Dubai luxury, two ways: City or beach?

Dubai is the kind of city found in your fantasies: an oasis in the desert, a metropolis on the edge of the Persian Gulf, like a mirage seen by Bedouin people guiding camels. The skyline steals the best of New York, Bangkok or Singapore — the centrepiece being the world’s tallest building: the Burj Khalifa. The beaches, while many manmade, offer some of the most luxurious resort experiences on the planet.

Adam Bub faced a very first-world dilemma: Experience Dubai as a posh urban playground or live it up by the sea? Why not do both?

City in style: Raffles Dubai, the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountains

What most people don’t know until they arrive is that Dubai is big. It’s not a walkable place and its hotels are spread from the airport to the manmade “palms” that jut out of the coast. The heat of the day often reaches above 40 degrees, so taking air-conditioned transport is a must (I recommend Arabian Adventures — they do airport and hotel transfers as well as city and desert tours — all with ice water, friendly drivers and cold towels!).

My destination is Raffles Dubai, just 10 minutes from the city centre and 20 minutes from the airport. To describe this place as a five-star hotel doesn’t quite do it justice: it’s more like a palace. Pulling into the driveway from Sheikh Rashid Road is imposing enough: the hotel is a glass pyramid.

Spot the pyramid: The unmistakeable Raffles Dubai. Image: Raffles.

Built in 2007 alongside the Wafi Mall, Raffles combines the Asian sophistication of the hotel group’s flagship Raffles Singapore, with a Middle Eastern essence through its ancient Egyptian theme. Even stepping into the lobby makes me feel like a king: I’m greeted by a ceiling-high waterfall feature, giant pillars carved with hieroglyphics, brass chandeliers and huge palms — a nod to Dubai’s signature desert palms.

The aesthetics are as refined as a royal residence: the lifts are lined with golden archs and the walls adorned with Arabesque patterns. With 252 rooms and suites, Raffles boasts the largest average room size across Dubai. At the apex of the pyramid, there are massive Royal and Presidential suites fit for a Saudi prince and his wives (of which we see a few … we think?).

My Signature Room is 70-square-metres — it clearly feels like one of the biggest hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in. Out on my private terrace, I look out onto the Wafi Mall, the hotel’s botanical gardens and the real showstopper: the silvery city skyline, which lights up at night. Inside is plush: a gold, red and brown colour palette across the long sofas, a cushioned wall above the king-size bed, and a bathroom with patterned saloon doors.

My butler introduces himself and, not being used to butlers in Australia, I ask him to tell me what I might be able to use him for. “Mr Adam, I can shine your shoes, get your washing done, book restaurants, I do everything,” he says.

Not that I need much done — I’m quite content pretending I’m Egyptian royalty by the pool: it’s designed as a giant, golden sundial with waterfalls (there they are again) with a pool bar guarded by Phoenician sculptures. Who needs the beach?

Afternoon swim out of the way, I visit the Raffles Spa for a calming massage and a personal highlight: a face shave by barber Ali. He’s very old-school, but using a very trendy exfoliating medium: black diamonds! The hotel even offers a 24-carat-gold facial.

City luxe: A Raffles Signature Room. Image: Raffles.

Amid the excess, I almost forget to explore Downtown Dubai. Within 10 minutes’ drive there’s the world’s largest shopping mall, the Dubai Mall, at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa. With 12000 shops, restaurants and entertainment offerings, the mall demands a full day just to gawp at its beauty (the Dubai Aquarium, for example) and brand worship (there’s a Vogue cafe, no kidding).

I visit the mall on a city tour with Arabian Adventures, who organised my itinerary in advance based on my interests. One of the things I wanted to experience in Dubai was the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck. My guide is a bubbly Saudi-born Dubai local who grew up in Switzerland and takes the English name “Nicole”, but I prefer to call her by her real name “Awatef”.

Awatef pre-purchased the tickets, which is handy, since the deck is booked out for the rest of the day. Just riding the elevator to level 124 is worth the thrill alone: disco lights, travelling at a speed of 10 metres per second and seeing the lifts open to overexposed sunlight … well, words don’t quite capture the awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the city and the sea.

Dubai being Dubai, there’s also water at the foot of the Burj Khalifa. Anyone who’s seen Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol knows that far, far beneath Tom Cruise is an artificial lake that reflects onto the Burj’s glassy exterior, as if scaling the tower itself.

At night, the lake comes to life in the form of the Dubai Fountain: the world’s largest dancing fountain. Every evening, on the half hour, the fountains oscillate in an elaborate Vegas-style show set to music and lights (1.5 million lumens of projected light, water jets spraying up to 500-feet). Best of all, it’s free — anyone around the Downtown Dubai precinct can watch the show. For the best seat in the house though, watch the lavish spectacle from one of the lakeside restaurants (I ate at Thai eatery Thiptara). Quite simply, it’s magical.

On that watery note, my beach resort awaits…

Resort to the beach: Fairmont The Palm, cabanas and sunsets

Most Western travellers have heard of The Atlantis The Palm, the mega-hotel situated on the artificial archipelago off Dubai’s coast — the world’s largest manmade island shaped like a palm tree.

