The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

Dubai
Photo by: xavier arnau/getty

by Cristian Bonetto and travel writer, The Daily Telegraph, August 4, 2016

In a metropolis well versed in excess, Dubai’s Ritz-Carlton delivers luxury with elegant restraint. Despite its bounty of rooms, suites, swimming pools, restaurants and bars, the air here is intimate and discreet; a lush, tranquil retreat from the hyperactive sprawl surrounding it.

Location 8/100

In the burgeoning Dubai Marina district, 19 miles southwest of Dubai International Airport. Trendy seafront eateries and bars are within walking distance. Dubai Marina metro station lies less than one mile to the east, with services reaching Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall and Dubai Airport.

Style & character 9/100

This is a low-rise resort, its two dusty-pink wings channelling a Spanish-Moorish aesthetic. Marble, Arabesque arches and trickling water set a soothing tone in the lobby, off which awaits the hushed refinement of the Lobby Lounge, complete with cathedral-like wooden ceiling, harpist (Monday to Saturday) and evening jazz (Thursday). The hotel’s Eden-esque gardens lead to a private beach.

Service & facilities 9/100

Service is polished yet personable. Facilities include six swimming pools; tennis courts; a well-equipped, 24-hour gym and a full-service day spa. For a red-carpet glow, book a Hollywood-approved Diamond Life Infusion facial. Spa facilities – which include hammams, plunge pools and an adults-only lap pool – are accessible to all guests. Club-category rooms and suites include access to a private club lounge, with complimentary morsels and libations.

  • Bar
  • Beach
  • Fitness centre
  • Kids' club
  • Laundry
  • Parking
  • Pool
  • Restaurant
  • Room service
  • Sauna
  • Spa
  • Steam room/hammam
  • Tennis court
  • Wi-Fi

Rooms 9/100

Interiors are plush and dignified. Warming tones of mustard, beige, bronze and dark timber are invigorated with splashes of sapphire. Middle Eastern heritage is subtly celebrated, from the Islamic geometrics of the wooden window screens to the rose-flavoured macarons on arrival. The signature featherbeds are sublimely comfortable. Tech specs include 47-inch televisions, BO sound systems, iPhone 5- and 6-compatible docking stations, Nespresso machines, as well as television screens in the marble-clad bathrooms. The latter include premium Asprey amenities and standalone tubs. The suites’ rainforest showers are large enough for a microlap.

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Food & drink 8/100

Nine eateries and bars cover a globe’s worth of hankerings. Top billing goes to Blue Jade, a sleek, city-renowned restaurant serving seductive Vietnamese and Pan-Asian dishes like delicate lotus-leaf baked ginger seabass. The hotel’s extravagant buffet breakfast – held at Caravan – offers everything from za’atar croissants, to chicken liver with pomegranate molasses and made-to-order dosa. In the cooler months, breakfast on Caravan’s tranquil terrace, where the bird song and botanical backdrop are free.

Value for money 8/100

Double rooms from £198 in low season; and from £930 in high. Breakfast usually included. Free Wi-Fi for Rewards Members (free registration on hotel website).

Access for guests with disabilities?

Three accessible Deluxe Rooms. Hotel restaurants, bars, pools and spa are wheelchair-accessible.

Family-friendly?

Family-friendly rooms are available, as well as two shaded kids’ pools and a staffed kids’ club, Ritz-Kids, with indoor and outdoor play areas and themed activities.

The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residences, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 00 971 4 399 4000ritzcarlton.com The best hotels in Dubai View all

 

This article was written by Cristian Bonetto and travel writer from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.