Dusit Thani Dubai lobby
PHOTO BY SUPPLIED
A GRACEFUL Thai dancer was entertaining guests at the Dusit Thani Dubai lobby as the bellman escorted me and my companion to the elevator going up to my room on the 32nd floor.
Just before entering the elevator, I caught a glimpse of the dancer doing a slow pirouette; ending the performance by pressing her palms together, as if in prayer. It reminded me of the building’s iconic architecture—symbolic of the traditional Thai greeting.
There is a timeless appeal to Dusit Thani Dubai that keeps me coming back here even though Dubai has a steady stream of new hotels. For me, it’s like a Hollywood star that seems to have stopped ageing. Developments in surrounding areas have also helped keep it relevant—it is within walking distance to the Dubai Metro station, the Dubai Mall or the Dubai International Financial Centre.
But I wasn’t in the mood for walking just yet. I had just stepped into my room—an expansive corner suite—and was excited to begin my royal treat in this five-star property.
The views in this club executive suite are stunning! From the living room area, I could see the long stretch of a busy Sheikh Zayed Road, while in the bedroom, I had views of the Burj Khalifa. “We should book this room again for New Year’s Eve and invite a few friends,” my companion said enthusiastically.
As if the welcome view wasn’t welcoming enough, a personalised card from the front office manager was propped up next to a tray of fresh fruits on the coffee table. How thoughtful.
“I wonder if there’s anything here we could complain about?” my companion teased, checking the coffee machine near the work station. We couldn’t find any. The minibar was well-stocked, the wifi connection was fast and towels and toiletries were stocked good for two people. Right on the bat.
“Do you want to invite our friends?” my companion asked, noticing that we could close the sliding door to separate the living room area from the bedroom area. “Maybe later,” I replied, wandering into the spacious bathroom that had a separate shower area, toilet and bath. I turned on the tap of the bathtub—thinking of having a long soak in lukewarm water—and opened the windows so I could have a view of the beautifully made bedroom.
“Hey, don’t forget dinner at Benjarong,” my companion called out from the living room, the TV turned on to some adventure channel.
Food is an adventure on its own in Dusit. Before I fast forward to our experience at Benjarong, I just have to tell you about their wonderful Friday brunch that combines cuisines from all their three in-house restaurants: authentic Thai treats from Benjarong, international flavours from The Californian, and the best of Italy from PAX Ristorante. But my most favourite part of this culinary treat? The seafood section that literally takes centrestage at the buffet. There were mouthwatering kinds of sushi, fresh oysters, prawns, crabs, mussels, fish fillets and lobsters. I ate to my heart’s content.
Dinner at Benjarong was just as good. It was as if I was a guest in a royal Thai house. “Our chef was the personal chef at the Thai royal court,” the head waiter told us as he handed us the menu. The food here is delicious and the service is impeccable. I recommend the prawn cakes, the tom yum goong and the khaoobsapparod—stir fried rice with prawns, bits of pineapple and chopped sweet sausage beautifully presented inside a hollowed pineapple (and yes, that did launch my companion into a PPAP song). For anyone looking for an authentic Thai culinary treat, this is it.
For breakfast, The Californian offered a good spread complete with salads, fresh juices, smoothies, bread and cheese, pastries and plenty on offer for those looking for a heavy meal: congee, dimsum, sausages, turkey bacon, fried rice and other breakfast staples. At the buffet entrance, a big board greeted diners with these words scribbled on them: Sawasdee, good morning, magandang umaga, aloha, bondi, bonjour. I perked up right away.
My day out at Dusit was really more of a stay-in, so I relished the trip to the hotel’s Namm Spa where I had a relaxing 60-minute Swedish massage. It was just the kind of treat I needed after an action-packed work week. As the therapist expertly worked on my muscles, I could feel the stress being kneaded away one stroke at a time.
I also hung out at the hotel’s rooftop pool area, which was pretty busy. I was tempted to splash into the temperature-controlled water, but had to shelve the thought because I just had a massage. I had a light sandwich for lunch at the pool bar instead, not exactly rushing for my check out time.
Category: 5 star
Address: 133 Sheikh Zayed Road, PO Box 23335 Dubai
Telephone: 04 3433333
Email: dtdu@dusit.com
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