Vibrant and luxurious, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is Dubai\\\'s premier lifestyle destination, and has given itself completely to the pleasures of the life, and the senses of every guest... more
location. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the finest in facilities, food and service.This hotel is located on its own private beach. All the luxurious rooms and...
private beach next to Wild Wadi Waterpark. Palm Island, a man made island in the shape of a palm tree, is located five kilometres away and Dubai city centre is 15 kilo...
private beach next to Wild Wadi Waterpark. Palm Island, a man made island in the shape of a palm tree, is located five kilometres away and Dubai city centre is 15 kilo...
A review by Ali1000 on Jumeirah Beach Hotel November 7th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Good
Quality of Rooms
Good
Standard of Service
Excellent
Quality of Facilities
Excellent
Advantages:
The service
Disadvantages:
A short break to Dubai is enough, expensive
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
In 2003, my husband was lucky enough to win an award at work. The prize was a three night all-expenses-paid break at the beginning of October to the Jumeirah Beach hotel in Dubai for himself and a friend/partner.
The trip didn't start that well, with a seven-hour night flight from Heathrow with Emirates out of the always-crowded Terminal 2. Dubai is four hours ahead of the UK, so by the time we landed it was morning. We were directed out of the airport to a waiting white mini-bus, which was not exactly what I had expected from a five star hotel. However, our friendly guide passed out cool towels and gave us a cheerful commentary as we made our way through downtown traffic to the upmarket Jumeirah beach area, about 25 minutes away. He pointed out landmarks such as the Emirates tower, which is the tallest tower in Europe and the Middle East; however, our eyes were firmly fixed on another very large, sail-shaped tower which was visible almost as soon as we left the airport: the legendary Burj Al Arab, sister hotel of our destination.
First Impressions
The Jumeirah Beach, as the name suggests, is located directly on the beach and built in the shape of a breaking wave. The floor-to-ceiling blue-tinted glass gives it a mirror-like appearance, glinting in the hot Arabian sun. It stands some 26 storeys high, with around 600 rooms, although the scale is lost due to the fact that it is dwarfed by the Burj Al Arab facing it from its own man-made island. We were led through reception to an outdoor terrace where we were plied with croissants, juice, coffee and other light breakfast items while our rooms were allocated; this took around 30 minutes, perhaps because of our early arrival, or maybe because we were travelling in a large group. However, we were very pleased when we were handed our keys and told that we were on the 22nd floor.
Accommodation
There are three lifts from the central reception area up to the accommodation, one of which is an "exterior" glass lift giving you a fantastic panoramic view out across the Gulf. There is also an atrium that rises up through the centre of the hotel. This is quite impressive, with metal artwork climbing up one side, although I have to admit that I didn't actually notice it until we were upstairs; the reception area itself is fairly bland and there is nothing to draw your eye upwards.
Our luggage was waiting for us in our room, which was, as you would expect, spacious, and furnished with a king-size bed, the usual wardrobes, a desk and a seating area comprising a sofa, coffee table, plus a small table and two seats. It was also equipped with internet access and a fax/printer. But we barely took any of this in as we rushed straight to the picture window framing a dizzying view of the beach complex far below, the Arabian Gulf and the Burj Al Arab. The latter dominates the view from any of the buildings along Jumeirah beach. Famous for being the best hotel in the world, it is also an architectural wonder, rising majestically out of the Gulf waters as a thrusting testament to the growth in tourism to this soon-to-run-out-of-oil Emirate. No wonder it's even on the stamps. We marvelled at it's sail-like silhouette, and were even more delighted when we discovered that it was bathed at night with waves of soft coloured light, giving a rippling effect to its "canvas".
Now, I have to say that, having seen some of the rooms on the lower floors, we did have an exceptionally good view (which was much visited by the rest of the group) so if you decide to stay here, ask for a high floor - unless you have vertigo, because the "glass wall" effect did make me slightly nervous and I certainly never leant on the window!
The other great thing about our room was the bathroom, which was huge, marble and overflowing with a selection of classy toiletries including sun tan lotion, after sun lotion and aloe vera gel. As well as a deep bath, there was an oversized walk-in shower, plus his n' hers washbasins, a toilet and of course a bidet. I particularly liked the complimentary fluffy bathrobes and slippers. (I don't get out much).
