Dubai's luxury hotel scene just got a bit bigger: The new Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach has finally opened.
What makes it special: Every guestroom and suite opens to large terraces that look over the sea and skyline, and numerous outdoor dining and event spaces take advantage of the Resort’s location.
Close to the key business hubs of the city, Four Seasons Resort Dubai is centered in the Jumeirah residential neighbourhood.
The Rooms
Some of those balconies are so large that they can accommodate both a daybed and a dining table. Inside, rooms have L-shaped sofas for relaxing or quick meetings, walk-in closets and executive-sized desks for business travelers.
Many families and business travelers are choosing one of eleven Imperial Suites, each with large living and dining space, two furnished terraces, and easy addition of a second bedroom. Three suites on the Resort’s topmost fifth floor include the Presidential Suite and Penthouse Suite, each with its own media room, private gym and panoramic sea views from the wrap-around terrace; and the Royal Suite - accessed by its own private elevator - with spa, gym, show kitchen and a grand salon with its own piano.
Bonus: We hear a freestanding villa will soon open in the resort's gardens.
Dining
Executive Chef Gilles Arzur, most recently of the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, has been sourcing local produce for lighter dishes. On the menus at Four Seasons, the open kitchens let guests see how their meals are being made. At Sea Fu, fresh seafood with Mediterranean and Asian influences is served both indoors and out. In Shai Salon, guests can relax over coffee and cocktails, light fare and traditional afternoon tea; while the Hendricks Bar is the choice for business meetings over whiskey and cigars.
With top views of the Burj Khalifa and city skyline, the rooftop Mercury Lounge is a giant glass sphere surrounded by intimate seating pods and private lounges and towers with alcove seating--good for unwinding after a long day.
More dining and lounge options to come: Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach will also be home to five independent venues in a stand-alone building on the Resort grounds. Hotel guests and locals can try two different concepts by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten including Market Kitchen; Nusret, a grill restaurant that already has a devoted celebrity following in Istanbul and the Peruvian concept Coya - including a private members’ club - both by Zuma; and the New York-based Provocateur Night Club, a small and exclusive lounge.
The Pearl Spa
The hotel's Pearl Spa menu has some top ingredients, from gold leaf and pearl extract to caviar and chocolate. Guests can try contemporary therapies using Sodashi’s all-natural products, Natura Bisse facials and, for the first time in Dubai, treatments by Dr Burgener Switzerland. The Resort will also offer an updated interpretation of traditional Moroccan hammam rituals.
The spa has ten treatment rooms including the Royal Spa Suite – all with natural light and discreet outdoor space, we hear - an aqua-thermal experience, full men’s and women’s changing and relaxation areas, juice bar, Ever En Vogue Coiffure and a men’s grooming lounge.
For active guests, a full-service tennis club includes two hard courts and a pro shop, and at the watersports center on the 886 foot natural beach, visitors can head out to sea in kayaks, dinghies and catamarans, or atop a paddleboard.
Two outdoor pools – the family-friendly Active Pool and the Quiet Pool – are surrounded by Day Villas, including four “supercabanas” complete with private sun terrace, mini bar, air-conditioned interior and private bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers.
For its younger guests, Four Seasons Resort Dubai has the complimentary, fully supervised Kids for All Seasons program, including outdoor fun around the pool and on the beach.
Business and Social Functions
A total of 12,900 square feet is available for events, and outdoor functions can be arranged on the ballroom terrace and beachfront lawns. The Dana Ballroom can accommodate up to 360 seated guests, as well as four smaller rooms accommodating 12 to 100.
A separate arrival area takes guests directly to the function rooms without having to go through the main lobby, and all rooms open to the Resort’s gardens and pools.
What’s Next
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the new Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, set to open in early 2015, join Four Seasons Hotel Doha in Qatar and Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the brand’s collection of Arabian Peninsula properties continues to expand.
In celebration of its Grand Opening, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is offering several opening offers and packages to welcome its first guests.