It is convenient to get to the tram stop from the second floor from the back door (near the playground), it takes only a couple of minutes to walk. The Dubai Tram leaves a very pleasant impression. And if you change to the metro further, then the tram ride is free of charge. Not far from the tram stop there is also a bus stop, from there it is convenient to get directly to the beautiful La Mer beach.
The hotel itself looks pretty basic (especially next to Rixos) but decent. The entire small territory of the hotel is located on the second floor: a modest-sized heated pool (t water is very pleasing! ), a mini playground, a cafe / bar for evening leisure, tents for gatherings with hookah. There is not much space, but it is quite cozy, and you can see the bustling evening promenade.
The rooms in the hotel are exactly the same as in the hotel photos. It is possible to charge electronic devices, and in the bathroom there is a euro socket for a razor. The iron and ironing board were brought to us immediately, even without asking, and left in our room for the entire stay. Kettle, tea/coffee/creamer/sugar, small fridge for minibar (we were completely empty). TV with a personal greeting when turned on (nice! ), but we didn’t find a Russian channel (but we didn’t look much, because it wasn’t necessary). Our balcony on the 13th floor went directly to the construction site opposite, which greatly spoiled the view, but we did not hear the sound of the construction site at all.
We had breakfast + dinner, on any day you can take lunch instead of dinner, you don’t need to warn about this in advance. In the first days of our arrival, lunch was on the menu, but around the beginning of April, lunch began to be made in a buffet format. We liked the food: the choice of dishes was not too big, but everything was delicious for us. Pleased with themed evenings, especially Friday with seafood. The main dishes were all served by themselves, and desserts, fruits and some snacks were served by a restaurant worker (generously).
For breakfast, in addition to the usual eggs in various types, pastries, sausages, yogurts, vegetables, waffles and pancakes with chocolate, there was also bacon, delicious smoked mackerel, salmon, various cheeses (brie, blue, etc. ), good juices. My daughter loved to have noodles with vegetables for breakfast. Of the fruits, there were always chopped pineapples, kiwi, plums, oranges, often watermelons and melons, you can take whole apples and other fruits.
At dinner, there was always pizza and pasta with different toppings, a choice of meat dishes, chicken, often fish, seafood and sushi. I liked the taste of desserts: in contrast to the Turkish/Egyptian average fives, where there is a lot of sweets and most taste the same, here the choice of desserts is more modest, but they are all of good quality and have an individual taste.
Disappointing lack of a beach in the hotel. Yes, the public beach is very close, the hotel provides beach bags, towels and folding mats, but you won’t stay long on the beach without shade, and renting sunbeds / umbrellas is very expensive. The beach next to the hotel is not very good because of the fences that block the construction work near the hotel under construction opposite and Rixos beach (apparently not everything is finished there either, although the hotel has been working for a long time). You can walk along the beach a little further in any direction - it will be better. The bulk of the people are located on the left, towards Bluewaters Island. There are many beach cafes, there are changing rooms, but the shower is only paid. To the right, along the sea, there are much fewer people, but there is no infrastructure.
It is also not convenient to return to the hotel after the beach: you walk along an unsightly sandy passage between 2 construction sites, at the end of the passage there is nowhere to rinse your feet from sand and dust, and in this form you need to go through the hotel lobby to the elevator. This path to the beach somewhat spoils the impression of the hotel, but I really hope that this is not for long, because. Dubai is building fast.
By the way, the way from the pool to the room is somehow not thought out in the hotel either. on the way to / from the pool you need to go through the restaurant a bit, which is not very convenient and pleasant for all vacationers.
During our stay at the hotel, we met only one non-receptionist who speaks Russian. But this girl starts work no earlier than 10-11 am, and besides her, no one else understands Russian. So at least a minimum supply of English phrases will greatly simplify your life.
The hotel tax, which is mandatory for all hotels in Dubai, depends only on the star rating of the hotel and is taken either upon check-in (as in our case) or upon check-out from the hotel at the rate of 20 dirhams (for a 5 * hotel) per room per day. So when we checked in, we were asked for 200 dirhams (for 10 nights) in cash or by card. You can pay in USD, but the exchange rate at the hotel is not profitable. It is most convenient to pay with a dollar plastic card, but make sure that the amount for payment is set in dirhams. Then, when debiting dollars from the card, the conversion from dirhams to dollars will take place at the Visa rate (if you have a Visa card), and this will be even more profitable than the best cash exchange rate, which you also need to look for. This is due to the fact that the dirham has been firmly and invariably tied to the dollar for many years. For this reason, in Dubai, you can change cash to a minimum (maybe only for markets, if you plan, or for taxis, although you can often pay with plastic in taxis), and all expenses in cafes, shops, amusement parks, etc. map. At the airport, the exchange rate is unfavorable + they take a commission.
We didn’t even stutter about the deposit upon check-in, although I knew and was ready. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the family that had flown in with us, which was registered in front of us, was not aware of the deposit and was indignant for a long time. As a result, nothing was taken from them, and we were not told anything about the deposit either. Conclusion: ask to remove / reduce the deposit, say that you do not need a mini-bar (it is paid) - and perhaps you will be met.
As a result, we were completely satisfied with the choice of the hotel. Would love to do it again at the right price!
The Talk restaurant has insanely delicious food. For some reason, I especially liked the sushi. I didn't eat these at home.
For which we thank our manager. We didn't really want to go to Jumeirah, we wanted something more "Emirati". But you can't help but fall in love with this hotel. Thank you for recommending me to go here. Now I take the baton and advise those who will be looking for a good hotel to stay in the Emirates.