Our room was a standard "deluxe" room, but there are also suites available and interconnecting rooms can be booked - in fact, our room was next door to one of the balcony suites located at the end of the corridors, and had a (locked) interconnecting door.
Facilities
The 2006 UK Business Traveller Awards voted the Jumeirah Beach "Best Resort Hotel in the World". It is certainly true that it has impressive facilities, and it is geared up for the sort of people who, when they take a break, still need to be "in touch with the office". The hotel is set on its own stretch of private beach accessed from the hotel basement. You have to show your room key to collect fresh beach towels as you exit, but I think that the beach is also open to day visitors, as there were changing rooms and toilets available on this level.
Stepping outside, you are greeted by beautiful tropical gardens, not at all what you might expect in a desert country. A hard surface "promenade" and perfectly manicured lawns border the beach, which is actually fairly small but carefully shaped to provide safe, sheltered bathing. Allegedly, it is man-made, from imported sand! Naturally, this was pristine, fine and white.
The main leisure pool was off to the left, and the surrounding terrace felt surprisingly secluded and spacious. We embarrassed ourselves on the first day by commenting that there seemed to be a lack of sun-beds - then we realised that it was because when you walk up to the pool, staff will appear for you to indicate where you would like one placed. In fact, the service everywhere in the hotel was incredibly attentive, but so discrete that I didn't uncomfortable or out of place, as I had feared I might (what with being so common). There was a swim-up bar and you could order food or drinks from the waiting staff, who also distributed free iced water, and had spare sun tan lotion etc to hand. I quickly decided that I could get used to this.
Further along the beach there was access to the neighbouring Wadi Wadi water park. This is open to the public, but there is free entry for guests of the Jumeirah Beach or Burj Al Arab. We had a fun afternoon riding the flumes on an inflatable double doughnut. Interestingly, some of the rides propelled you uphill (and at quite a speed!) so you hardly needed to get out. I have been to some of the larger American water parks, and this attraction compared favourably. It even had a "standing wave" for surfing (although I declined to try it).
Past the water park lay the bridge to the offshore Burj Al Arab, guarded by two security men. There is a charge for non-residents to cross, unless you are staying at the Jumeirah Beach. You can either walk across or, as we did, hail a golf-buggy from the hotel exit to take you. The Burj is worth a visit, if only to reaffirm that money can't buy you taste. The décor is wonderfully ostentatious, dripping in gold and silk, and more Arabic in style than its Beach counterpart. Be warned though, they don't like you taking pictures, and we felt a bit "watched". We stopped for a cocktail in the bar just below the helipad and this is definitely something you should not miss for the jaw-dropping view. Although at £10 a drink, you need to drink slowly.
The other facility that we made use of during our stay was the dive centre, located at the other end of the complex from the Wadi Wadi and Burj Al Arab bridge. This was staffed by PADI certified instructors. As it had been a while since our last dive, we opted to have a short refresher lesson, which took place in the "lap pool". This is surrounded by concrete seating terraces, but a word of warning - don't be tempted to remove your sandals. Even at the beginning of October, you could have cooked an egg on the surface and we were very glad to jump straight in. Our instructor told us that it reaches 40 degrees in the summer months, so this is perhaps the one area that could be improved, as there is little shade.
The instructors all seemed to be European or Australian, perhaps not surprisingly, as half the population in Dubai is made up of ex-pats. However, we did notice one concession to the location, in that there was a choice of wetsuit styles. As well as the usual figure-hugging neoprene, there was a more modest "draped" style that we saw some women wearing. We dived on a sunken cement barge which to be honest was not that exciting, and the huge "Palm" building site just down the coast probably didn't help the visibility or wildlife, but it was pleasant enough. We were given apples to feed the fish, which I had always thought was not an ethical thing to do when diving, but I suppose they were trying to retain at least some aquatic life in the area.
The Jumeirah beach also caters for families, having family and toddlers pools, and "Sinbad's Kids Club" which included a pirate-themed wet play area. This looked great fun, although we didn't feel we could legitimately visit without a child in tow.
In fact, the Jumeirah beach seemed to be able to provide just about anything you can think of, with a shopping mall, putting green, tennis courts, water sports and other services and trips available. I understand from two naughty young lads from my husband's company that the concierge service was very obliging, even in areas that you may not have expected from this location, but I will leave that up to your imagination.
