Raffles The Palm: Dubai Glitz, Glamour and Exceptional Service

There are so many luxury hotels in Dubai, so it was hard to pick where to stay for a three-night stop-over on my way to Australia.  It was my first visit to the United Arab Emirates, and I wanted to pick somewhere memorable and special to kick off a month-long adventure.  Well; I managed that by picking Raffles The Palm.  It was my first time staying at a Raffles property, which I was extremely excited about.  

Raffles The Palm Dubai looking majestic

Arrival

About 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport, it’s a great location on the far side of The Palm.  It is the first resort hotel in the Raffles Group in the Middle East and the second Raffles hotel in Dubai.  I was thinking about checking out the sister property but will have to leave this until next time as I stayed around the Palm area and made the most of my hotel as I fell in love with it from the first moment.  

I had arranged an airport pickup directly with the hotel at a cost of 700AED, which was worth every penny, or do I need to say dirham?!  Getting greeted at arrivals and seeing your name on the Raffles The Palm sign starts the Dubai experience off in style, and rightly so.  The pick-up Range Rover was of course super comfy with water, mints and relaxing music, plus some great chat from the wonderful chauffeur, who offered hints and tips on Dubai and where to go.  He was also my return driver, and such a lovely man.  I had his name but have since lost where I wrote it down, as it’s taken me some time to write this.  

Of course, the greeting at The Palm was fabulous.  I was whisked through to reception feeling like a true VIP.  The reception team were super friendly and welcoming, which was great as it was a bit overwhelming walking into the grand entry with gold and sparkle everywhere – just stunning.  While my room wasn’t ready as I was very early to check-in (10:30am), I instead went to the terrace just beyond the Blüthner Hall, where I ended up spending time most days, as it is kind of the golden heart of Raffles The Palm.  I loved this space and spent time most days there.  It was so comfortable and relaxed, with the most amazing serving team.  

The Room

When I did get to my room, shown there by my butler, (another new experience for me), I was not disappointed.  I had picked an ocean view, which it turns out is the big ocean and not the ocean with views of the city.  I was a little sad I didn’t pick the ‘right’ side, but it was great to get the sunsets.  Sunrises on the other side of course.  The room itself was huge.  A wonderfully large and comfy bed with the softest sheets, a writing / work area, a relaxing sofa, a walk-in wardrobe, a great sized bathroom with double sink, separate bath and shower, plus separate toilet, and a wonderful balcony that was big enough for a small party, having two loungers plus a seating area and table.  The room had some lovely touches like a beach bag and sun hats for use during your stay and some welcome chocolates, that were yummy.  It was a fabulous place to take time away from the rest of the hotel and get pure peace and quiet.  

An ocean view room at Raffles The Palm

Hotel Facilities 

As for the rest of the hotel, there was a super gym with a good range of equipment including machine and free weights, plus a range of cardio equipment.  A yoga studio that I didn’t use but was very zen.  A gorgeous indoor pool that was much more relaxed than outside and had some great relaxing spots and was very chilled, but a bit warm for me. 

Then of course the piece de resistance, the fabulous outdoor pool.  I was a bit nervous that it would be super noisy, especially as I was there in the first European school holidays post-Christmas when everyone was escaping for some winter sun.  The day I went to the pool, I headed down first thing and found a great spot near the water, but with some distance to have some respite.  The service once again at the pool was impeccable.  The team kept bringing around ice cold water, plus a juice shot to refresh the palate mid-morning, which was delicious.  The pool itself was great.  Plenty of space for the kids, as well as room to swim.  I have put some pics on my Instagram so you can check out the morning and evening vibes.  

The outdoor pool puts you right by the beach and the Italian restaurant Piatti by the Beach, which I will share more about next time. The beach is very man made and not super pretty, kind of what you’d expect.  Again, there are plenty of loungers and a dedicated team to serve and look after you, and you can always jump to the pool if you wish for a change of scene.  

Early mornings at the outdoor pool

The Spa

The other great part of Raffles The Palm is the Cinq Mondes Spa, which was a little slice of heaven.  It looks absolutely stunning from the moment you arrive walking along this incredible illuminated corridor.  Style abounds in this hotel at every turn.  It’s not just substance though, it’s backed up by great service everywhere.  I did an amazing hammam and massage treatment, with Irish (maybe the name spelling is wrong), but she was incredible.  An angel with a magic touch.  It was tough going in the hot area, but she checked on me to make sure I wasn’t passed out and bought me a cool cloth and water so I could get the full effects of the steam.  Taking a few moments in the relaxation room after the treatment had concluded, I could have stayed there forever, I was so chilled out and felt wonderful.  

Relaxing in the spa after an amazing treatment

Restaurants

I will briefly touch on the restaurants, but I am going to cover the food on a second post next week.  Firstly, Le Jardin with a breakfast and dinner buffet, Matagi for Japanese cuisine, Piatti by the Beach as mentioned above, plus Blüthner Hall for lighter options and afternoon tea (spoiler alert – wow!) and finally the Raffles Patisserie.  Plenty of options so you can see why a separate blog is required. 

Moments That Shone

There are a few parts of Raffles The Palm that stood out:

-       The service: everyone was super friendly but not over the top.  They remembered my name and I felt special in pretty much every interaction.  

-       The spa: wonderful experience and Irish was a magician.  I wish I could go back for a weekly treatment.  I didn’t see another person during the whole time I was in the spa, and it was incredibly relaxing.  I also loved the marron robe.  Plus, it looked gorgeous and uber stylish. 

-       Matagi: all I will say for now is some of the best Japanese food, in fact best food I have ever had from the first to the last mouthful.  Stunning!

Moments That Fell Short

While there weren’t many things I would change, in fact there was only one disappointing time:

-       Piatti by the Beach: I love Italian food, and after my experience at Matagi, expectations were high, but the food just didn’t quite match up, and this was the one place where the service was not exceptional.  The staff were hanging around chatting, not bothering about serving.  Maybe it was just me, but it was a sad last night meal unfortunately.

Hotel and pool views illuminated by night

I loved Raffles The Palm from the first to the last moment and would run back if I was heading to Dubai again.  The staff were amazing, the décor was glitzy and old school glamour, and most of the food was delicious.  It’s perfect for families and couples, but I also enjoyed my stay as a solo traveller.  I think this was mainly down to the staff making me feel so comfortable, especially in a resort style hotel, which doesn’t always feel the most welcoming for someone on their own.  I would return 100% if I wanted a relaxed beach resort holiday.  Thank you to all the staff at Raffles The Palm for such a memorable stay.