Dubai Travel Guide
Tags: One and Only Resorts / Dubai Hotels / Hotel Construction / So Kerzner / Hotel News / → All Tags
A Perfect 10? One & Only Will Open Their New Resort in Dubai on 10-10-10
Another week, another news of a grand new hotel to be built in Dubai. This time it's to be a luxe One & Only Resorts property situated on the man-made islands of The Palm. Interesting, seeing as how One & Only already has the One & Only Royal Mirage occupying prime massive oceanfront property right at the base of the Palm, on Al Sufouh Road.
Anyway, the One & Only isn't due to open until October 2010, and when it does it'll join a bevy of other properties springing up among The Palm fronds: Atlantis The Palm, Movenpick Resort Oceana Palm Jumeirah, Fairmont Palm Hotel, Movenpick Resort & Spa Palm Jumeirah, Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Anantara Resort, Trump International Hotel, and properties from Radisson SAS, Hilton, Metropolitan, Shangri La, Starwood, Marriott, Oberoi, and Kempinski, according to The Emirates Network.
So how will this One & Only try to make it seem like it is the one and only luxury resort on The Palm?
Tags: Hotel Construction / Dubai Hotels / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Dubai Doubles Up On Ritz-Carltons In 2010
No surprise here: Dubai is getting yet another hotel, already under construction for a 2010 opening. However, this is no gimmicky property with the Middle East's biggest wave pool or a helicopter tennis court; it's actually a classy Ritz-Carlton, the second for Dubai.
Due to abut the Dubai International Financial Centre, the property will be a consummate luxury business traveler hotel, but thankfully with world-class restaurants and a spa to boot.
Tags: Hotel Breakfasts / Hotel Amenities / Westin Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Hotel Technology / → All Tags
Breakfast is Poppin' Up Wirelessly at The Westin Dubai
Imagine for a moment that you have just awakened to a bright Dubai morning, called up room service, and ordered a very leisurely breakfast to be served on your terrace. It arrives, and you follow the scent of pancakes and syrup onto the balcony where, unbelievable as it sounds, there is a toaster warming up some bagel halves and no power outlet in sight. Yes, you have just discovered one of the secret amenities of the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Resort.
The "Flexi-Toast," as the portable unit is affectionately dubbed, ensures hot and crisp toasted awesomeness no matter your location. However, we guess that maybe somebody overlooked adding outlets on the terraces and the Westin didn't want to lose the ability to offer breakfast with toast out there.
Tags: Hotel Spas / Dubai Hotels / Raffles Hotels / → All Tags
Raffles Dubai's Spa Will Fix Our Traveler's Palms
We would've gone just for the refrigerated pool pavement, but the Raffles Dubai has got a few more temptations up its sleeve: spa treatments that are going to make us so beautiful none of our friends will recognize us.
In conjunction with the launch of a Kerstin Florian line of products, the Dubai Raffles is promoting a few new spa treatments in their Amrita Spa. What grabs us, being frequent travelers, is the Traveler's Palm, which should refresh our skin and take away that over-traveled look; the Her Royal Highness facial also sounds like it'll take a few years off the ol' mug. The one we're not sure about is the Customized Corrective Skin Facial, mainly because the name is so not sexy. Yes, we're that superficial.
The Dubai Raffles has quite a big range of packages, but if the spa treatments call to you then the "Raffles Body & Soul" package is probably the one to pick; it's a two night deal with breakfast, a massage and spa access included.
Tags: Hotel Construction / Hotel Hype / Fashion Hotels / Versace Hotels / Hotel Websites / → All Tags
Versace Dubai Gets a Website, Will Have Simulated "Scuba Lagoon"
It's been a while since we've heard anything from the infamous Versace Hotel in Dubai, which, upon completion in April 2010, will pamper its literally well-heeled guests with a refrigerated sand beach. Now that they have only slightly more than a year to go, the Palazzo Versace Dubai has launched a website, hired interior decorators and saved us the trouble of tripping to Dubai by posting their own construction photos to the site.
Tags: Geek Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Hotel WiFi / Holiday Inn Express / → All Tags
Begin Your Download at Holiday Inn Express Internet City
When we discovered there was a Holiday Inn Express Dubai Internet City, we thought the hotel chain was just using a clever gimmick to draw in guests. But no, there actually is a real place called Dubai Internet City. According to its website:
Dubai Internet City is a strategic base for companies targeting emerging markets in a vast region extending from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent, and Africa to the CIS countries, covering 2 billion people with GDP $ 6.7 trillion.
Ok, so that's a little too much business and geek-speak for us to understand but naturally all these companies heading to Dubai Internet City are going to need a place to stay. In comes the Holiday Inn Express.
Tags: Dubai Hotels / Hotel Reviews / LA Times / Atlantis Resorts / → All Tags
Perhaps Atlantis Dubai Isn't So Craptastic After All
It’s almost too easy talking trash about the Atlantis Dubai on Palm Jumeirah. You know the drill: man-made island, home to hostage Sammy the Shark, breeding ground for cash debauchery and craptastic service. The list goes on.
