Just arrived from Paris via Zurich, we embark with difficulty in an Uber to reach the Dubai marina, and the Royal Meridien that we chose for this stay.
Booking
We chose the Royal Meridien Dubai to maximize our time there and enjoy the warmth, pool and beach.
Finally, even if the hotels are affordable in Dubai, those with a beach are not many, except on the Palm (so at the end of the world).
Already knowing the nearby Grosvenor House, we choose the Royal Meridien, recently renovated (in part, we will see), for 500 AED a night, that is to say nearly 130 euros, very cheap..
Arrival
Just after my reservation, I ask my Ambassador Marriott for a Your24, allowing me to arrive at 10pm and to check out at 10pm the next day, request accepted by the hotel a few hours later.
Two days before my arrival, I complete the check-in process via the Marriott Bonvoy app. This one does not allow to see the Your24 modified time, so I avoid this procedure to avoid disappointments.
We arrive by Uber from the airport, and our check-in formalities are done.
While Bertrand is checking in, the receptionist who takes care of me accompanies me to my suite to do the formalities directly on the spot, after the hotel manager has come to greet me. The formalities are done in a flash and I can finally relax!
Room – Super Deluxe Suite
My Super Deluxe Suite is located on the 6th floor of the property, in the main building, and has been newly renovated.
It has a large entrance with a large table, which allows for dining, and a fully equipped lounge area with sofa, armchairs and coffee table. A bottle of Prosecco and a huge basket of fruit were placed at my attention.
From this lounge area, a large balcony is available, with a beautiful view of the pool, beach and sea and a partial view of the Dubai marina. Excellent !
The sleeping area is totally separate, and is also huge with a super king bed, a very large dressing room and a desk.
The bathroom is very complete with two sinks, a bath, a shower and a toilet. And this space has also been renovated.
Finally, a video tour of this suite:
Room – Super Deluxe Family Room
Bertrand was in a Super Deluxe family room, slightly smaller than my Super Deluxe Suite, but still very nice.
As soon as you enter, you enter the lounge area and the welcome service.
The lounge allows access to the balcony
The view from the balcony is superb on the Dubai Marina:
For once, a real desk allows you to work serenely.
The sleeping area is also very comfortable with a king size bed
The bathroom is equipped with a bathtub.
And finally, the video tour:
Hotel facilities
The hotel, due to its size, has plenty of facilities, such as an impressive gym, numerous pools, a private beach and a spa (which I didn’t try).
Fitness room
The Royal Meridien‘s fitness room is located in the Tower building, the only one that has not been renovated and is showing its age.
The gym is therefore very dated, both in its decoration and in its very very dated equipment, most of the mats being non-functional, for example. To renovate urgently.
Swimming pools
The location of the hotel is an invitation to swim, and the property has understood this well by building 3 huge pools that allow to absorb all the visitors of the hotel without them being too packed.
Some of the pools are smaller than others, but two of them have a bar directly accessible from the water, which we enjoyed at the end of the second day.
Nevertheless, the service at the pool is random, we had to fetch the towels ourselves and no water service was offered.
Private beach
Even though it is quite far from the hotel buildings, the private beach is accessible directly from the hotel. There is a reception desk, but nobody to serve us. Given the heat of the summer, you have to be careful and keep your flip-flops to reach the deckchairs.
And even after… To reach the water, at 40°C, and very salty… It’s quite pleasant to take a sea bath, at the same temperature as the one in your bathroom…
Catering
The property has over a dozen on-site restaurants, plus all those of the Grosvenor House restaurants are also accessible by shuttle.
Dinner at the steakhouse – Rhodes Twenty10
Just as we arrived, we quickly dropped off our luggage in our rooms for dinner at Rhodes Twenty10, the hotel’s steakhouse, located in the Club building.
This restaurant is open until midnight and we take advantage of this late opening to have dinner.
The restaurant is almost empty when I arrive and we are immediately seated on a large round table.
We opt for the daily special, a large grill board and the associated wine.
The whole thing takes a little time, even if the wine is served quickly.
Verdict? Rather poor, we expect high-flying grills and it is rather of the Buffalo Grill level.
Breakfast at the Brasserie 2.0
Since the hotel does not have a Club Lounge, Platinum and above members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program get free breakfast at Brasserie 2.0, the huge buffet restaurant in the hotel lobby.
It’s impossible not to have a table immediately as there are so many of them.
The buffets are extremely varied, between hot items prepared on demand like omelettes and eggs of all kinds and hot dishes from all over the world, there is something for everyone!
A corner for pork products is even available:
Pastries and a beautiful fruit buffet are available, as well as waffles and pancakes made on demand.
The service is attentive (because there is a large staff).
We’ve had worse experiences, for sure, but the size of the place doesn’t make the experience very luxurious.
Latitude 25 Bar
During Happy Hour, the Latitude 24 bar serves as a club lounge, and Platinum and above members of the Marriott Bonvoy program can enjoy a variety of snacks and refreshments
The proposed offer is not indecent
Dinner at Indya by Vineet
Just before going to the airport, we choose to have dinner at the hotel to maximize our rest time during the flight and opt for the Indian restaurant, a priori famous.
The menu is rather long and consists of dishes to share. We play the game and order several starters and a main course each.
Everything takes a long time to arrive, almost 30 minutes. This is way, way too long for a hotel restaurant.
Note to self: avoid eating Indian food before a long-haul flight.
Departure
The departure formalities were simple and courteous, and our transfer to the airport was already waiting for us.
Note that even Bertrand, who was not eligible for Your24, was able to benefit from a very late check-out at 7pm.
Bottom line
An excellent hotel, well equipped, but needs to finish its renovation. Catering needs to be improved to be in line with the rest.
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