Grand Hyatt Dubai
PO Box 7978 Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 317 1234 Fax: +971 4 317 1235 E-mail: dubai.grand@hyattintl.com Web site: www.dubai.grand.hyatt.com
I drove up to one of Dubai's newest luxury hotels, the Grand Hyatt Dubai, with it's towers majestically standing watch over the edge of the emirate's historic creek. The hotel is a combination of resort facilities, luxury hotel guest rooms and suites, residential apartments and I'm told, one of the most advanced conference centres in the Middle East, all set within a lush oasis of 37 acres of landscaped gardens. The hotel claims it offers a first for a Dubai hotel - the concept of a city resort which includes first-class recreational facilities such as a Zen-inspired Grand Spa, tennis centre, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and jogging track set, and yet the hotel is situated close to the city centre, and just minutes from Dubai International Airport. The property has 674 hotel guest rooms and suites, luxuriously appointed and classically-styled, each providing ultra-modern digital technology and communications. Within the hotel, 14 restaurants, bars and cafes offer a variety of cuisine. With a choice of authentic, international dining including Italian, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Lebanese and an American grill restaurant, as well as wine and cocktail bars and MIX, a multi-levelled nightlife complex, the hotel, like most of the UAE's properties, is a one-stop entertainment hub. I tried the Cooz bar in the lobby area, which by the way is spectacular. The bar itself is a contemporary designed lounge, a little clinical, but pleasant enough as a meeting place for pre-dinner drinks. There were no tap beers so I had a bottle of Amstel Lite, at a hefty 24 dirhams, although this was inclusive of tax. Near to the hotel is a cinema complex, about a three-minute walk away and it was showing the latest release movies, all English speaking (with Arabic and French sub-titles). The cost of a movie was 30 dirhams. When I arrived at the hotel I parked at the front and was asked for my keys by an attendant. I was given a ticket and directed to the reception desk. As I said the scene that geeted me was somewhat overwhelming. This huge domed area with raised circular lounge, a grand piano, people sitting around drinking tea, coffee and probably some stronger drinks as well. Stairways going down to the many restaurants and lounges, all set around a rainforest type-come oasis setting of trees and gardens, all indoor, with cascading fountains and a waterfall made out of chains. Around to the suave reception desks and I was befriended by receptionist Paul who took my details, confirmed my reservation, took the receipt number for the car and promised my luggage would be retrieved from the car and delivered to the room. I was pointed to the lift bank (8 elevators servicing the 674 rooms and suites), where I caught a 100%-quiet smooth and quick ride to the 10th floor. I soon found myself standing in front of 1014. I entered the room and found a long hallway with a full-size mirror on my left and the bathroom entrance on the right, with another small room just prior to that, housing a walk-in wardrobe, a large timber cabinet containg two cupboards, one with a safe, and four drawers, each with a glass panel insert at the front (so you could see what you've stored in them). There was also a timber luggage rack, and another cupboard containing a bag for packing your shoes for a shine, and laundry bags. . The carpet was a bone colour with an insignia pattern, and in the centre of the room where the bed was located there was a large feature square in the carpet, done in tan, burgundy, green and grey. The king size bed had a bedspread over it done in grey and gold patterns. There were four pillows. There was a large timber bedhead with a rounded top. All the walls were covered with a rich bone pattern wallpaper, and there were four elaborately framed prints adorning them. There were two timber bedside tables with glass tops. Both had porcelain and iron lamps and one had a phone. Each of them had a drawer. There was a large timber framed, and bone patterned fabric armchair and large detached foot stool. The armchair faced a large cabinet on which there was a good-sized screen stereo television. The timber cabinet had three large rounded drawers, cupboards and drawers, containing tea and coffe making facilities and glassware, and one of the cupboards housing a mini bar with an ice bucket and two complimentary bottles of mineral water on top. The mini bar list was expensively priced with beer at 20 dirhams, mineral water 15, a packet of crisps 25, chocolate chip cookies 30. You could also acquire spirits (a whisky was 35 dirhams), a first aid kit (50), a camera (60), or a soft drink for 15 dirhams. In the corner of the room was a beautifully designed work desk with an oval shaped glass insert and a lamp on top. There was an armchair at the desk, and opposite another chair so you could work from either side of the desk, with either the TV in front, or the view out of the floor to ceiling windows.There was also a return which had a printer , a phone, two drawers and two cupboards, one containing a telephone directory and a data port for high speed Internet access. This service worked quite well, was simple to connect but the most expensive I have found in any hotel. The cost was 2.75 dirhams (75 cents a minute) with a maximum charge in any one day of 110 dirhams (about $30 US). There were three sets of drapes, a see-through, a very light gold flek curtaina nd classic decorative drapes in a rich olive gold pattern, which were roped at each end. The outlook was over the surrounding area, highways, and in the distance, city skyscrapers. It was really a very, very good panoramic view. I was in the centre of the building so probably had the best of the side of the building I was on. The best views though, over Dubai Creek, would have been on the other side. There were hundreds of cars passing over the busy highway and roads, but I can report the room was whisper-quiet. I couldn't hear a thing from outside. The bathroom had three separate sections. There was a separate shower area, very large with excellent temperature controls and water flows from the large shower head. The bath was full size with the usual accessories, and in addition a flexi shower head that could be moved around to shower yourself while bathing. Then there was a separate room virtually, enclosed in glazed glass, with a glass dooor, that enclosed the toilet and bidet. The guest amenities were lush, the towelling of excellent quality, there was a telphone on the wall in the toilet area, and the marble top vanity was excellent, housing a 'his and hers' vanity basin, excellent bench space and perfect mirror. There was an interesting set of glass scales for weighing yourself, and a hairdryer on the wall. I didn't get to try any of the restaurants. I had lunched earlier in the day, mid-afternoon in fact at the Grand Hyatt's sister hotel in Dubai the Hyatt Regency. They have a revolving rooftop restaurant with a grand buffet. I always pay the restaurant a visit when in Dubai, as the hotel is right on the beachfront and the views from the restaurant are glorius. Nonetheless I walked around the hotel and captured the atmosphere and the very broad variety of restaurants available. Hyatt has done a great job with the hotel, and all the outlets were busy, evidence enough of their popularity. The hotel was completed in 2003 and was the newest until outranked by the Shangri-la. It is an ideal location for city stays, and the beach and airport are only a few minutes away too. The hotel has 4,340 square metres of conference space, which features two conference ballrooms, complete with a state-of-the-art Media Room, and eleven meeting rooms, which include two full-sized boardrooms. The hotel also has a purpose-built outdoor space within the hotel's gardens, providing an area for outdoor events. I am told the hotel also caters for longer-stay residents, through 176 one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, which offer both, furnished and unfurnished accommodation, and ten furnished and unfurnished villas, all with access to the hotel's indoor and outdoor facilities.