Review: The St Regis Dubai The Palm hotel

This is our review of The St Regis Dubai The Palm hotel.

The St Regis Dubai The Palm is one of two St Regis hotels in Dubai – the other one is located in downtown Dubai and is more business-focused. The St Regis Dubai The Palm opened as the newer of the two in 2021.

I needed somewhere to stay during my recent Emirates flight review trip, and this seemed like an option that HfP readers would find interesting.

Thanks to Marriott who arranged my stay for review purposes. The hotel website is here.

The St Regis Dubai The Palm location

As the name suggests, this particular St Regis is located on the Palm Jumeirah, the artificial palm-shaped island that was dredged out of the Persian Gulf twenty years ago. More specifically, it is at the top of the trunk of the Palm, before the fronds branch out.

It is about 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport by car when the roads are clear.

The St Regis is the tallest building on the Palm, standing at 52 stories, although the hotel occupies only the lower 18 floors. The upper floors are reserved for St Regis Residences whilst the very top has the View on the Palm observation deck and the impressive Aura Skypool, an infinity pool, as well as various dining outlets not operated by the hotel.

There are 264 rooms and 24 suites spread across 13 floors.

At the base of the building – and connected by a short corridor – you’ll find Nakheel Mall and the monorail that runs up and down The Palm.

Inside The St Regis Dubai The Palm

A lot of hotels these days occupy the lower section of tall new buildings and The St Regis The Palm is no exception. This is a bit of a shame as you lose that ‘wow’ factor in the hotel but it allows the developers to charge a premium for the branded residences on top.

The hotel lobby is on the ground floor. Even when I arrived at 1am, a doorman rushed over as I exited my Uber to ask if he could help with my luggage. Since I was travelling light I politely declined and headed straight for the check-in desks, which are placed around the impressive lobby space:

Nobody else was around at 1am and the receptionist checked me in quickly so that I could head straight to bed!

Rooms at The St Regis Dubai The Palm

I was given a Deluxe King Room (a standard room) on the 17th floor – the highest floor in the hotel. It could actually have been a Grand Deluxe, since the only difference between the two categories seems to be the view.

The design of the room was impressive, and displayed none of the ostentatious tendencies you often find in Dubai. Whilst the cream colour palette looked a little plain in the photos online, in person it felt luxuriously subtle.

At 43 square metres there is plenty of space to play with. On the left is a dressing table between two large wardrobes:

Opposite this is a glass-walled marble bathroom. This is a good compromise between keeping the openness of an open plan hotel room whilst still offering the option of privacy, with blinds that can be lowered and fully closing doors.

There were two wash basins as well as a free-standing bath tub:

The toilet and shower are in frosted glass cubicles, whilst the shower features some inlaid marble tiles:

Toiletries were suitably luxurious and a combination of Sachajuan hair care products and Sodashi botanical body wash, an Australian brand. Some REN Skincare bottles were also dotted around.

Beyond this is the room. The king bed is on the right. I had forgotten just how comfortable St Regis beds and bedding are – definitely my favourite hotel bed!

There were universal mains sockets on both sides of the bed as well as two USB-A ports, although the latter didn’t seem to work.

Opposite the bed is a large TV underneath which is a lovely stand. This is home to a Nespresso machine and fully stocked (chargeable) mini bar:

and

At the far end by the window you also have a chaise longue:

…. plus a large free-standing desk:

Although it’s ‘only’ on the 17th floor I still enjoyed fantastic views of Jumeirah Beach skyline which continues to grow. Lower floors will miss out on this due to the surrounding mid-rise buildings, which is a shame.

Pools, gym and beach at The St Regis Dubai The Palm

The hotels location in the centre of the Palm means it is not a beach-front property, but it does have two pools on either side of the third floor. Sadly this is not high enough to feature a view beyond the nearby buildings.

One is in shade for most of the day and has a small shallow area for children and babies whilst the other one is in full sun. This was definitely the busier of the two and also has a pool bar.

The hotel also provides complimentary access to Kyma Beach Club which I’m told is a 10 minute walk or you can take one of the hourly shuttles from the hotel. I didn’t have time to visit and at this time of year the sea water is very warm, unlike the pools which are conditioned to a more refreshing temperature.

The gym is on the second floor, next to the spa, and is a lovely big airy space with huge windows and lots of natural light.

Breakfast and dining at The St Regis Dubai The Palm

Breakfast is served in the pool-side Cordelia restaurant. This features some indoor as well as lovely outdoor seating, perfect in the winter and on cooler summer mornings when it’s not too humid.

and

The St Regis Dubai The Palm puts on an impressive spread. There’s all sorts here from avocado toast to burratas, smoked salmon, mackerel and much more:

There are no bacon or pork products as far as I could see. I’m not sure if these are available on request but I was happy with what was available. For hot items this includes a station for Western breakfast items:

East asian and south asian items are also available, including siu mai and bao buns.

Cereals, yoghurts, a comprehensive salad bar and a vast selection of pastries, doughnuts and breads were also on offer:

There is a dedicated gluten-free section as well:

Eggs are made to order in any way you want them. Of course, I asked for the eggs royale which ticked all the boxes:

RÜYA

In addition to Cordelia the hotel operates another restaurant on the third floor, next to the other pool, called RÜYA. This is a small chain with branches in Mayfair, Doha, Cannes and Riyadh offering Anatolian (Turkish) cuisine but with a twist.

RÜYA is currently listed in the Michelin Guide and I am told they are trying for their first star. Based on the meal I enjoyed I wouldn’t be surprised if they are awarded one come November.

I was treated to a 9-course tasting menu. I won’t bore you with every course but my highlights included Levrek, a sort of sea bass carpaccio:

The lamb kebab was phenomenal:

The two desserts were delicious too – particularly the traditional rice pudding.

The sabreing ritual

If you’ve read my guide to The St Regis hotels then you’ll know that all St Regis hotels offer a number of so-called ‘rituals’ which have evolved over the brand’s history.

One of these is the Evening Ritual, which involves the hotel opening a bottle of Champagne using a sabre rather than the traditional uncorking. This is called sabreing.

Although I’ve stayed three St Regis hotels, this is the first time I’ve been in the right place at the right time to experience the Evening Ritual myself. At The St Regis Dubai The Palm, this is performed every evening at 6:30pm in The St Regis Bar on the ground floor.

After a quick introduction, the bar staff deftly lopped off the end of the bottle which went flying across the room! After that we all enjoyed a free glass of champagne.

Conclusion

The St Regis Dubai The Palm is not a resort hotel and it doesn’t try to be. If you are after expansive grounds, a multitude of pools and direct beach access then you are better off staying at one of the many resorts dotted along the Palm and around the Marina.

If you are not after a resort then The St Regis Dubai The Palm ticks all the boxes. Its location at the base of the Palm means it is easily accessible and only a few minutes from Dubai Marina and the JBR areas. It’s far easier to explore Dubai from here than it is from W Dubai The Palm, for example, which is so far around one of the Palm’s fronds it takes 20 minutes just to get to the mainland.

I was impressed by the rooms with their neutral but still interesting designs. I normally like a bit more pizazz but the clever use of black and white marble tiling in the bathroom and wood panelling in the room won me over and felt suitable for a historic brand such as The St Regis.

Overall, it was the perfect hotel for a short 36-hour stay.

Rooms start from £150 or 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

---

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.