For a short trip to Dubai, we decided to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. This hotel belongs to the Hilton group and sits firmly in the luxury segment. For one night, however, the price was surprisingly reasonable, which made the decision easy. On top of that, I earned points for the stay that I’m looking forward to using in the future.
Booking
Even though you can book through pretty much any channel, I chose to book directly through Hilton to make use of my status — a decision that definitely paid off.
Location
It’s worth mentioning that Dubai actually has two Waldorf Astoria hotels. Ours was located on the artificial Palm, a little away from all the other attractions. You should simply be aware of this when booking. For our purposes, though, it was exactly what we wanted.
We took an Uber from Dubai Airport and arrived at the hotel in almost exactly 30 minutes. We were immediately greeted warmly and escorted to the reception.
Check-In
The check-in wasn’t the quickest at that late hour, but it was absolutely friendly and professional throughout. As a Diamond Member, I had been upgraded to a truly generous suite (I had booked the cheapest category), received two drink vouchers for the bar, and was given some information about breakfast as well as the hotel in general. There was a slight misunderstanding regarding the hotel lounge — at Waldorf Astoria, this is now a Club, meaning Diamond Members don’t have access to it. A shame, as I had been told something different beforehand.
Room
Thanks to the upgrade, the room was truly enormous. Certainly more than one person needs, but an incredibly generous gesture nonetheless.
Upon entering the room, there’s a guest WC on the left. Straight ahead, you walk into the living area, which features not only a large TV but also a very comfortable sofa with extra armchairs and a table. There’s also a desk with a wide selection of stationery and a good chair.
There’s also a Nespresso machine and a kettle with a generous selection of coffee and tea. A bottle of wine (at extra cost) and matching glasses round out what is essentially a small minibar. The room water had apparently been forgotten, so a near “bucket” of water bottles was promptly delivered to make up for it.
In the next room is the bed, with a view of the rather large TV. There’s also a sofa here — smaller than the one in the living area, but still a very nice touch.
From both rooms you can access the very spacious balcony, which has a small selection of seating.
Of course there’s a bathroom too. Accessible from two sides, it’s very modern and generously appointed. Alongside a very large shower there’s also a freestanding bathtub. Toiletries are more than plentiful and come from Salvatore Ferragamo in this case — perfectly in keeping with the Waldorf Astoria’s standards, and the quality is genuinely excellent.
What really won me over about the room was its impeccable cleanliness, plenty of power outlets, and of course its sheer size.
Dining
I was genuinely impressed by the quality of both the food and drinks on offer.
In the evening we stopped by the bar and had a small snack to go along with our voucher drinks. Both were exceptionally well prepared. Everything was accompanied by pleasant live music, even with the modest number of guests present.
Breakfast was really more than sufficient. Unfortunately it was quite busy when I was there, making it awkward to take photos. But the selection was very much in line with the hotel’s category (and included thanks to my status). There was truly something for everyone across different culinary traditions — Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian. Classics like Eggs Benedict were of course available freshly prepared on request.
Recreation
A longer path leads down to the pool and sea, but it’s well maintained, lined with palm trees and divided by a water feature.
Besides a large pool, the hotel’s own beach and sea invite you to relax. Given the very warm water temperature, though, it wasn’t really refreshing. As you can imagine, nobody took advantage of the sun loungers on the beach either.
The pool, on the other hand, was a wonderful way to cool off — and as soon as you chose a lounger, staff would regularly bring fresh water and a cool towel without even being asked.
A variety of water sports are also on offer, as you can see in the photo below.
Check-Out
Since our return flight wasn’t until late in the evening, we asked about a late check-out and were happily accommodated. Normally this tends to end around 4 PM, but here it’s worth highlighting that we were able to use the room until 8 PM — a very positive touch.
Verdict
Would I stay here again? First of all — it was genuinely impressive. The service was attentive and accommodating, and the price during the off-season was really attractive. You are a bit out of the way, but if you’re only in Dubai for a short time and want to experience the Palm — then yes, this is a clear yes.
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