Tag: Mydubai

My Daycay at the Burj Al Arab

vacaysandsunnydays

So, even though this visit wasn’t technically a “staycay”, I recently spent the most amazing day at the luxurious, 7* Burj Al Arab hotel. The Burj Al Arab is Dubai’s most iconic hotel, located along Jumeirah Beach, next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel – which is often referred to as “the Wave”. The Burj Al Arab is extremely exclusive with rooms being charged at a rate in excess of GBP2,000 per night! In order to even gain access to the hotel, you are required to have a booking at one of the restaurants, the beach club or the spa, otherwise you will not be allowed past the first security gate.

I am extremely grateful that my friend (and boss) treated me to a relaxing spa day and afternoon tea experience as a “baby shower” day and my last day at work before heading off on maternity leave. I have visited the Burj Al Arab previously for dinner in the hotel’s buffet restaurant, Bab al Yam, which is located on the first floor, and also to visit the beach club, Sal, which is located at the backside of the hotel but doesn’t require entrance to the main hotel. I was, therefore, very excited to spend some time inside the hotel itself.

Talise Spa at the Burj Al Arab

The Talise Spa is located on the 18th floor of the Burj Al Arab and from the moment you are welcomed at the spa’s reception, you are treated like royalty. Whilst completing our questionnaires before the treatment we were given a hot towel and fresh ginger tea which was lovely.

I had called in advance to confirm which treatment I would be able to have – as I was 37 weeks pregnant at the time. Unfortunately, I was not able to have the prenatal massage so I opted for the Moroccan Organic Facial which was not on the spa menu but came recommended by the therapist as being suitable for pregnancy as they use only organic, natural products.

The spa is separated into a female-only area and a unisex area which also contains the male changing facilities. We headed through the female changing rooms and were provided with our lockers which contained the softest slippers and robe – I felt like I was wearing a cloud. I was taken up to the room for my treatment and was blown away by the view. The female treatments rooms over look the Palm Jumeirah and have an amazing view of the Dubai Marina as well.

The treatment was so relaxing and my skin felt amazing. After the treatment, we changed into our swimwear and headed through to the unisex pool for a swim and some relaxation.

Afternoon Tea

Following our extremely relaxing morning, we headed down to Sahn Eddar which is the restaurant located in the hotel lobby on level 1. Previously, the Afternoon Tea was served in the Sky Bar, however, the hotel has recently changed the location of the Afternoon Tea as the Sky Bar is now only open from 6pm each day.

Sahn Eddar was a beautiful setting for Afternoon Tea as the lobby is very bright with high ceilings and a view out towards the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the Souk Madinat. We sat down just before the Afternoon Tea was due to start and ordered the gold-leaf Cappuccinos because, why not?

The Afternoon Tea consisted of four courses, starting with shredded Alaskan King Crab with Caviar and pancakes – although I skipped the Caviar – followed by a selection of four finger sandwiches which were plated and served to us individually. The next course consisted of a selection of tarts, pastries and biscuits which were divine. They were served on tiered plates that were shaped like the Burj al Arab itself which was a lovely touch.

The final course, my favourite, was a selection of warm scones with fresh cream and jam. I could only just about finish mine as I was extremely full by this point. Throughout the afternoon we could have unlimited drinks such as teas and coffees and as we had the non-alcoholic package it also included a sparkling juice.

We left the Burj Al Arab at around 5pm after a long, relaxing day of luxury and feeling extremely stuffed from our lovely Afternoon Tea.

Address Beach Resort

vacaysandsunnydays

We are never bored for hotel choice in Dubai let me tell you! New hotels seem to be popping up left, right and centre and we had been eyeing up the new Address Beach Resort for a while. Located at the far end of Jumeirah Beach and close to the walkway across to Bluewater Island, Address Beach Resort dominates the skyline.

The building consists of two towers, which are predominantly residential, and are connected at the top with the world’s highest and longest rooftop pool!

You can access the entrance of the hotel either by driving down JBR, or you can take the last exit from Sheikh Zayed Road, take the ramp across the Marina and U-turn into the hotel – we chose this option to avoid the dreaded JBR traffic. As you drive up the ramp you are greeted by the valet guy, a quick sanitisation mist and the familiar smell which makes you instantly realise you have stepped into an Address hotel.

The lobby is a gorgeous, open area with olive trees and an abundance of seating areas. The interior is similar to that of the Address Sky View with details of books and ornaments neatly arranged. Our check in process was excellent and the staff could not do enough for us. We had arrived early, as we always like to make the most of the facilities, and they accommodated our request of a higher room and were able to provide us with immediate access which was great.