But! Either the Atlantis has hit its stride, or the hotel’s PR person is working overtime. Yes indeed, yesterday’s review in the LA Times is really quite flattering. Sure, the reviewer lands a few swipes at the “garish” nature and “eyesore” pink exterior. At one point, the writer likens the Atlantis theme to “stepping onto the set of a live version of ‘The Little Mermaid.’” (We suppose that’s a burn, but that actually makes the place more appealing in our book.)
Tags: Dubai Hotels / Jumeirah Hotels / Business Traveler Hotels / → All Tags
Jumeirah Emirates Tower :: A Good Spot to Meet a Sheik for a Drink
In Dubai money still seems to trump religion and culture. The teeny tiny sliver of a country is a mere desert road trip from Saudi Arabia and Oman, and just an abra jaunt from Iran and Iraq. But Dubai is more green zone than red zone. Dubai's like Macau without the gambling. Disneyworld and Kings Dominion by the Arabian Sea. And again, the Las Vegas of the Middle East. It's also a great place to find yourself slinging back shots with a Sheik -- indoors that is.
Tags: Hotel Sick / Hotel News / Dubai Hotels / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
Guests Fall Ill After Checking Out of Westin Dubai
You hear about it happening on cruise ships or at cheap hotels, but the most recent outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease may have come from a luxury hotel in Dubai. Last week, a British cricket broadcaster who had just returned from staying at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort fell ill with this serious form of pneumonia and subsequently died. Two other guests are also currently battling it, although tests for the Legionella bacteria in the hotel have all so far been negative.
Bacteria don't care how much you spend on your hotel room, especially ones like Legionella, which is spread through infected water droplets in air conditioning or plumbing. This is not a warning for guests to wear masks over their nose and mouth constantly, but for hotels to be constantly vigilant when it comes to cleanliness; the Westin has only been open slightly more than six months. As it is, only 5-15% of Legionnaire's cases prove fatal. The hotel has contacted all other guests to inform them of the situation, but it hasn't yet been proven that the Westin is at fault.
[Room photo via the Westin Dubai; Legionella image via Lueven University]
Tags: Armani Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
When and Where Will the World Get Its First Armani Hotel?
It's been more than three years since Giorgio Armani announced his plans to open ten eponymous hotels and resorts, and yet the first one in Dubai hasn't even secured an opening date. That's what they get for starting with the world's tallest structure, the notorious Burj Dubai, whose final height won't even be released until the tower reaches completion in September of this year (it's around 2,050 feet now).
Future Armani Hotel guests need not worry about vertigo, however, as the 160-room hotel will be situated in the first 37 stories, along with the Armani residences. Expected to open sometime in this first quarter of 2009, it will precede the other Armani Hotel under construction in Milan, to then be followed by London, New York, and the first resort in the collection.
Tags: Hotel News Briefs / Hotel Delays / Donald Trump / Trump Hotels / → All Tags
Trump Dubai Has Been Put on Hold
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· Construction on Trump Dubai Stopped: We're a little late to hearing this but the planned Trump Tower has been delayed in Dubai. Hopefully, it will continue construction soon. We wouldn't want that Xtina performance to go to waste. [NYT Blogs]
· Football Coaches Fall Through Hotel Window: The two were wrestling inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. One is still in critical condition in the hospital while the other has been upgraded to fair. [IHT]
· Hawaii Occupancy Keeps Slipping: The average occupancy rate for Hawaii in November dipped to a sad 63 percent. [Honolulu Advertiser]
· Celeb-Stalking at the Inauguration: Barack Obama will not be the only celeb in DC next week. Check out where your faves will be partying for the inauguration. [Jaunted]
Tags: Dubai Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel Nightclubs / → All Tags
The Address Hotel Has An Address in Dubai
The Address is a risky name for a hotel. Either the hotel is cool enough to live up to the reputation that comes with being called "The Address," or it becomes the butt of a whole heap of puns and bad jokes, right?
So far we're giving Dubai's Address hotel the benefit of the doubt. It's in the middle of the tall end of town, close to the Burj tower. And at 1,004 feet for its 63 floors, it's the 6th tallest building in Dubai (and #36 in the world, apparently).
The Address is a five star spot, and has one feature we really can't ignore: a chilled infinity pool which apparently cascades over five tiers, a bit like a wedding cake. It also includes a spa called, as you could guess, "The Spa at the Address". It also has a nightclub, Neos, on the 63rd floor that serves pricey drinks and has some kind of fiber optic light curtain you can "play" with.
If you're staying more than one night there are a bunch of deals to choose from, including three nights for the price of two, five nights for the price of four, or for those in-between stays, 15% discount for four-night stays! Yep, something for everyone. Rates range from AED1199 – 2999 ($325-$815). We'll be keeping an eye on this new place to figure out if we need to start "The Address" puns coming.
[Photo: wikimedia]
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
Our Publications:
Jaunted | HotelChatter | VegasChatter
