Review: Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah, A Jewel At The Sea

Flying back from Zurich to San Francisco on Emirates, we ended up with a two-night layover in Dubai. We made the best of it by staying at the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah and taking a Gray Line tour of Dubai.

You can also read my reviews of Emirates first class lounge and flights:

a large building with a beach and umbrellas — Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah. Image credit: Hilton Hotels.

The hotel is located 26 miles from Dubai International Airport on the Palm Jumeirah. We used Emirates chauffeur drive service to get us two and from the airport.

a woman wearing a face mask standing next to a car — Off we go to our hotel. We used the Emirates BMW chauffeur drive service.

a map of a city — The hotel location on the Palm Jumeirah. The red circle is where the Ain Dubai observation wheel is located. Image credit: Google maps.

Hotel Room Categories

The Palm Jumeirah has nine room types and seven for the suites. Guest staying in the Pearl Club rooms or higher have access to the Pearl Club. The Pearl Club is what is usually known as the Hilton Executive Lounge.

a collage of images of a hotel room — The Palm Jumeirah room catagories.

a screenshot of a hotel room — The Palm Jumeirah suite catagories.

Our Accommodation

I booked the two nights for the Pearl Club Sea View king room using Hilton Honors points. We are Hilton Honors diamond members so we were upgraded to the Pearl Club Sea View suite upon arrival. Our suite gave us access to the Pearl Club.

Our suite measured out at 1,265 square feet and featured a living room, guest bathroom and a large bedroom suite. There are three LCD flat-screen televisions located in the living room, bedroom and bathtub. Our suite was on the top floor with a huge balcony overlooking the ocean.

I redeemed 104,000 Hilton Honors points per night for the Pearl Club Sea View king room. The complimentary upgrade to the Pearl Club Sea View suite would have been a substantial increase in points redeemed.

a woman sitting at a desk talking on the phone — Checking in at reception.

a room with a couch and a chandelier — The lobby.

a desk with computers on it — The computer center.

a living room with a couch and a tv — The living room and sliding door to the balcony.

a body of water with a city in the background — View from the balcony.

a room with a table and a mirror — Entry way to the suite.

a desk and chair in a room — The work station.

a back of a computer device — The power and video ports at the work station.

a coffee machine with water bottles on a table — Coffee machine and plenty of bottled water.

a bathroom with a round mirror and sink — The guest bathroom.

a bedroom with a bed and a couch — The bedroom.

a towel folded into an animal — Towel pal with a welcome note.

a room with a ironing board and a bathtub — The walk-in closet.

a white robe on a swinger — Waldorf Astoria robes and slippers.

a bathroom with a large tub and a sink — Master bathroom.

a bathroom with a toilet and bidet — Large toilet room.

a white bathtub with silver faucets — Bathtub with LED television.

a shower with a bench and a glass door — Walk-in shower.

The Pearl Club

The Pearl Club is an exclusive oasis with stunning panoramic views of the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai skyline in a relaxed atmosphere. There is a nice selection of food and beverages in the Pearl Club.

Located on the 5th floor of the luxury hotel, the Pearl Club is a private oasis offering fabulous views and a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere. Guests can meet and browse a wide selection of newspapers and magazines, catch up on the latest news or simply relax on the balcony while enjoying the panoramic view of the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai skylines.

The Pearl Club is one of the most exclusive spaces on the Palm Jumeirah and is available to guests who have reserved Pearl Club rooms, Pearl Club suites, Waldorf Astoria suites, Chairman’s Suite or Royal Suite

The Pearl Club is open daily from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

a room with tables and chairs — Inside the Pearl Club.

a room with a table and chairs — Inside the Pearl Club.

a bar with a black counter and wine glasses — The Pearl Club bar.

a patio with couches and chairs — The Pearl Club balcony.

a balcony with a view of a city and water — The Pearl Club balcony.

Dining

The Palm Jumeirah has six restaurants:

LAO – LAO serves the best of Asian home-style cooking with authentic spices, sauces and cooking techniques.
Mezzerie – Mezzerie offers breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets featuring international cuisine. Nightly-themed dinner buffets feature a rotating selection of international cuisines appealing to guests who enjoy a variety of dishes.
Palm Avenue – A poolside oasis located in the heart of the hotel’s elegant grounds, Palm Avenue offers guests a chic, yet relaxed atmosphere serving inspired Californian comfort food.
Peacock Alley – Peacock Alley overlooks the hotel’s beautiful central gardens and serves the finest teas, coffees and light meals.
Serafina Bar – The Serafina Bar serves cocktails and small dishes inspired by Venetian ‘Bacaro’ cuisine.
Social by Heinz Beck – Social by Heinz Beck offers a vast selection of innovative à la carte options as well as a special blind menu where guests share their culinary preferences and receive a dining journey of dishes created just for them.

As a diamond member, our breakfast was included. The breakfast buffet is located at Mezzerie and it has to be the largest breakfast buffet that I have ever seen. Just look at these options:

a plate of fruit on a table — While we were eating breakfast, our waiter and the customer service manager brought over this fruit plate and a hand-written card.

Dubai – Where “Old” Meets “Large”

Dubai is an amazing cosmopolitan city where the old of the Middle East meets large and modern. You can literally go back in time to being in the newest feats of engineering.

a group of people on a boat — Crossing Dubai Creek in an Abra.

a man wearing a face mask and white outfit pushing a cart with boxes — Making a deliver the old-fashioned way.

a man in a white robe and a cart in a market — Exploring Al Fahidi Souk.

a stack of colorful scarves — A textile merchant.

a woman holding a container of red powder — The are many spice shops. Shelly is checking out the spices. She brought several back home.

a city skyline with a tall tower — The Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building. Photo credit: Visit Dubai.

two women taking a selfie — Checking out the Palm Jumeirah from The Palm at Jumeirah Lookout with the Atlantis Resort in the background. Photo credit: Visit Dubai.

a ferris wheel in front of a city — The Ain Dubai. When it opens in October 2021, it will be the tallest observation ride at 820 feet. Photo credit: Ain Dubai.

The Hotel Staff

In all of my hotel reviews, I say the same thing – hotels are just buildings and it’s the people that make the difference. I have to say that the people of the United Arab Emirates are a most humble and gracious people. They simply can’t do enough for you. This is true at the hotel, in the city and flying aboard Emirates. The staff of the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah from the front desk to housekeeping to food service treat you like royalty.

Final Thoughts

The Waldorf Astoria and Conrad Hotels are the top-level Hilton hotels. Being a top-level hotel, The Palm Jumeirah truly delivers the service that you would expect from a Waldorf Astoria. We stayed on Hilton Honors points and were nicely upgraded to a Pearl Club Suite.

Our experience was excellent and the only downside was that we were only there for two nights. Next time we will stay longer.