The hotel has three lifts, which can be quite confusing, one which takes you down to the ground floor restaurants with pool and beach access; one for hotel guests only which takes you to the hotel rooms; and the final lift which is for residents and for access to the spa and rooftop pool.

The Pool

The main attraction for us to this hotel was the rooftop pool measuring in at 94.84m in length, 16.50m wide and height is 293.906m. Recently awarded a Guinness Book of World Records title, the pool is the highest infinity pool in the world! Use of the roof-top pool is exclusive to in-house guests and residents only, which makes the pool all that more desirable. You have to take the lift from the ground floor to level 75 then swap to a different lift for the final two levels. As the doors open you can just see the vast blue water ahead of you which morphs from the pool into the sea. The view is insane. You can walk around the whole rooftop and see all the way down to Jebel Ali on one side, across the Marina on the other and out to see with Palm views.

The pool has several sun loungers partly submerged in the pool itself which are super chilled. They also have double-gazebo beds available which are extremely comfortable as well – we opted for different loungers each day. Finally, they have private cabana pool rooms available to hire for the day which come fully equipped with a TV, shower, alcohol, food, personal butler and much more – you, of course have to pay for this privilege!

The hotel also has a child-friendly pool on the ground floor with a mini-splash park for keeping the little ones entertained.

The Room

We had booked a Marina facing room, I cheekily asked for an upgrade to a sea-view room but the hotel was fully booked on the weekend that we visited. The room was lovely, modern and bright – everything you would expect from a brand new hotel. The bed was extremely comfortable and the far side of the room had one long window which spanned across the entire length of the room and through the bathroom. In the bathroom was a free-standing bath in front of the window with a separate waterfall shower and Jack and Jill sinks. 

All aspects of the room could be managed from one tablet, including the air-con, lights, TV, music and it also contained information about the hotel, facilities, and menus for room service.

The Restaurants

The hotel has several restaurants located throughout it. On our first day, we decided to have lunch down in The Beach Grill which is located just about on the beach and next to the family pool on the ground floor. We loved the décor in this restaurant as it had boho / beach-chic vibes. I opted for the Salmon whilst Ryan had the burger and the food was delicious.

For dinner, we had booked a table at Zeta-77 and invited some friends to join us for sundowners before dinner. Zeta-77 is located on level 77 next to the infinity pool and the views from this restaurant are astounding, some, if not the best views in Dubai. We got there for 6.30 and as the sun set, we could see the lights start to appear across the whole of the Palm, Bluewater Island and the Marina. It was such a beautiful sight.

The menu at Zeta-77 is relatively small with only four options for main dishes, however we loved all of the mains so it wasn’t too bad. The food was delicious but, unfortunately, the service was terrible. I don’t like to complain in restaurants, I often just complain about it to Ryan, but on this occasion, as we had paid a deposit of AED2,000 to even book the table we did complain about the service. I guess that there is always teething problems when opening a new restaurant so hopefully things will improve.

Breakfast was located on the ground floor in the buffet restaurant and was included as part of our booking. And I have to say, the breakfast was absolutely amazing. I really love a hotel breakfast and this was a combination of served a la carte “main” dishes and buffet style for pastries, waffles, pancakes etc.

The hotel also has a Brazilian restaurant at located just left of the lobby which would be good to try.

Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at the Address Beach Resort and would return purely for the rooftop pool!

Sharjah’s Hidden Gem

vacaysandsunnydays

Tucked away off one of Sharjah’s busy roads is a small entrance to the Chedi Al Bait. The complex opened its doors as the Chedi Hotel in December 2018 and I have to say that it was only this past summer that I began to hear about the hotel. So, we packed our bags and booked up a one night stay at the start of August. The hotel was a relatively short drive from our villa so we enjoyed the little road trip crossing the border into Sharjah – I have to admit that in my almost six years living in Dubai this is the first time I visited Sharjah (as opposed to just driving through it)!

When the maps told us we were only one minute away I thought to myself, “surely we have the wrong address here” but we turned the corner to see the subtle Chedi sign at the side of the road. The concierge assisted us with our luggage through the narrow walkways into the reception.

Upon check in, the staff provided us with a small sanitising pack which contained anti-bac gel and gloves which was a nice touch.

Hotel Facilities

Inside the grounds of the hotel it felt so peaceful. There are courtyards with olive trees and casual seating areas tucked in all corners of the hotel. It really is like a maze wandering around the narrow pathways.

