Review: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, The Palm, Dubai (Part 2)

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• Mmmmm says:

  15 Jun15 June 02:54

  Part 2 (before part 1) ? The premature(?) early post might explain it!

  • Rob says:

    15 Jun15 June 15:18

    Yes, Part 2 goes live before Part 1 so, when both parts are up, Part 1 shows first on the home page 🙂

    It rarely matters as it went live at 2.45am and 3.05am respectively so only insomniacs or non-UK readers would have spotted it anyway.

• Mmmmm says:

  15 Jun15 June 02:59

  Why does the hotel oblige you (when sat on the beach) to face away from the water??

  • C77 says:

    15 Jun15 June 05:08

    I think guests position their loungers to follow the sun

    • Chris says:

      15 Jun15 June 07:47

      Tanned chest and pasty back?

      My personal method is the rotisserie – 10 mins on each quarter, then a 180 lateral rotation before a further 4×10 mins on each quarter.

      Baywatch tan 🙂

      • Genghis says:

        15 Jun15 June 07:50

        🙂 I got burnt in the shade in Bali. Weird.

• C77 says:

  15 Jun15 June 05:07

  Useless fact of the day – The Zabeel Saray lobby was also the filming location of the Indian Embassy cocktail party scenes in Mission Impossible 3.

  I have to say I love this property although as you mention that getting too/from anything on the mainland takes far too long. The Jumeirah flavours board package offers exceptional value and flexibility. You can also use your carnet of dining vouchers for either lunch or dinner as well as use them at most of the Madinat F&B outlets.

• John B says:

  15 Jun15 June 08:28

  Rob – which hotel in the Madinat would you recommend for a family of 3 with a toddler, I really like the sound of the family rooms here but, having expereinced it, the drive on and off the Palm is annoying. I actually like JBR as a location because of The Beach (complex) but the hotels just don’t do it for me (Hilton is very old, new DoubleTree blighted by construction of the The Address next door) so we are looking for an alternative.

  • Yuff says:

    15 Jun15 June 09:55

    I looked at staying at the Madinat and the Al Naseem , but as a family of 4, we needed a room with at least 2 double beds and the Zabeel is the only hotel that has that without having to get a suite which during school hols is £2k a night 🙁
    However we also wanted a water park and we weren’t going to want to get on and off the palm every day, so decided to stay put at the Atlantis as they have 2 double beds in standard rooms.
    If the Jumeirah hotels, had that configuration, we would definitely have tried the Madinat or al Naseem.

  • C77 says:

    15 Jun15 June 12:51

    Mina A Salam Madinat now have their version of the “family” rooms too which comprise 2 adjacent rooms with connecting foyer which they now guarantee at time of booking (they never used to do this despite 90% of the rooms having the connection).

    I think the Dar Al Massyaf Arabian summer houses (lead category deluxe rooms) are very well proportioned and are similar to a junior suite layout with a big open space, so long as you don’t mind your toddler being in the same bedroom space as you. These will either be ground floor or first floor and give you green outside space too if your toddler wants to run around. Also there are smaller shallow pools dotted between the summer houses if you wanted to set up camp somewhere more intimate and close by to your room.

• Patrick says:

  15 Jun15 June 09:27

  If you avoid restaurants when traveling by yourself, where do you? Surely room service is more expensive?

  • Rob says:

    15 Jun15 June 15:20

    In this case, it was a monster buffet breakfast, no lunch, afternoon tea in the lounge, no dinner. The 2nd day I had a Club Sandwich at midnight in the lobby lounge! My book on club sandwiches around the world is due for publication next year 😉

    I never have room service, because that’s sad! The lobby lounge, or a meal in the bar, is where I usually end up.

    • Patrick says:

      15 Jun15 June 16:03

      I participate in what a colleague referred to as ‘breakfast banditry.’ I normally manage two sandwiches… Free afternoon tea 🙂 My partner is substantially better at it than me….

      • Rob says:

        15 Jun15 June 16:17

        My wife does that for kids sometimes.

• Chris says:

  15 Jun15 June 10:46

  Just an observation about these HfP reviews.

  Why do both Rob and Anika avoid participating in facilities or activities that potential guests might do? Regardless of whether Rob or Anika desire to use such facilities, I always feel that the review is missing something when they are left out.

  An example for this review is the point about the bath. I’d have filled the bath, and used it (even for 2 minutes) to enable readers to know more (without pics though!). I’ve seen other reviews where Rob or Anika state they didn’t try something for some reason or other.

