The Four Seasons brand waited many years to establish itself in Dubai. Dubai's real estate crisis hadn't helped matters. Four Seasons was meant to open there some years earlier, but the crisis derailed their project. Time passed, and here we are in November 2014: the brand is opening the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, a beautiful seafront district of Dubai.
I visited this hotel a few weeks before its opening. It's an exhilarating time, because the teams are there in training. You can feel the motivation of the staff, their desire to do things well and their eagerness to welcome guests. The workers are finishing the finishing touches on the hotel, and the housekeepers are finishing setting up the rooms. The gardeners are collecting branches and dead leaves and replacing a few flowers that didn't take root. The first guests are eagerly booking the hotel's opening night. It's interesting to see that there are always enthusiasts for a hotel's very first night.
The Four Seasons Resort Dubai offers the timeless luxury the brand is known for. You'll still find a regional Arabian touch that brings a bit of exoticism to the Four Seasons brand. Compared with Dubai's other seafront hotels (outside the Palm), this hotel stands out for its proximity to Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa, and for its seafront structure. It's a haven of peace in an increasingly sought-after part of Dubai.
The hotel is quite large and spacious (5.6 hectares): 237 rooms and suites, all with sea views. They're all fitted with noble materials (marble, wood, wood panelling, silver leaf, Murano glass). It's the Etro brand that furnishes the bathroom amenities.
This hotel warmly welcomes business travelers and all the events that come with the corporate world: executive committees, conventions, conferences. 1,199 square meters are dedicated to meeting spaces, with a separate entrance of their own.
I had the privilege of visiting the women's side of the spa. In Dubai, there are two entrances to the spa, one for women and one for men, and sometimes another entrance for a couples' massage room. I really appreciated the shower area with its light therapy and soundscapes based on different rain themes (calm, tropical, stormy). A true space of experiences and sensations.
In the kitchen corridors, I ran into Gilles Arzur, a former chef at the Sofitel Chicago, where I tasted the best croissant I've had abroad (not such a simple thing to pull off). He oversees all the restaurants (Suq, Sea Fu, Shai, Hendricks Bar). Set on the rooftop terrace, you can enjoy the sea view to relax, or the skyline side to remind you of the world of business.
The hotel sits across from what will become World Islands. For now, you can just make out sandbanks, but it's hard to know what will come of it. Next door, there's the Ladies Club and new developments in the making. A palace? A new hotel? No one knows yet. It's the hidden face of Dubai.
Share this article with a colleague, a client or a partner.
That is often how an idea enters a house, and then its habits.
What you say about it matters more than what I say.
A keynote, a mission, an article in the magazine: if my work has been useful to you, a few lines on Google are worth more than any argument.
Leave a review on Google →
