Like every year, we are going to celebrate Bertrand’s birthday in an exotic destination. This year, that destination is Dubai. So, for these two nights, Bertrand will stay at the W Hotel, and I will stay at the Westin Hotel located in the same building.

Booking

I made this reservation for the Westin Dubai Al Habtoor a few months before my arrival, when Bertrand and I booked our flight tickets to Dubai.

It was, in fact, the only hotel withaffordable rates for the dates we had chosen. It was then very convenient to take a hotel in the same building as the one chosen by Bertrand.

Also, I have a very advantageous rate, less than 80 € per night for this stay.

Checking a few days before my arrival, I see that no upgrades were proactively made by the hotel.

Arrival

The arrival in Dubai from Europeis traditionally quite late. We took an Uber to the hotel. Arriving around the hotel complex, a lot of confusion, surely due to the fact that the area is very popular to go out and very popular with locals.

My check-in formalities took a little time, the counters being saturated. However, my receptionist, a little tense at first, confirmed my upgrade to a club room and proceeded to register my passport. However, when I arrived in my room, I noticed that I did not have my passport with me. A few seconds later, a staff from the reception desk comes to bring it back to me. Phew !

Room

The room I was assigned is simply superb. It is not especially large, but is decorated in a very elegant way.

The entrance, all in length, is quite spacious and leads on the right to a large bathroom.

This bathroom is equipped with a large bathtub, an equally large shower, as well as a toilet and a bidet. The double basin allows, if you travel as a couple, to use the bathroom at the same time. The property is quite stingy on toiletries since only one set is available, which is rare in this type of Club or Executive room.

Let’s go back to the room where the Super King Size bed is extremely comfortable, the dresser that has a large television, and all the necessary to make coffee and tea.

The office is very large and functional and overlooks an absolutely magnificent view of Dubai over the entire skyline.

There was nothing wrong with this room and I was happy with it for the entirety of my stay.

And here is the visit in video:

Restaurants

Having a number of appointments scheduled outside of the hotel, I was not able to try the proposed restaurant offer.

On the other hand, I was able to test theClub Loungeof the hotel both nights, for the Happy Hour. The service is extremely polite, and the cocktails are very good.

The catering offered during theHappy Hour is also of very good quality with hot dishes that are renewed from one day to another, and good quality pastries, which is quite rare in Dubai.

Hotel facilities

The hotel has many facilities like most hotels in the city. The gym is very nice, and has a great view of the city. The property has a spa that I could not test.

Finally, the hotel offers a complex of outdoor pools, which unfortunately close at 9pm. I was still able to try them in a hurry and I confirm that these spaces are very pleasant. However, I was not able to test the poolside service.

Departure

Thanks to my Platinum 75 status at SPG, I was able to benefit from a very late check-out, at 11pm. This allowed Bertrand and I to enjoy the hotel until the end, and especially to take a shower before our flight.

The departure formalities themselves were simple, as I was able to use the mobile check-out modalities available from the SPG app.

Bottom line

This hotel, in the end, does the job. In any case, you really get what you pay for, which is not always the case in Emirati hotels. Is it a hotel that makes you dream? Not on service, but definitely on the quality of the rooms that are offered even to travelers who do not have a status in a particular loyalty program. I therefore recommend this hotel whichis a solid option in Dubai like the Sheraton Grand that we have already reported on TravelGuys.

Edit: As of summer 2018 this hotel is operated under a Hilton Group brand.