I talk about the weather quite a lot, but I think everyone in the UAE does because really we have two seasons here...hot and hotter with an occasional cool thrown in during "winter". The summer is quite unexplainable unless you experience it, but it really is like living in a sauna for 4-5 months of the year with no access to "fresh" air. All we have is hot, stale, humid air and sometimes if we are lucky we will get a warm breeze.
You do acclimatise though because 35 degrees used to be pretty unbearable for us, but now it's a "cooler" day if it's below 40 degrees. So what happens when it gets to 50 degrees and the humidity is 70% ++? you book a staycation of course!
I have talked about staycations before here and here but this time it was all about pool time. Because honestly when it's this hot, the only way to be outside is to be very close to a temperature controlled pool.
The good thing about summer is that hotel rates drop significantly and suddenly hotels which might have been out of your price range before are now in it. So scooping up a summer deal we booked a two night getaway at The One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai.
When we left Abu Dhabi there was quite the sand storm going on, buildings were just a shadow through the dust and it actually felt like the grey sandy sky was falling. Oh, and the dashboard on the car showed 49 degrees plus humidity. So given these conditions there were of course multiple accidents on the way which had us crawling the six lane highway at 20km/hr for much of the trip. Needless to say we were very glad to get to Dubai where it wasn't quite so sandy but it was still grey and oppressively hot.
When we left Abu Dhabi there was quite the sand storm going on, buildings were just a shadow through the dust and it actually felt like the grey sandy sky was falling. Oh, and the dashboard on the car showed 49 degrees plus humidity. So given these conditions there were of course multiple accidents on the way which had us crawling the six lane highway at 20km/hr for much of the trip. Needless to say we were very glad to get to Dubai where it wasn't quite so sandy but it was still grey and oppressively hot.
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Upon driving up to the hotel we could feel the good vibes right away, we were greeted ever so warmly by the friendliest of staff and led through into the peace and tranquility of the hotel. After a refreshing welcome drink and personal welcome from the Director of Rooms we knew we were off to a good start!
The hotel is actually made up of three different hotels over a 1 kilometre stretch, The Palace, The Residence & Spa and The Arabian Court where we stayed. The most beautiful halls link the main wings of the hotel and it truly feels very opulent while true to it's arabesque architecture.
Although the hotel certainly wasn't full we barely saw the other guests except when at the pool, such is the fantastic design of the hotel it seems that every corner you came to has a terrace, patio or reading nook so plenty of space for everyone.
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The gardens are beautiful and lush and seeing as we live in a desert it's quite a treat being surrounded by so much greenery which we did enjoy wandering through despite the heat.
Situated on a kilometre of beach front overlooking the palm island, there are plenty of loungers and cabanas for guest use, but as the sea was like a bath sitting at 37 degrees we didn't swim. We did manage a walk on the beach one morning which offers an impressive view of the Dubai Marina area which houses some of the tallest residential buildings in the world.
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After our walk on the beach it was definitely pool time and that's basically where we stayed for two days. The staff and service at the pool was excellent and with ice cold Corona, waiters offering frozen fruit, sunglass cleaning and refreshing towelettes there wasn't any reason to leave!
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Between all three properties there are probably a dozen restaurants to choose from, during our stay we dined at Nina which was an exceptional Indian restaurant and on the second night we took the shuttle down to The Palace and dined at the Moroccan Tagine restaurant which was also amazing!
After such a decadent dinner at Tagine and feeling a kilo heavier, we braved the heat and wandered back to our hotel, the pathways which lead the way are beautifully lit and turn the hotel grounds into a wonderland of lights completely changing the look of the hotel to something from a movie.
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Overall this little two night staycay was the perfect escape we needed and honestly the service we experienced from start to finish was impeccable. If you are coming to Dubai than put this on the list at least for a meal if not a stay.
Thanks so much for reading and you can always see more photos and keep up to date via my instagram!
PS: after reviewing the hotel on tripadvisor (here) Warren was emailed personally by the hotel GM to say thanks which speaks great management right from the top down and it shows!
Amy
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