The hotel also houses a library which explains some of the history of the building itself and has a large collection of books in both English and Arabic.

The hotel also has a lovely, albeit small, swimming pool. As we visited during COVID times we were required to book a 2 hour slot at the pool so as to prevent it from becoming overcrowded.

Our Room

One of the highlights of our stay was the amazing bed in our room! No, seriously. This took hotel beds to a whole other level! The mattress is made from horse hair (you should probably check if you have allergies before staying) and it really felt like I was sleeping on air. The bathroom continued the traditional Arabic themed décor with neutral walls, wooden doors and dark basin sinks. It also had a gorgeous waterfall style shower.

Restaurants

We dined in both the International restaurant as well as the Arabic restaurant during our stay at the hotel. We decided on having lunch in the International restaurant whereby we had a range of small dishes from salads to soft-shell crab and it was all lovely. The International restaurant is very light and open and also had a lovely outdoor seating area (which we chose not to make use of in August)! The breakfast also served in the International restaurant and has a great selection of egg dishes, pancakes, waffles etc. of which you could order multiple items! We were also served a selection of freshly baked pastries as well as juice, tea and coffee – as you can tell, I love a good breakfast! 

We ate at the Arabic Restaurant for dinner on the Friday night – we were glad to have made a reservation as the restaurant was quite busy. We shared a selection of Arabic meze starters such as hummus, tabbouleh and falafel, followed by one sharing platter of chicken shish tawook and another platter of grilled seafood. Everything was super tasty!

Sadly, during our stay at the Chedi, I feel ill (which I know now as being the onset of my Bell’s Palsy). As much as I enjoyed our stay it was shrouded by stress with not knowing what was wrong with me at that time. I would love to return because it really was so relaxing and a lovely way to escape the city.

The Address Sky View

vacaysandsunnydays

As most of you know from previous travel blogs, I ALWAYS travel for my birthday. It’s just what I love to do! However this year, as we were due to be going on our honeymoon at the start of April, only a few weeks after my birthday, I decided it would be best to spend this birthday in Dubai. It’s a blessing in disguise really, could you imagine if we had travelled and ended up like all of those other poor people stranded around the world!

Anywho, our honeymoon was sadly cancelled as a result of COVID, but, I digress. This post is in relation to the delightful staycation we ended up booking for my birthday! I have a hotel wishlist on my phone, which appears to be constantly growing! And I decided on checking out the then-recently opened Address Sky View Hotel.

Located smack bang in the middle of Downtown Dubai, the Address Sky View has uncomparable views of the Burj Khalifa and is a stone’s throw away from the Dubai Mall. As we entered the hotel we were greeted with the familiar “Address” scent, our luggage was taken and we were whisked straight to check in. We managed to get a great offer by booking directly on the Address website. Our hotel price included breakfast and we each received three vouchers for use across the Emaar facilities, this was a nice bonus. We chose vouchers for the Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Ice Skating Rink and Reel Cinemas. (We used the Aquarium voucher in the summer and it was a great experience, I didn’t actually realise how huge the aquarium is in the Dubai Mall!)

We left our luggage with the Concierge and headed out for some lunch at the restaurant around the pool. I have to admit, I was feeling quite sensitive (and sorry for myself) as I had been out celebrating my birthday with the girls the previous night.

Our room was ready early so we headed up for a quick change and then straight to the highlight of the hotel… the rooftop infinity pool.

We had access to the Lounge included in our room booking so popped there for a coffee and nibble before getting ready for our meal.

Ce La Vie
I was so excited to dine at Ce La Vie! For my birthday last year, we actually visited the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore and had lunch at Ce La Vie. I hope this has become my new birthday tradition…!

The food, service, drinks and view were all spectacular. It was by far one of the best meals we have had in Dubai.

We rolled out of the restaurant (I’m not sure if it was too much food or wine) but luckily didn’t have too far to go. When we got back to the room, the staff had laid rose petals on the bed, wishing me a happy birthday. It was a lovely touch and a perfect end to the day.

The following day we were able to extend our check out. The rooms come with a smart TV with Netflix built in so we decided to give in to all of the social media fuss and start the series Love is Blind. We all but finished the series that day!

I have to admit, this was the first Address Hotel that we have stayed in, but I cannot fault our stay from the service, cleanliness and overall experience. I would absolutely stay here again.