Eating
Our stay at the Jumeirah beach was fairly short, so we only experienced a couple of the eating places there. Since we were officially on a business trip, breakfast and lunch comprised a private buffet, on an outdoor terrace and on the lawn near the beach respectively. The food was good, but fairly standard fare. More impressive though, was the intricate ice sculpture carved by the chef each day on the lawn!
One evening we ate at "Beachcombers", which as the name suggests, fronts the beach, and serves "a South East Asian inspired menu"; this was pretty good and included some lovely barbequed items cooked outside. We also ate on the final day in the downstairs area of the shopping area, the Colonnade. This was an up-market "food court" offering an array of stations serving different types of food. This was the only meal that we paid for ourselves, and it was not nearly as expensive as we had feared, being around £30 for both of us to have a main course and a beer. I had a curry, which was excellent. This option seemed to be the least expensive in the hotel, and popular with the families staying there. However, all the restaurants had clearly displayed menus and prices at the entrance, and you could select from Lebanese, Argentinean, German, American and many other styles of cuisine. There was even a traditional English pub, the Dhow and Anchor.
However, the highlight of the trip was a black tie dinner at the Villa Beach restaurant, which was situated on the beach directly opposite the Burj Al Arab. This was a great event, featuring posh nosh, good wine and dancing the night away afterwards.
General atmosphere
The clientele at the Jumeirah beach was a curious mix of business travellers, "corporate incentive" winners and, err, basically wealthy people, mainly British or Arabs. While we were staying there, we saw Gazza and a member of the English cricket team.
I found the place wonderfully relaxing, and basically quiet and polite. There were Arabs in traditional dress, and some ladies wearing the veil - even on the beach - but Western swim attire was more the norm and completely acceptable. Dubai is a very cosmopolitan country, although you should still dress conservatively when you travel outside of the hotel.
Price
As I have stated, we did not pay for the trip (apart from, unfortunately, the tax on it) although I believe that if you were to book a package deal with any of the major tour operators, you could expect to pay in the region of £800 on a B&B basis. If travelling independently, a return economy flight to Dubai with Emirates costs around £300 to £400. I would say that the cost of eating and drinking at the hotel is on a par with London restaurants, although more if you journey over to the Burj Al Arab.
Summary
Would I return to the Jumeirah beach hotel? Yes - if I had the money. I think it's an ideal location for a short break, as to be honest the attractions of Dubai itself would not be enough to draw me for a long holiday or for repeated visits, and there are lots of other places that I would like to see. However, the service was absolutely faultless, and I'm sure that it would be an easy place to travel to with children, which surprised me.
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The Dubai Sail Review ofJumeirah Beach Hotelby
MAllen400
Advantages: close to everything and wonderful views and treated like royalty Disadvantages: cant afford to live there
...We arrived at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel at 9.30 am and checking in time is midday. They take your bags, details and passports in case you use "extras" such as drinks room service etc as you wont need your passports till you leave. This is better than leaving money, credit card details and so on at the desk.
That done they invite you to wait till a room is ready by taking you to the Restaurant for a complimentary drink. which after the heat outside ... ...drink. Although contrary to what people think you can have a drink of alcohol in Restaurants and hotels but having said that a long cool drink was more refreshing.
The room itself is more like a suite. The first thing you notice is the massive bed and then the most wonderful view. Every single room has a view looking out over the Gulf. Many photos were taken of the view so you can tell how wonderful it was! In the room is a television with a personal ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: World-Class Facilities and Service Disadvantages: Expensive (but worth it!)
...better hotels, right now the Jumeirah Beach Hotel holds the title of the best resort hotel in Dubai and arguably the best in the world. We spent 10 days at the hotel in Easter 2005 and will definitely be planning a return trip!
Arrival
Before we even arrived at the hotel the exceptional service started, with a limousine waiting to pick us up from the airport. After the short drive to the hotel we checked in only to be told we would have a wait ... ...views right the way down Jumeirah Beach, from the outdoor terrace. There is also an "English-style" pub, The Dow and Anchor(!?) and a nightclub on the ground/basement floor, but being "old-foggies" we didn't get that far!
PS. With the exception of the buffet restaurant, other eating places require an advance booking, so best to do this on your first day to make sure you get the best choice of dining times and restuarants - you can also book for ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great location, very good quality and family friendly Disadvantages: Price: can be a little heavy, but you get what you pay for
Well what can i say, there is probably too much to write about JBH so i will try and keep it fairly short and sweet.