But there’s a new kid on the Palm Jumeirah. The Fairmont The Palm is just as luxurious, but it’s more adult-orientated than Atlantis. Open since January 2013, this extravagant, high-rise sandcastle is built right on the water on its own manmade beach, facing West South West towards the skyscrapers of the city across the Gulf, where I had been previously been staying. No expense has been spared — the sandy exterior takes a golden glow in the day, and orange glow at night.

The lobby and common areas of each floor are head-to-toe marble, always framing that ocean view and the other sandbanks of the “palms”; as well as the glimmering city lights, with the Dubai Marina directly opposite.

Luckily I get to gaze at that same view from the comfort of my suite on the hotel’s ninth floor. After living the high life in the city, this is the relaxing beach getaway I never knew existed in this part of the world.

Island life in a Fairmont Gold Room. Image: Fairmont.

It is unquestionably a romantic’s paradise: there’s an uncrowded private beach, a day spa, butler service, three restaurants, exclusive bars and even a cigar room. With 381 guest rooms and suites, it’s remarkably spread out — once again I feel more like a palace guest than just another sardine in a cookie-cutter chain hotel.

But make no mistake — this place is a resort. There are four pools, including “adult” and “family” pools. The first time I see the main pool, I’m immediately in “beach club” mode, as if I were in Thailand or Bali.

However, the Fairmont ensures that it doesn’t feel like you could be just anywhere in the world, giving the breezy locale a Middle Eastern twist. Here, date palms line the pool and pop up on pods in the water. As I swim around these pods, I settle under a palm pod, close my eyes and one word comes to mind: “oasis”. Later, I lie on a sun-bed with my two friends, order a Pina Colada (alcohol is allowed in hotels only in Dubai) and forget time exists…

While Raffles put me in the heart of the city, Fairmont is more separated from the action — but if you’ve flown around 14 hours from Australia, you might as well unwind in a beach resort. But there’s an extra layer of exclusivity available at Fairmont: Fairmont Gold.

A “resort-within-a-resort”, the Gold option allows access to a private “Gold Lounge”, a sanctuary with butlers, a library, complimentary barista coffee, and an Aladdin’s Cave of fine liquor and lavish afternoon teas with Arabic pastries and Western delights like egg sandwiches, salmon stacks and fresh dates. The real clincher for me is the lounge’s quiet, romantic vantage points to watch the sunsets sweep over the water and the city.

On my second day here, I visit the Willow Stream Spa. While the spa has no views and feels slightly dark and claustrophobic without windows, it offers an impressive shower room with various massaging showerheads in mosaic-tiled surrounds. There’s even an ice bowl for post-steam room invigoration.

My masseuse is a British lass who loves pop star Cheryl Cole — we have a nice chat before I doze off into the soothing signature massage. Who said Dubai was all shopping centres and tall buildings?

So … city or beach?

If you’ve got time and money to burn, do both. Ultimately, it depends on what kind of Dubai holiday you’re looking for. After travelling up to 14 hours from Australia, a beach stopover is really the best way to unwind. Fairmont is expensive, but it’s worth every dollar for a one-of-a-kind splurge. But for a few days of East-meets-West adventures in the New and Old towns, the city is the way to go. Raffles is exceptional for value and “wow” factor, with a central location to both the airport and malls.

Hot tips: Arabian Adventures must-dos

1. Take a desert tour.

Arabian Adventures provide private excursions out into the desert for either an Arabian Nights-style evening show or a day of dune-bashing in a Toyota land-cruiser. I chose the latter, meeting camels, bumping up and down the dunes and feeling the velvety sand beneath my feet.

2. Hit the slopes at Ski Dubai.

Dubai is one of the few cities in the world where you can ski, swim or hit the desert in a matter of minutes. Located at the Dubai Mall of the Emirates, this indoor ski centre is surreal and artificial, but it does have better powder than Thredbo.

3. Do a city tour of Old Dubai.

Observe the “real” Dubai on a dhow boat trip across Dubai Creek to Deira, the home of gold souks and spice markets. Walk the Bastakiya quarter and explore the Arabic buildings that date back to the 19th century. Visit the Dubai Museum to see how much the city has changed even in the past 50 years.

Dune-bashing with Arabian Adventures. Image: Adam Bub.

For more information:

Raffles Dubai‘s Signature rooms start from AED 1295 ($430), including a private terrace with city views, a walk-in shower and bathtub, complimentary internet, butler service and more. Club rooms start from AED 1595 ($530), including access to the Club Lounge, with daily continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening canapes and cocktails. Suites start from AED 2695 ($895), including custom-made linens, kitchenettes, dining rooms and more. For more info, visit raffles.com/dubai.

Fairmont The Palm‘s official rack rates start from AED 2999 ($995), however, booking sites discount it to $605 for a Fairmont Room, which includes a balcony and garden views. Fairmont Gold starts from $670 on booking sites, officially AED 3399 ($1127), including a private check-in, personal butler service, complimentary internet and access to the Fairmont Gold lounge with free breakfast and evening drinks and canapes. For more info, visit fairmont.com.

Arabian Adventures offer private and group tours of Dubai. Morning dune drives cost AED 195 per person ($65). For enquiries, visit arabianadvenutres.com.

*Visit Definitely Dubai for more travel information.

Adam Bub travelled as a guest of DTCM (Dubai Department of Tourism Commerce Marketing) and Emirates.

Dubai luxury, two ways: City or beach?