As part of an Ascension Day holiday, I booked a 4-night trip to Dubai. As a Platinum member of the Marriott Bonvoy hotel program, I naturally set my sights on the group’s wide variety of properties in the United Arab Emirates. After spending two nights at the superb Sheraton Grand on Sheikh Zayed Road, I wanted to try out a rather discreet property that was far from Dubai’s hubs of activity: the Marriott Al-Jaddaf.
Location
The Marriott Al Jaddaf is located fairly close to the airport, at the end of the green metro line, at Al Jaddaf station. However, it is not accessible on foot from the metro, as the station is located in an area still under construction. So you’ll have to take a car to get there, which I did from the Sheraton Grand.
Check-in
The day before arrival, I noticed my upgrade to an Executive Suite through the Bonvoy app. I arrive at the hotel in the afternoon and am pleasantly surprised by the brightness of the lobby.
The check-in staff look at my passport and their faces suddenly light up: it’s as if I’m expected. “Oh Mr Descotes, we were waiting for you”. My room number on the second floor is confirmed, and then I’m asked for my choice of Platinum benefit between a mignonette of wine + snacks or points. As for breakfast, it is normally served at the Club, except that the Club is closed in the morning; eligible customers are therefore directed to the restaurant where breakfast is served to other customers.
The room
The room is entered via a vestibule, immediately to the right of which is a toilet cubicle for any guests.
Moving forward, we find a very spacious lounge.
The TV cabinet features a fairly sophisticated coffee machine (which I couldn’t get to work, by the way). The range of refreshments is complete.
At the far end of the room is a large oval desk with a console of electrical outlets for recharging batteries.
Let’s move on to the night area, which can be accessed via a sliding door.
The bedroom also has a TV, in addition to the one in the lounge.
The bathroom is spacious, with room for a bathtub, walk-in shower and toilet cubicle separated by a wall.
Beauty products are plentiful, so there’s no shortage of anything: toothbrushes and razors, which are becoming increasingly rare in hotels, are also available.
The tour of the room ends with a vast closet, surely adapted to local customers, with three huge cupboards and a dressing table.
A small note is placed on the desk to inform visitors of the hotel’s various facilities. There’s the general restaurant, where breakfast is served, the poolside bar, and the Club Lounge, where only happy hour service is provided.
Hotel swimming pool
Now let’s explore the hotel’s facilities, starting with one of the main purposes of the expedition: sunbathing at the pool!
It is accessed from the top floor of the hotel, via the spa.
You finally arrive at the hotel’s rooftop, with a lovely through-pool and a superb view of the Dubai skyline. There are a few deckchairs by the pool: not a huge capacity, but sufficient for the Covid season.
The view at dusk is exceptional, despite the few buildings still under construction.
The view is just as seductive after dark…
Time to head back down. You go through the entrance to the spa, which I haven’t tested.
Price list
Club Lounge
The Club entrance is one floor below the pool entrance. The space is rather large but cold.
Happy hour is available every day from 6pm to 8pm. You can order alcohol and “bite-sized appetizers” that are actually big enough to make a dinner…
The selection changes every day. Here’s an example.
The portions of wine served are very generous.
As is the variety of food. There’s a limit to this generosity: at 7:59pm everything is stacked.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the restaurant, not at the Club, even for Bonvoy members.
There’s plenty to choose from, with a kitchen show for eggs and a large buffet, as always full of culinary options from the Indian subcontinent. More continental options are also available.
I’d be tempted one morning by chicken liver and tomato consommé…
The next morning by more conventional poached eggs.
Bottom line
The Marriott Al Jaddaf was a wonderful discovery! The location is perhaps the downside of this hotel, inaccessible other than by car; this is nevertheless quite auxiliary in Dubai, where you don’t usually venture too far from your hotel (especially as I already knew the old town from my few previous visits).
For the price paid in the middle of Ascension Day (common in many European countries), and therefore subject to a massive influx of European tourists as the Emirate of Dubai opened its doors, the overall value for money is excellent.
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