Staying in Dubai:
The Al Qasr Hotel
Half an hour after we’d set off from Dubai international Airport, we approached the Madinat Jumeirah just off Jumeirah Road and for the first time, I spotted the beautifully curved, sail shaped structure now an icon of Dubai travel towering in the background. The 321 metre high Burj Al Arab dominates the landscape and has been described in superlatives since it was conceived and built. Described as the ‘Best Hotel in the World’, the Burj Al Arab is an all-suite hotel with a fleet of chauffeur driven Rolls Royces, reception on every floor and a brigade of butlers. It has developed a reputation as the jewel in the crown of hotels in Dubai and I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was so close to where we’d be staying - suddenly the excitement level was turned up a couple of notches.
Approaching the entrance to the Al Qasr Hotel, the gate attendants waved us by and we saw a manicured grass island, dotted with palm trees and filled with frolicking golden Arabian horses glinting in the sun - looking as though they were frozen in time. I was looking back to allow the spectacle to register, when suddenly found myself bouncing gently as the car was driven through a cobbled courtyard and past a huge fountain bordered with yet more horses rising from the water. The Al Qasr Hotel is a tribute to age-old architectural styles and when the car stopped, a tall, elegant looking man greeted us, his uniform combining the traditional with the modern. He opened the door with a smile and welcomed us. The rain-soaked UK seemed a long way away now as we got out of the car and stood in the sun-soaked entrance of what’s been described by many as a premier Dubai hotel, likened to a sheikh’s summer palace forming the heart of the Madinat Jumeirah.
Our bags were collected onto a trolley and taken in by a porter while we shook hands with the driver to thank him. As he drove off, a woman dressed in flowing white dress greeted us and escorted us into the hotel. The entrance hall opened up into an impressively large tiled space lit by a number of chandeliered lights, with smooth earth coloured walls and floors reflecting the light like patterned mirrors. The sound from the indoor waterfall echoed off the hard surfaces, helping to relax the senses.
We sat down in one of the two reception areas, opposite a newly married couple who’d arrived just before us. We made some polite small talk discussing how the high standard of resorts and hotels in Dubai were making it hard to choose between them, while a couple of cold towels were presented to us for refreshment. After less than an hour in this hot climate, the feeling of cold cotton felt really good. It was obvious from the beginning that the Al Qasr Hotel staff was keen to do their very best for us. Even though check-in times were around midday and it was only early morning, they found us a prepared room straight away. Once our passport and credit card information was noted, we were taken to our room.
One thing I was a little nervous about was tipping etiquette - just what was expected here? Too much and I’d come across as an amateur (which I was!) and too little, well then I’d come across cheap … which I am … not. But I had nothing to worry about, there is no expectation of tipping here, no awkward pauses from the porter after he’s placed your luggage in the room and no expectant coughs from waiters.
The porter wished us a happy stay before closing the door behind him. We let the family back home know we got here fine and passed on contact details (to call Dubai use the international phone prefix code 0011 + 9714). Then we stepped back and took it all in … an Ocean View room, king size bed, marbled ensuite bathing facilities with a floor to ceiling shower, luxurious dark wood furniture and large screen TV. The room was indicative of the effort the Al Qasr Hotel is putting into trying to differentiate itself from any other Dubai hotel, by offering a traditional feel with modern facilities.
Our expectations were exceeded, it was bigger than we anticipated and more sumptuously appointed - making us wonder what in Dubai, 7 star hotel accommodation could represent? Well, as we stepped through the large sliding doors onto the balcony, we got a very good idea of what that seven star hotel might just be like ….
This was our view from the hotel suite and there it is, the Burj Al Arab! It’s a strange feeling, I’d seen it countless times in pictures and documentary programmes on TV but nothing quite prepares you for its sheer audacity in reality. An elegantly sail shaped luxury hotel 200 metres out from shore, sitting on its own island. What can I say … I was impressed :-) Move the mouse pointer over the image for magnification.
From the view of the resort, you can see that the developers here have aimed for a traditional approach, juxtaposed to the modern property in Dubai most people are used to seeing. To the right of the view, you can see a building with a wooden-covered terrace extending all the way around - I refer to this as the ‘ground floor terrace’, it’s on the same floor as the reception area where we came in. It houses both external and internal seating areas, where you can while away the time taking in the views, sipping on ice-chilled drinks. A set of stairs adjacent to the indoor waterfall, leads you to the lower floor where we had breakfast most of the time during our stay. The breakfast area offers indoor or outdoor eating, depending on your preference.
In the middle ground, beyond the ground floor terrace, another complex of buildings constitute the ‘Souk Madinat Jumeirah’ i.e. Dubai shopping in traditional Arabian guise. The souk is a bazaar-like market with over 75 boutique shops and 23 waterfront cafes, restaurants and bars, a 442-seat theatre and a 1,000 seat outdoor amphitheatre. If you like to haggle you can test your skills here.
Further in the distance toward the Burj Al Arab, you can see the buildings that make up the Mina A’ Salam, another Dubai hotel that completes the Madinat Jumeirah site. This boutique hotel is designed in the style of ’old Arabia’ and built alongside a harbour.
Miles of meandering waterways surround the entire Madinat Jumeirah (in the picture, they’re shown surrounded by the
ubiquitous tree favoured in this region, the Dubai palm). The waterways are only a few feet deep and resort staff transport
guests in motorised abras (a ‘taxiboat’ based on a traditional Arabic design) between designated points along the
route. Riding on an abra is perfect for spending some time in the evening breeze and especially for getting to and from the
numerous resort restaurants.
Jobs in Dubai, in the service sector, seem to be dominated by workers from Asia and the
Indian sub continent and the staff at the Al Qasr Hotel reflected this. They were always extremely helpful and courteous. We were
always greeted by smiling faces and polite enquiries asking if they could do anything for us. Any enquiries to the concierge were
met with a personal welcome referencing our names (and pronouncing them correctly!).
Each night we’d be greeted by a cleaned hotel room with a couple of ‘towel animals’ placed on the bed (towels rolled up and arranged to either represent a swan or elephant). We also just happened to mention to one of the concierge staff one day that we regarded this trip as our second honeymoon and when we got back from a day of shopping in Dubai, we found the bed adorned with a couple of swans on a bed of scattered rose petals.
When evening settles on the resort, it bathes itself in a soft golden glow from the lights and the waterway shimmers as abras begin to take holidaymakers to their restaurants. If you decide to stay in your room, you can sit out on the balcony and watch the world go by as the palm trees rustle gently in the cooling breeze. On our first night there, we assumed finding a resort restaurant to eat in would be straightforward but we discovered that even though the resort looks sparsely populated during the day, come night time it fizzes with activity. We couldn’t reserve a table at any of the restaurants as they were all fully booked! A member of the hotel staff explained that there was actually a 105% occupancy for the Al Qasr Hotel alone which meant that some people were waiting for a room to be released to them, such was the demand. There are certain resort restaurants where a reservation is not required and you basically take a chance and turn up. That was our plan B but next time we book well in advance.
