout the hotel including the lobby and the toiletries - the ones at the Dubai Edition were Elemis (which I don't hate, by the way, but still not brand standard).

Water should either be mineral water in glass bottles or eco-friendly refillable bottles, but instead I received Arwa, which is the cheapest of the cheap local desalinated water brands, in plastic bottles.

brokenwindow

The big joke here is that Marriott allows owners to opt out of things like competent pre-opening teams that understand brand standards…

lost_in_translation

Yep! Still preferred this place to WA The Palm where I came from before though .

I am at St. Regis the Palm now, which is actually surprisingly good other than the fact they are also using the same 30ml bottles of Elemis in rooms (although at least turndown service replaced them here whilst at The EDITION two people are apparently expected to use the same 30ml bottle of shower gel for a day).

Some photos of my stay at The EDITION below. I was upgraded from a standard room to Deluxe Room with Burj Khalifa View. Wasn’t able to get a suite despite offering to pay for an upgrade to a Deluxe Suite as no one ever came back to me.

Things I liked:
- A la carte breakfast with good coffee
- Quality of food generally pretty good
- Rooms are finished to a high standard and the well designed, bathroom is very nice
- Housekeeping seemed good
- All room with balconies
- The gym is decent if not exceptional
- The hotel feels smaller and more intimate than it actually is

Things I didn’t like
- The pool is small and completely in the shade between about 11am and 1.30-2pm
- Breakfast portions are a bit small, particularly if you are paying for them separately
- Service is not 100% there yet
- Lack of enforcement of brand standards as discussed by brokenwindow

I would go back in the future but agree the current pricing of Cat 8 or 2K AED+ per night is ridiculous, there are much better hotels which are cheaper than that currently.

As an aside, the main restaurant could literally be a Ilse Crawford Cathay Pacific lounge…

Radiation Station

For context, the moment you walk into the Barcelona EDITION you can smell the signature EDITION LeLabo scent. It’s much nicer than Elemis, IMO. It’s annoying the Dubai hotel isn’t enforcing brand standards, as it’s the small details that I find good EDITION hotels get right.

illico

Thank you for the info. During my stay, I had the same water as you, and was not aware they are supposed to use the eco-friendly bottles. That’s unfortunate. We also had the Elemis toiletries but at one point while we were unpacking on the first night, room service came up to deliver Le Labo bottles, at their own initiative and not at my request. I remember this because I had read somewhere else about the hotel not having Le Labo and so I thought they were still working out problems in the soft opening. I don’t know if they were signature Edition scent though…

mecabq

Good summary. It may well be trying to compete as a luxury hotel with the Four Seasons (it bears some similarities) and of course it isn't on that level, though I appreciate its positioning as more intimate and more upscale (probably with better service) than the several highrise The Address properties nearby. It's also somewhat comparable to the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, though also more intimate and with fewer amenities. This hotel isn't really designed for the demographic I represent -- the decidedly non-hip older Lifetime Titanium road warrior who probably wouldn't have chosen it if it wasn't affiliated with the program -- but that's OK and they certainly didn't make me feel less than welcome.

I had a pretty positive experience that exceeded my modest expectations. I booked a decent rate (less than AED 1,000 all-in) that included breakfast, and they gave me an upgrade to a one-bedroom suite on a middle floor with two balconies with Burj Khalifa views. The room was large, attractive, and clean with good lighting and TVs in each room (though it was hard to control them independently; the remote tended to change both at the same time -- why can't hotels figure out how to prevent that?). Plenty of nice touches like electronic curtains, a refrigerator, and sort of a dining table with a sofa for seating. Front-desk and bell service were excellent and breakfast quality and service were solid.

A few minor quibbles: There isn't really self-parking here. They said I could park myself if I insisted but there is no elevator from the garage, only stairs. The stairs wouldn't be a deal-breaker but I took their hint. The breakfast, while good, was limited to a set menu with narrow offerings: "choose one" of each course, one of which was an omelette, in which you could "choose three" of a list of toppings. I despise this micro-management; why not just, "please order whatever you want"? They didn't have brewed coffee, only the Euro-style machine. Besides a bar of soap, the toiletries are full-size dispensers, which are helpfully available for purchase for AED 350 ($95). Nice Le Labo amenities, but the ones in the shower didn't really work; I had to wrestle them out of their brackets and remove the pump to pour out the contents.

The only significant downside in my view was the lack of bar options. The only bar other than the outdoor pool terrace, which seems to be open til 11:00pm, is a loud, super-cool (I guess) lounge populated with young people in t-shirts and sneakers genuflecting in-place to the DJ. The host asked if I was on the guest list, I said no, and he said, well, we try to be flexible for in-house guests, so they let me in. It was not that crowded. There was no wait service as far as I could tell, so after waiting forever at the bar (where the couple of bartenders seemed to spend most of their time typing on the POS), I managed to get some drinks. I asked for the menu, there was none -- "we can give you whatever cocktail you want." How about wine by the glass? Only one low-end Italian white, he said. I ordered a not-very-generously-poured double whiskey, which ended up being a Makers Mark for AED 156 (around $42).

Yeah, but the word "curated" is idiotic and I agree that it's a code for "limited." By definition, any menu or really any service offering is "curated" (except, ironically, the bar with no menu).

This is a decent option in a good location, which manages to find a somewhat unique niche in a city with so many five-star hotels, so I don't regret staying, but I doubt I will return.

LovetoTravel83

Stayed here for three nights. Noticed an upgrade to a deluxe suite 2 days prior to arrival. My rate included breakfast and it was fantastic.

The suite was also great. Had issues with housekeeping as there are several misses from day to day (no face towels, not cleaning the wine glasses which happened twice).

The place is walking distance from the Dubai mall. The hotel would be great during winter season.

lost_in_translation

I stayed here a few times over winter last year and agree with all of this (stayed twice in a Deluxe Suite, once in a regular room). Housekeeping was also a bit sloppy for me. I had to pay to upgrade to a Deluxe Suite as they were only upgrading to Superior Suites at the time, but felt worth it as it’s a very nice room. At the right price this is the joint best Marriott in Dubai to me (with GH), although the new W also looks promising so may try that this winter.

The pricing for The EDITION got a bit out of hand last winter, like there were times it was almost the same price as FS DIFC (which is incomparably better, the only thing I prefer about the EDITION is the location and that the rooms have balconies).

jaejaez

Any recent stays? Hoping that they were able to iron out the rough edges by now (re. brand standards, service levels, toiletries) or am I too optimistic?

Also what can one expect as a titanium elite here aside from the standard late checkout, upgrades subject to availability and the welcome amenity that include breakfast? any drinks vouchers etc.?

TIA

JCT001

Le Labo is found in the rooms. Front desk service is good, restaurant service is a bit slow - per usual in most places in Dubai I found. Upgrades can happen , to suites even. But I would not say it's a guarantee. It is an EDITION after all.

Here's the post that will explain breakfast for elites across all the Marriott Brands:

FAQ : Marriott's "breakfast offering" explained, by brand and by Bonvoy elite level

jaejaez

Thank you. I had forgotten that brekkie was not a benefit at Edition hotels.
The post by lost_in_translation likens this hotel to the Grosvenor House which surprised me because I consider GH as one of the best managed hotels in all of Bonvoy - makes me want to have to try it out.

LovetoTravel83

If you're rate includes breakfast then go. However, if it's not, I'll stick to the GH. I liked both.

kaizen7

Thinking to stay here (and London EDITION) in November.

But these threads about those 2 EDITIONs quite discourage me to try.