In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has been chosen by wealthy tourists, fed up with first-class hotels in Turkey and Egypt. The UAE offers the best quality holidays, although the prices here are much higher. Every year in Dubai opens a huge number of tourist complexes. One of them was the luxurious hotel Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort Spa 5 *, which will be discussed in this article.
Where is this hotel located?
The huge hotel complex is located on the east coast of the bulk island of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The hotel has its own vast stretch of beach, which is located 50 meters from the main building. Nearby is the metro station, with which tourists can quickly get to mainland Dubai. Among the attractions and entertainment, it is worth highlighting the Dolphin Bay dolphinarium, where visitors can swim with dolphins, the huge Aquaventure water park and The Lost Chambers Museum of the underwater world. All are 1.5 km from the hotel. A free shuttle bus leaves the Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort every day, which takes tourists to the resort’s major shopping centers.
Dubai International Airport is 40 km away. A 24-hour shuttle service to the hotel is provided for guests, so they need to inform the administrator of their arrival time in advance. You can get to the hotel on your own by taxi or a rented car. The average travel time is about 1 hour.
Description of the resort complex
The opening of a new respectable hotel took place on July 1, 2013. It is part of the large Sofitel chain, whose luxury hotels are located in many major cities around the world. The complex in Dubai was built in the original Polynesian style, reminiscent of small hotels in tropical countries. On its vast territory is the main 5-story building, two villas on the beach, three 7-story apartment complexes and two 3-story buildings on the coast. In total, the hotel offers tourists 360 comfortable rooms. Employees are fluent in English, French, German and Russian.
Check-in at the Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort Spa Hotel (Dubai) takes place daily from 15:00 to 17:00. Express check-in is available for a fee. Upon entering the room, the administrator will require you to have a photo ID and a credit card. It will also be necessary to pay the transport tax and make a deposit, which is returned after departure. No pets, including guide dogs, are allowed in the hotel. Tourists must leave their rooms after the rest no later than noon.
Room Categories
The hotel consists of 360 rooms, the capacity of which varies from two to six adults. Each apartment has a spacious bathroom and a private terrace. It offers views of the sea and the surroundings of Palm Jumeirah . There are 2 special rooms for people with disabilities. There are 90 adjacent rooms in the hotel, which are connected by an internal door. Non-smoking guests are allocated apartments on the second floor of the main building. A 24-hour room service is available for an extra charge. Maids daily clean up the living rooms, change linens and towels.
Sofitel Dubai The Palm Apartments offers you the following room categories:
- Luxury Sea or Palm View - a single room with an area of 44 square meters. m. Designed for two adults and one child in an extra bed. These rooms are located in the main building of the hotel.
- Junior Suite - a double room consisting of a bedroom and a living room connected by an internal door. Area - 60 square meters. The owners of these rooms are available club privileges. They are located in the main building.
- Beach Suite - spacious two-room apartments for two adults and two children, located in beach buildings. Area - 85 square meters m. There are club privileges.
- Prestige Suite - similar to the previous suite , located in the main building of the hotel.
- Opera Suite is a huge room that can accommodate up to five adults at a time. There are 2 bedrooms, a living room. Club privileges available. The area is 125 square meters. m
- Apartment One Bedroom - separate apartments in the main building. It has a bedroom, a living room and a fully equipped kitchen. Three adults are allowed. Area - 75 square meters. m
- Apartment Two Bedroom - differs from the previous option for an additional bedroom. Six adult tourists can live here. Area - 135 square meters m
Room facilities
Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort offers tourists a first-class vacation, which is confirmed by the fully equipped rooms for a comfortable stay. The list of equipment includes the following amenities:
- soundproof windows that do not allow noise from the street to the room;
- alarm, electronic door locks, smoke detectors and other devices for a safe stay;
- electronic safe for storing valuables, which is provided for free;
- tea or coffee making facilities, as well as dishes, an electric kettle, a refrigerator in the apartment;
- central cooling system regulated by hotel staff;
- iron and ironing board;
- plasma TV, DVD-player, satellite TV with three Russian-language channels;
- free wifi;
- a telephone in the bedroom and in the bathroom; the “wake-up” service from the administrator is also available;
- bidet, large mirror, built-in hairdryer, bathrobe and slippers in the bathroom;
- minibar with drinking water, filling with other drinks is carried out for a fee;
- Club privileges, including your own coffee maker, Hermes cosmetics, music system and butler service.
Dining at the hotel
The Sofitel Dubai The Palm Re 5 * hotel does not have an all-inclusive power system. As a rule, the price includes either breakfast only, or half board (breakfast and dinner), or full board. Drinks are paid separately. All restaurants have a diet, vegetarian and gluten-free menu. Upon request, tourists can rent a banquet room for up to 600 people.
