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The Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Turns a Desert Mirage Into a Proper Retreat
Not everyone heads to Dubai with mall shopping and indoor skiing on their minds, or if you do, you quickly get tired of it. For this reason, more and more retreats are being built outside of the city, either in lush green environments like the Westin Golf Resort near Abu Dhabi or flat out in the desert, like the soon-to-open Anantara Resort at Qasr Al Sarab.
Due to open on October 25, the Anantara is 90 minutes away from Abu Dhabi and three hours from Dubai in the Liwa Desert, and boasts 206 rooms, although some are flat-out palatial villas with private pools and commanding views over the sand dunes. Face it: if you're coming all the way out here, you're coming to relax and just go between a hammam, a chaise lounge and your hookah all day (and night) long.
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: Armani Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Hotel Delays / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
First Armani Hotel In Dubai Takes Its Time, Won't Open Til Winter
For almost the last year, the first Armani Hotel was a glimmer in our eye. We patiently waited while it took shape along with the building hosting it, the Burj Dubai — what will be the tallest building in the world. But now we'll have to continue holding our horses as the Armani Hotel Dubai has fallen victim to that hotel plague of late: the delay.
Instead of debuting in September, with its 160 rooms personally designed by Giorgio Armani and various other Armani spots including a candy shop and a club, the hotel has been postponed until what looks like December. A representative claims that they delay is not due to construction issues (sure, whatever) and ballparked the new opening date by saying "anyway by the end of 2009"—but that's not good enough for us.
We want — no we need — an excuse to not only visit Dubai, but to go all up in the Burj building. If Armani can get his Via Cavour lifestyle community project up and running in Rome with all the historical regulations and slow bureaucracy they have, then Dubai should be a walk in the park. We're waiting, Giorgio.
[Photo: The Red Pill]
Tags: Sofitel Hotels / Dubai Hotels / Abu Dhabi Hotels / China Hotels / → All Tags
Sofitel Takes On Middle East and China
Not a brand to stand around twiddling their thumbs at the moment, Sofitel is busy getting their hotels stuck into the Middle East. For a start, the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach is due to open sometime this year – press releases are saying September, but their website says July 1 and it looks like we can book rooms throughout July, starting at €150 ($215) – but that's not enough for Sofitel. They've just announced two more properties for the UAE, with Sofitel Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai due to open in 2012 and in Abu Dhabi, the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Capital Plaza is already making progress, ready to take guests in 2010.
And it's not just the Middle East. We were already amazed when Sofitel opened their 23rd hotel in China but they're quickly following that up with three more. In southern China, close to Hong Kong, there'll be two new places: the Sofitel Dongguan and the Sofitel Guangzhou. On the east coast, you'll soon find the Sofitel Qingdao; all three of these new Sofitels are located in main business districts. Opening dates for the Chinese additions aren't being advertised just yet, but it sounds like it'll only be five minutes until we turn around and hear about even more.
[Photo of Sofitel Xian: Ksionic]
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.
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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.
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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: Dubai Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Jumeirah Hotels / → All Tags
Ride the Jumeirah Wave for a Little 'Las Vegas Crack'
Veterans of Dubai's extreme ritz also call the emirate "Las Vegas on crack." Just like you would imagine, the land of superlatives is big and over the top. Think: If Steve Wynn and Vegas, and Trump and Atlantic City got together and made a gigantic, flashy and utterly spoiled baby, destined to grow up with some serious developmental problems.
A long weekend is plenty of time to admire the sparkly sandcastle and glass skyline,luxurious amenities and stellar customer service, if you don't mind an entire day of flying to make your luxe pilgrimmage.
The ocean wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel is super friendly in that Las Vegas mega mall type way where somehow it seems OK that you have your kids there with you, even thought they really don't belong in a place like Dubai. And JBH has the most amazing views of the incorrectly awarded 7-star Burj Al Arab. (There is no such thing as seven stars in hotel rating.)
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 Gets 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.
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