Anantara the Palm – the perfect staycay

vacaysandsunnydays

We recently spent the weekend at the Anantara on the Palm for the perfect weekend of R&R. The 25th of May marked our four year Dubai-anniversary – four years of living in Dubai! We like to celebrate each year with a staycation and this year we decided on the Anantara.

We’ve visited the hotel previously for brunch but when we arrived and the hotel staff took our bags, I was so ready to make the most of the hotel experience. Anantara is a Thai hotel chain and we were greeted with the same Thai hospitality and warmth as you receive in Thailand. We arrived at 10am, even though check in wasn’t until 2, as we wanted to make the most of using the facilities so we headed straight down to the pool.

Surprisingly, the weather in Dubai right now is still perfect and we’re not melting away just yet! It was lovely just laying out, soaking up the sun and reading. Around midday we went for a little walk along the beach front and checked out the over-water villas before heading down to Revo Cafe for a bit of lunch. (I say “a bit” of lunch, I ordered the southern fried chicken sandwich and it was about 15 inches long!)

We were able to check into our room an hour early which was great because we had booked a Premier Lagoon Access Room which meant that we had a terrace with two sun loungers and direct access down into the lagoon pool from our room. It was such a welcome break from the craziness that is Dubai and due to the location of the hotel on the palm, we couldn’t see any of the high rise towers so we really did feel like we were on holiday for the weekend.

The Beach House

The hotel has a great selection of restaurants (all of which are on the Entertainer as well which is a bonus) we were torn between Mekong, the Thai restaurant; Bushmans which is an Australian BBQ and grill or the Beach House which serves Mediterranean cuisine.

We decided to dine at the Beach House for our evening dinner as we won’t have the luxury of dining outside for much longer in Dubai – summer is definitely approaching! The restaurant is set on the beach which has a lovely view of the Marina in the background.

We shared the Beach house Antipasti to start, I had the grilled tiger prawns and Ryan had the seafood pasta – his pasta included prawns, mussels, clams, red snapper, calamari and crab! All of the portion sizes were extremely generous so you should arrive hungry! Our waiter, Nicholas, was extremely friendly and informative of the menu and we never had to ask for anything.

The lagoon access room is open 24 hours so when we got back from dinner the plan was to go for a a night swim. By the time I had my bikini on, Ryan had already fallen asleep on the sun lounger on our terrace! So I went for a little swim in the lagoon which was lovely and then proceeded to fall asleep on the other sunbed. It was so peaceful.

Breakfast

I am such a fan of a breakfast buffet. Lady in the street but a freak at the buffet – that’s me all over 🤣 the selection at this breakfast buffet was great, it had so much choice! I just get too excited and pile so many things on my plate that it ends up a bit of a mess. But everything was super tasty and fuelled us for our next nap out on the terrace!

Our second day was spent between the terrace and the lagoon, we wanted to make the most of our room so requested a later check out. The highlight of the lagoon was the little bar boat that comes along serving up cocktails whilst you’re in the lagoon! I chose a Malibu Coconut, it was heavenly!

We left the palm feeling super relaxed and as though we had actually left Dubai – even though the drive home was only 18 minutes!

Summer never tasted so good!

vacaysandsunnydays

Those of you who know me, know just how much I love my food! Whether it’s a breakfast date, brunch, cheap eat or fine dining I just love eating out! Since joining Privilee, we have had the benefit of enjoying discount at some amazing restaurants throughout Dubai, and food definitely tastes better with a discount!

So here are some of my favourite restaurants in Dubai with Privilee discount:

Bussola @ The Westin

OK, I’ll admit, I ate here twice in one week (oops). Bussola is split into two restaurants with the fine dining restaurant on the lower floor and the pizzeria up on the first floor. I love the pizzeria because of the relaxed atmosphere, the pizzas are HUGE and are cooked in a clay oven and come packed full of toppings. The fine dining restaurant serves a great selection of pastas, salads, meats etc. and have gluten free options for all of the pasta dishes.

As a Privilee member, you receive 25% discount from Bussola from Sunday to Wednesday.

Little Miss India @ The Fairmont on the Palm

I think this is my new favourite Indian restaurant in Dubai! From  the moment you walk in the décor is so beautiful, from the large gate outside the entrance, to the vibrant painting around the bar and the elegant décor inside the restaurant itself. We ordered a selection of cocktails to start, all of which had their own Indian twist. When you enter the indoor seating in the restaurant the smell of the spices hits you instantly (I was salivating at this point!)

