.png)
As you might have noticed, we love Starwood Hotels! Since merging with Marriott in 2016, they now make up the world’s largest hotel company. We’ve always been a huge fan of the luxury Starwood brands such as St. Regis and Luxury Collection but we were so excited to finally welcome lifestyle brand ‘Aloft’ to the Dubai hotel scene! Aloft Me’aisam recently opened and Aloft Deira City Centre is set to open later this year. However, Aloft Palm Jumeirah was the property we were really waiting for! As soon as we heard it had opened, we knew it was time to pay them a visit!
Set on the Palm Island, an area known for its luxury hotel developments, Aloft Palm Jumeirah is like a breath of fresh air to the area. The Palm has traditionally been known for its sprawling beach-front resorts, designer boutiques and renowned restaurants with eye-watering prices to match. Aloft Palm Jumeirah provides travellers with a taste of the Palm, without breaking the bank. Despite having outrageously famous neighbours on the East Crescent of the Palm such as Atlantis, Sofitel and Anantara, this is a four-star hotel with a firm focus on functionality and convenience coupled with quirky design and stylish decor. This hotel has the post-code without the price-tag. This is Aloft Palm Jumeirah....
Having stayed in hotels all over the world, we’re well-accustomed to the check-in procedure and have experienced our share of good and bad check-ins! Often in more large-scale upmarket hotels, check-ins can become over-complicated with cold towels, welcome drinks, hotel orientations and a mass of paperwork. In the case of Aloft, simplicity is certainly one of their biggest strengths! The check-in was warm and friendly, but at the same time fast and informative. We were so impressed by their knowledge of the hotel and it’s surroundings, as well as the brand itself. It was a great welcome, and really set the tone for the stay!
The reception desk itself is a work of art, with splashes of neon colours contrasting with the stark white walls and lighting. Floor to ceiling shelves of art, toys, plants, trinkets (and so much more!) break up the main reception area from re:fuel by Aloft, the brand’s signature ‘grab and go’ eatery which operates on a 24/7 basis and stocks a range of drinks and snacks alongside cool and comfy seating and even a games table!
We were so grateful to be upgraded to a sea-view facing room which meant the most stunning views over the sea and city, with Burj al Arab as the focal point. The weather was so gloomy during our stay, which made for some great photos!
The Aloft Room is bright, airy and modern, again with functionality at its forefront. One of the first things we noticed about the room was its simplicity; the décor was bright but minimal without having a ‘budget-brand’ feel. Since the weather wasn’t great, we spent a lot longer in the hotel room than we usually would, but it was so comfortable that we really didn’t mind!
Since we (finally!) had a day off work together, we had planned to spend the day at the pool relaxing and tanning. In true Dubai fashion, the unexpected happened and it rained almost the whole day with super strong winds! It was such a shame as the pool area looked so inviting and we agreed it would have been such a great spot to hang out. We managed to get some photos of the pool area to show you, but are definitely planning to go back on a sunnier day to try it out for ourselves! They also have a private beach which we are desperate to check out!
We were so excited to try out the rooftop Mexican Restaurant – Luchador, as we had heard amazing things about the food and cocktails. So you can imagine our disappointment to find out that it was closed on Sundays (of course, we happened to be staying on a Sunday – first the bad weather and now this!). We went up to the 11th floor and had a cheeky look and if the food is as good as the interior design then the place must be incredible! Luchador, you are now firmly at the top of our list of restaurants to try and we’ll definitely be coming back ASAP! Since we were all dressed up with nowhere to go, we headed back into the city and checked out Andreeas at Habtoor Grand in JBR and had some AMAZING pizza (but we’ll save that for another post!)
While we didn’t eat dinner in Aloft, we did have breakfast in the hotel. If you’re anything like me, you’ll agree that one of the best things about staying in a hotel for the night is going for breakfast in the morning! We love comparing breakfasts at all of the hotels we’ve stayed (in case you’re wondering our top pick is Kaleidoscope at Atlantis the Palm!) and we’re always searching for the perfect hotel breakfast. Breakfast is served in the hotel’s chic all-day-dining restaurant as a buffet – small but plenty of great options! The eggs and waffle stations were welcome additions to the usual breakfast buffet offerings; salad, fruit, fresh juices, cereal, cooked breakfast, pastries etc. The one thing we didn’t love was the coffee, as it was from an automated machine. We might be asking too much but a freshly made espresso would have been a godsend!
The hotel has a variety of other food and beverage offerings and other facilities including re:charge gym, complimentary valet parking and of course superfast wireless internet. We found the hotel so convenient and despite it not being a luxury brand, the hotel still offered everything we needed. If you fancy a stay on the Palm, but don’t want to spend a fortune, Aloft Palm Jumeirah is the perfect option, combining simplicity with style!
What’s your favourite hotel on the Palm?
Have you checked out Aloft yet?
#theview #aloftpalmjumeirah #palmisland #dubai #mydubai #dubaigram #dxb #amazingdubai #instadubai #burjalarab #lovindubai #visitdubai #sea #wanderlust #traveldeeper #discoverglobe #dubaivibes #travel #blogger #hotels #travel #instatravel #lovindubai #staycation #marriott #aloft #only2travel