  Just sometimes feels like the reviews are the stories of someone passing through the hotel/plane and posting in their spare time.

  • Richard says:

    15 Jun15 June 11:03

    i found the same with the review of the Premier Inn at Heathrow – no mention of how quiet the rooms were inside. Whether you’re disturbed by planes or people in the corridors/next room would seem to be very important but no mention of it in the review. But we did learn about the quality of the shampoo provided in the bathroom (even as a man I travel with a small bottle of my own shampoo).
    On the other hand it’s good that some of the prices are mentioned (the boat transfer and restaurants). Often hotels mention the facilities but forget to mention in advance the cost of them. I get the feeling that somebody that stays in a hotel like this doesn’t really care about prices though – and the hotel no doubt knows that and prices things accordingly. Personally i would choose something like the Sheraton attached to Mall of the Emirates. Immediate access to the shopping mall and attached to the metro station also.

  • Rob says:

    15 Jun15 June 15:26

    I’m not entirely sure what else you could wish to learn about a bath 🙂 In any event, I doubt the speed with which a bath fills would drive your decision on whether to stay.

    Some people will look at that and think of a romantic evening in with their partner, some people will look at that and think it is a death trap, given its depth, for their small kids.

    Having stayed at luxury hotels as a single, in a couple, for business, for leisure, with new born babies and now with slightly older kids, I am fully aware that your idea of what is important changes depending on where in your life you are, and trying to cover everything in a review is a hiding to nothing. My view (I don’t speak for Anika) is that I focus on what stands out for me above (or below) what you would generally expect from a luxury hotel.

• Graham Walsh says:

  15 Jun15 June 12:12

  Dubai has gotten so expensive over the years. I first first visited back in 2003 and it was so cheap. Been back many times and most recently in March for work. Thinking of taking the kids there next Easter as it won’t be too hot but am thinking of more north in Ras Al Khaimah where it might be better value if you are not leaving the property.

  • Rashad says:

    15 Jun15 June 16:15

    I tend to agree with your statement, Dubai is really overpriced and sea in not as clear as used to be which is not surprising with all the building going on there and natural pollution. Ajman on the other hand was a great discovery last year when I stayed in Ajman Palace Hotel by SPG, amazing property, sea is fantastic and much cooler and cleaner than in Dubai. There is also fantastic fish restaurant literally across the road, with fresh selection of fish and prawns and lobsters. We have had a feast there for £80-90 for 4 of us.

    • Rob says:

      15 Jun15 June 16:17

      I would recommend my review of the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah which is an amazing hotel and about 60% cheaper than an equivalent Dubai property. Only about 1 hour drive from Dubai.

      • Rashad says:

        15 Jun15 June 17:22

        thanks Rob, I enjoyed your review of WA and planning to stay there this September

• S says:

  15 Jun15 June 13:32

  Agree on the review regarding the location (way to far from the mainland). The beach is poor – no waves, small and no soft sand like at Madinat.

  Lived in Dubai for many years until 2014 and we still go back every year for a couple weeks (family of 5 with 3 teenagers). After looking at The Westin or Fairmont Palm or Waldorf, we always end up choosing Madinat. Easy access to Mall of Emirates and the rest of Dubai without that insanely long drive from the Palm. Staying at Dar al Masyaf this time. Wanted to try Al Naseem but can’t justify how much more expensive it is!

  • Rob says:

    15 Jun15 June 15:30

    Yes, it is odd. When Zabeel opened it was discounted heavily, which is why we went back in 2012. Al Naseem opened at a price premium, which is odd because it is VERY close to main road (a lot of rooms seem to overlook it) which looks like a major downer compared to the Al Qasr / Mina.

    We have had a DAM villa 5-6 times and rate them highly. Do not go for a sea-facing one, in my view, because they don’t have their own private pools. You’re better paying less and getting one of the others further back with a private pool. You’ll realise after a while that the private pool is actually the best bit. And the kids get to ride the golf buggies all day back and forth, although yours might be too old to get any fun out of that. It is the highlight of the holiday for my 6-year old, he always sits in the front with the driver!

    • Adam Wing says:

      15 Jun15 June 17:34

      I had a site visit of Al Naseem earlier in the year – none of the rooms overlook the main road, they are all beach facing with corridors overlooking the main road. Fantastic property – highly recommend!

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.