The following catering establishments operate on the territory of the complex:
- Manava Main Restaurant - Buffet meals are served here. Specializes in international and European cuisine.
- Italian cooking Bottega.
- French Restaurant Studio Du Chef.
- Asian restaurant Hong Loong.
- The upscale Moana Restaurant offers pool views. Fish and seafood dishes are prepared here.
- The Porterhouse Grill serves grilled meats. It works in the evenings.
- Children's restaurant Amura Kids.
- Chinese teahouse Cha House.
- Several bars serving soft drinks, cocktails and tobacco products.
Hotel infrastructure
The developed infrastructure of Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort Spa confirms the high status of the hotel. The complex has a lot of amenities that make your stay here truly comfortable. We list the main ones:
- a business center with conference rooms equipped with writing boards with markers, printers, projectors, fax machines;
- organization of meetings and conferences, courier and secretary services;
- free wireless internet throughout the hotel;
- a souvenir and jewelry store, as well as a boutique of branded clothes and shoes;
- private parking for cars and buses;
- rent of cars and limousines;
- round-the-clock concierge and porter services;
- common lounge with soft sofas and coffee tables;
- paid laundry, dry cleaning and shoe shine;
- services for organizing holidays, the hotel has a florist;
- tour desk and ticket booking.
Beach and Pool
Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort Spa has a private stretch of over 500 meters along the coast. The beach is completely sandy, and the entrance to the sea is gentle, so you can swim here even with young children. Free loungers, beach towels and sunshades are available for all guests. In addition, on the beach there is a rescue team and security, which does not let strangers here.
The complex has 2 outdoor pools with temperature control. Nearby there is a sun terrace with sun loungers, a bar and a walking area. In addition, villas and club privileges have access to private pools, which are shaded by a tropical garden. In rainy weather, tourists can visit the spa, which houses 3 indoor freshwater heated pools.
Entertainment Organization
In addition to leisure activities on the beach and by the pools, The Sofitel Dubai The Palm offers a host of other entertainment options. Some of them are aimed at therapeutic rest. We list the main leisure options:
- The center of water entertainment, where tourists can go water skiing , motorboats, catamarans.
- Wellness center, which houses 29 treatment rooms. It offers spa treatments , jacuzzi, massage, sauna, steam room. There is also a beauty salon and hairdresser.
- Artificial tennis court. Rackets and balls are provided free of charge, but court lighting and instructor lessons will require a separate fee.
- Gym with modern equipment. Group classes in aerobics, yoga and water gymnastics are also held.
- Golf school.
- Entertainment programs.
- Night club.
Children's holiday
The Sofitel Dubai The Palm often hosts tourists with children. Small guests are provided with a free cot, high chairs and a special menu in the restaurant. Guests are also welcome to use the babysitting service. For a fee, childcare is available directly in the room.
For entertainment for kids, the hotel has its own pool, equipped with two water slides. There is an extensive playground in the open air, and in bad weather the guys can go to the indoor games room. There is also a daily mini club on site . The first 2 hours are free of charge. It can be visited by children from 4 to 12 years old. There is also a department for babies, but they can only be accompanied by their parents there.
Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort Spa: positive reviews
Most often, tourists are satisfied with the rest in this place. As a rule, they like the hotel and its first-class service, so they would like to come here again. The guests appreciated the following benefits:
- A clean and well-kept beach that is never crowded with tourists.
- The sea is very warm at any time of the day, and algae and garbage do not float in the water.
- Spacious rooms with modern renovations, new furniture and appliances.
- Near the hotel The Sofitel Dubai The Palm is constantly on duty taxis that inexpensively deliver tourists to mainland Dubai.
- If there are free rooms, tourists will change their apartments for the best for free.
- Friendly staff that treats young children great.
- The restaurants offer a large selection of dishes, in addition, they serve large portions that can be eaten by two adults.
Sofitel The Palm Dubai 5 *: negative reviews
Unfortunately, some guests criticized the local service. They felt that the cost of living at the hotel was very high. In their reviews, they note the following significant shortcomings of rest in this place:
- The Internet only works in some places, and the connection speed is very low.
- The shallow sea, which is likely suitable for tourists with children, but not for adults who love comfortable swimming.
- When checking in, tourists are charged a large amount as a deposit, while during the holidays, employees can withdraw additional money without notifying the guests.
- Dangerous jellyfish swim in the sea, the bite of which can be fatal, but there are no special warning signs on the beach.
- Employees come to clean the room only twice a week.
- Near the hotel, construction is underway, which spoils the view from the rooms, but tourists are not informed about this when buying a ticket.
Draw conclusions
The Sofitel Dubai The Palm is a huge tourist complex located in the best resort place in Dubai. However, a number of serious shortcomings can spoil the impression of a vacation in this place. Some tourists believe that for a similar price you can find a hotel with the best service.