Among many luxurious hotels in Dubai, for my first extended visit to Dubai, I stayed at the Le Meridien Dubai and enjoyed my experience a lot. This hotel has been under the Le Meridien flag for some time, but only in the last 18 months or so have they been a participant in the SPG program.
Looking up at the Burj Khalifa
While the location of the hotel is very convenient to the airport (it is directly across Airport Road), it therefore isn’t all that close to most other sites in the city. I had a conference here, so I didn’t choose the location, but I was happy to be able to utilize my SPG status for an excellent upgraded room, and some better services during my stay.
I tried to upgrade my room using Suite Night Awards, but this wasn’t available to complete online, so I use online chat on the Starwood website to request assistance. For some reason, the hotel offered to upgrade me and I didn’t end up using my SNAs. I’m not going to complain.
A named suite…not too shabby
This hotel is pretty large, with almost 400 rooms and is laid out somewhat oddly in that there is both a main building, and a Royal Club wing. In addition, there are 18 restaurants on the compound.
My room was in the main building, and was a club room, so my free car service (for the 5 minute ride) from the airport took me directly to the club area where I checked in. I was assigned to a named suite, the Granada Suite which was upstairs from the main club area, and directly above the club lounge. Calling in perth electrician to help with your electric supply or any other circuit related problems is a good idea.
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Entryway with half bathroom living room, and corner of desk
Granada Suite, Le Meridien Dubai
The room was large, although the decor was a bit ‘classic’ for my tastes. Still, this was an amazing upgrade, especially for free. I didn’t spend much time in my room other than to sleep, but the extra space was nice. There were 2 main rooms, plus a large patio. The giant patio was a neat feature, but given the heat, a big slab of concrete was not a place I’d spend much time.
Granada Suite living room. Nice space, even with carpets/tapestry on the walls…
There was a full bathroom near the bedroom, with a separate shower and a large walk in closet. There was also a half bathroom near the entryway and a work desk with a minibar.
Walk in closet between bedroom and bathroom/shower
Impressive shower, although plumbing wasn’t working properly, so all shower heads didn’t work, you can find more tips here if you encounter such similar situation to this.
plush bedding plus nightly turn down service
the giant patio with the Royal Club tower beyond
Le Meridien Dubai Club Lounge
Another benefit of my SPG platinum status was access to the Club lounge. Breakfast is served here, although I ate with colleagues in the main buffet restaurant instead of the lounge most days, since it was complimentary anyway. The main restaurant breakfast was impressive, with a wide array of western and middle eastern options. One could likely fill up on this meal, and be content for a while.
snacks and drinks in the club lounge
Each evening between 5 and 7, there is a happy hour, where cocktails and light snacks are provided in the club lounge. After a long day in meetings, needless to say, I really appreciated this.
Various dining and entertainment options on property
This property is very much like a resort in the sense that there is enough that some people might never leave. There are various restaurants including Thai, Chinese, Lebanese, Italian and an Irish pub. There is also a Gold ATM for those that cash just won’t get it done…
Gold to go…
One night after exploring the Gold Souk, someone was craving sushi, so we returned to the hotel and ate there. The food was good, but I arrived dressed inappropriately. I was wearing shorts. The restaurant offered loaner trousers. That was new to me, but at least I didn’t have to go back to my room.
Sushi wearing borrowed pants…
We did spend one evening exploring the world’s tallest building (photo on top of post) and the gigantic mall nearby. I’m not a fan of malls, but this was quite a spectacle. The aquarium was impressive and we didn’t even pay to go inside.
This wasn’t my first trip to Dubai, but it was the first time I spent any time here. The over the top nature of the place is definitely not my style. The lack of an authentic culture is another negative in my opinion. I do think it is a place worth seeing, and the Le Meridien Dubai is a nice spot, and is convenient to the airport. This is a good option especially for someone with SPG Platinum status.
Have you stayed here? How did your experience compare?