The waiter recommended the lamb chops to start, I would never have ordered lamb chops as a starter but four pieces were served in a jar with smoke funnelling out of the top! The meat literally fell off the bone! For our mains we shared a butter chicken, lamb Rogan Josh, pilau rice and lots of bread! I would highly recommend this restaurant and with Privilee you can enjoy 20% off the total bill (including the wine and cocktails)!

 img_3324

Bounty Beets @ Le Meridien Mina Seyhahi

Has anyone else ever chosen a breakfast spot just because it looks cute on the gram?! Well I did and I’m so glad that the food was just as lovely as the décor. Bounty Beets is located in the ground floor in Le Meridien (next to the Westin) and is the perfect place for a girly breakfast date! The restaurant was very quiet when we visited so the service was great and the interior / fit out is lovely. The best thing about it though, is that with Privilee you receive 25% off the total bill!

Thiptara @ The Palace Downtown

The Palace Downtown is home to one of my favourite restaurants in Dubai – Thiptara. Not only does Thiptara serve some of the best Thai food in Dubai, it also has breath-taking views of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountains. Thiptara is a must when we have friends and family visiting on holiday and Privilee members get a lovely 20% discount off the bill!

The Atlantis

The Atlantis houses some of my favourite restaurants in Dubai including Nobu, Seafire, Breadstreet Kitchen and Privilee provides its members with 20% discount in each of these restaurants (and more)!

 

Privilee has an exclusive deal that’s valid for 72 hours only!! For AED 1499 you will receive a 3 month Privilee membership plus an extra 2 weeks for free so you can enjoy your EID holidays with Privilee as well. That’s less than 15dhs a day! You can find out more information on their website: https://www.privilee.ae/summer

What to expect during Ramadan in Dubai

vacaysandsunnydays

When we first moved here in 2015, we moved three weeks before Ramadan started. We didn’t quite know what we were getting ourselves into with the hot summer and we really didn’t know what to expect during Ramadan so we just kind of thought well, if we make it through Ramadan and the summer, it’s only going to get better!

I’ve received a few messages lately from people who are visiting Dubai during Ramadan and aren’t quite sure what to expect or what rules etc. they should abide by. So if you’re travelling to Dubai during Ramadan this year and have any questions about what to expect I’ve written this blog to hopefully answer some of those.

Some background on Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and lasts for around four weeks. Ramadan moves slightly earlier each year, by approximately 10 days, and the start and end date is confirmed by the sighting of the “new moon” by the Moonsighting Committee. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims must observe several rules including fasting during the hours from sunrise to sunset; praying regularly and abstaining from sex and smoking (although smoking is allowed after Iftar). Charity is also a core element of Ramadan as a time for helping those in need and giving back to the community.

Eating and drinking in public

One of the core requirements of Muslims during Ramadan is to fast during the hours of daylight. That means that those who are fasting (in Dubai) are required to wake up around 4am for Suhoor (the first meal of the day) and they cannot eat or drink until breaking fast at Iftar at around 7.10pm.

As a result, consumption of food and drink in public is restricted. The malls in Dubai have worked to accommodate this and have sectioned off areas specifically for children and non-Muslims to eat and drink at any time of the day and you can find all the normal food chains in there.

Clothing

It is advised that people dress respectfully during this time, especially when in public places such as the malls where you will be surrounded by people who are fasting. It is recommended that individuals refrain from wearing extremely tight clothing and should cover knees / shoulders.

That being said, the public beaches remain open, as well a hotel swimming pools and beaches, and sunbathing is allowed.

Beach clubs / alcohol

During Ramadan the beach clubs don’t play loud / live music in the day and the majority don’t serve alcohol during the day. However, some hotels can obtain special licenses during Ramadan to serve alcohol. At sunset, you will find that the majority, if not all, bars and restaurants will begin serving alcohol – this is usually around 7pm.

Recommendations for Iftar / Suhoor

If you are visiting the UAE during Ramadan, I would strongly recommend visiting one of the traditional tents to experience an Iftar or Suhoor meal. The atmosphere at the Iftar tents is warming and so lovely to see families and friends together during this special time. So here a few recommendations of my favourite Iftar tents to visit, all of which offer a selection of traditional Arabic food, juices and shishas:

  • Majlis at the Madinat Jumeirah
  • The Palace Downtown
  • Atlantis the Palm
  • Dubai Opera Theatre (our company Iftar was held here last year. The setting was absolutely beautiful however the buffet offered a more continental range of food rather than traditional Arabic cuisine.)

 

Ramadan Mubarak

(Blessed Ramadan)