Firstly, the flight to Dubai isn't too bad, around 7 hours which isn't that bad compared to other holidays i've been on and if there is good in-flight entertainment you will be well and truly satisfied.
Next, you arrive at the wonderful airport in Dubai, and because we paid a little extra, we had a JBH employee meet and greet us ... ...through security! We then went outside into the blisteringly warm heat to be greeted by a JBH escort car (an AUDI A8) in which they provided us with cold bottles of water and face cloths. It was celebrity style treatment!
When we arrived at the hotel after the 20-minute car journey, we went into the lobby area and were greeted by almost every employee. They were the most friendly staff I've ever encountered!
The hotel is fantastic quality and they ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Luxurious, excellent service & facilities, great food, helpful staff etc....... Disadvantages: None!
...fabulous experience offered by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
It's quite expensive, but a great example of getting what you pay for - the rooms are spacious and come with a whole manner of luxuries to include fresh fruit delivered daily, complimentary bath robes, daily resort newsletters, chocolates, and fresh towels left in the shapes of animals!
The facilities within the hotel are fantastic, a large main pool with swm up pool bar, family pool & executive ... ...that it is in an established part of Dubai where there is no building work currently underway, much more peaceful than the other end of Jumeirah Beach (near the Hilton and others) where there are cranes and construction sites everywhere.
Disadvantages........... a bit too expensive to go back every year. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Everything Disadvantages: Stay was too short
What can I say except an excellent end to our honeymoon in a fantastic hotel.
On arrival to our hotel room we had a full fruit platter and a chocolate cake as a gift from the hotel and also a voucher for a free bottle of wine in one of the bars.
The only downside to our stay was we only had two nights, so could not try every one of the bars and restaurants.
We went on a desert jeep safari one evening which was great and also gave us the opportunity ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: More of a shopping centre than airport Disadvantages: Navigation can be confusing
...the coastline are some amazing hotels and malls too. The world renowned Jumeirahbeachhotel, shaped like a giant wave and sailboat, as well as the world's most expensive hotel, the Burj al-Arab. How expensive? How does 15,000 dollars in the executive suite suit you!!!
If you are looking for dunes and camels, then you don't have to go too far out of the city to find them. So, plan your next stop over in Dubai, you won't regret it!...
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Advantages: Great fun!! Superb rides! Disadvantages: None.
...70AED (Child) and 110AED(Adult) and the adult prices start from 13 years.
It opens at around 7.30am and shuts about 6pm but then opens on some nights later, for example, on a tuesday, it would be open from 8-11pm for ladies night, and there are various other events such as this.
You can get to it from the main road fairly easily as you just need to follow signs towards the Burj Al Arab. If you are staying at the JumeirahBeachHotel, The Burj Al Arab or Mina Al Salam, you can access it by jumping onto a golf buggy and asking them for a ride there (all free of charge).
I would reccommend this theme park for anyone who enjoys water parks or just wants to cool off and have a great time in the sun!! Plus if you are staying in any of the "Jumierah beach" resorts, you get free access to the park!!!...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Spacious and well laid out Disadvantages: None that I could find
...What a destination, What an experience, why go elsewhere.
I first visited Dubai as a stopover to Australia and I have to say I fell in love with the place at first sight. As someone who travels the world I thought I had seen it all, but Dubai was a real eye opener. The moment I stepped off the plane I was amazed. An immaculately presented airport with golden hand rails and covered in marble.
If your staying at a hotel you can ask them to collect you from the airport. They will meet you from the plane and rush you through passport control. Collect your luggage for you and get you to your hotel well ahead of others on your plane.
The city is amazing, whether you want to shop until you drop or just relax at a resort hotel. I always stay at the JumeirahBeachHotel and have always been treated exceptionally well. The old section...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Vibrant and luxurious, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is Dubai\\\'s premier lifestyle destination, and has given itself completely to the pleasures of the life, and the senses of every guest who stays in the resort. Reinventing the hotel experience, Jumeirah Beach Hotel introduces a new lifestyle that integrates all the excitement and exhilaration designed for couples, families and friends. Set on the shores of the Arabian Gulf and built in a startling shape that mirrors a breaking wave, the award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel has its own private beach. For those seeking a little more exhilaration, the Wild Wadi Water Park next door is a delightful break for both the young and young at heart.
Hello and welcome to my review on the Athena Beach Hotel, in Cyprus.
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