Last updated on November 8th, 2024
My first Raffles Hotel visit was in Istanbul, Turkey, which was an eye-opening experience that left a very strong impression on me. The whole experience was grandiose in nature, luxury everything and was a great first impression to what the Raffles brand is all about. Some time had passed, and then, during my latest trip to Dubai, I visited my second Raffles property. Lets just say that I had very high expectations.
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Raffles Dubai is located comfortably near the airport and a short distance from the center of Dubai. Raffles Dubai is also very convenient as it’s connected to WAFI Mall in the hotel’s lobby and only 400 meters from the Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station. The feature of the property that first caught my attention was the extravagant lobby. High ceilings with lots of gold made this feel incredibly spacious and luxurious along with a very apparent Egyptian theme. Actually, Raffles Dubai has an Egyptian theme throughout its entirety which is evident in both the interior and exterior design. After arriving, I headed up to the Raffles Club Lounge on the 10th floor for my check-in.
My Raffles Club Room was located on the seventh floor and had a beautiful view of the pool as well as a stunning view of the Dubai skyline. This was the most complete view of Dubai that I had ever seen! My Raffles Club Room had a large balcony which was a great spot for taking pictures and just enjoying in general. The room was a very spacious 70 m² which felt more like a suite than simply a room, and probably the reason why they refer to them as Room Suites. Once again, there is the gorgeous Egyptian theme everywhere you look!
I loved that they included Turkish delights on the welcome platter.
The bathroom was impressive with a large bathtub, separate shower stall and large vanity with two sinks. The bathroom could be opened up to the rest of the room if necessary with its window.
Raffles Dubai had a great coffee maker and tea station I was sure to use daily! They had great quality tea as well as coffee.
What sets Raffles apart from lots of the competition is the magnificent Butler Service. Our butler Kingston did a great job making sure all our needs were met! He even went above and beyond by surprising us with a bubble bath and providing a bottle of champagne!
Raffles Club Guests receive two items of complimentary laundry service during their stay which made me super happy to get back my pearly white dress shirts! Raffles Club guests also have access to the Raffles Club Lounge on the 10th floor which includes continental breakfast, afternoon tea and evening open bar and canapes. Their lounge breakfast is quite limited and more of a snack than anything. In contrary, the main breakfast of Raffles Dubai is quite extensive and where you should go to eat.
Where the Raffles Club Lounge really shines is with their afternoon tea and evening food and drink. I found the selection to also be fairly modest but the quality of food and flavor was top-notch. In this respect, Raffles Dubai focused on quality over quantity, which I can appreciate.
An activity I took part in during my stay was their Floral Afternoon Tea in the Raffles Dubai lobby. Feel free to read about that full experience in a separate article here. Spoiler alert: it was superb!
Another strength of Raffles Dubai is their incredible Raffles Spa. After I checked in for my appointment time I was served a cool welcome drink and date which began my journey to relaxation. The treatment room was quite appealing visually. My therapist did a great job at focusing on the points that held the most tension and did her best to release them.
The treatment finished with tea and snacks in a relaxation room. All in all, I would highly recommend you to experience a spa treatment at the Raffles Spa in Dubai. From start to finish the whole experience was very enjoyable and smooth.
As mentioned, I stayed in a Raffles Club Room but also had a tour of some of the other room types. Raffles is known for its luxurious accommodations and this was extremely evident in some of the very extravagant suites.
Raffles Dubai has several food and beverage outlets and the hotel’s main breakfast takes place in their Azur Restaurant. The breakfast buffet was very extensive, satisfying indeed and left nothing to be desired in terms of selection. With that being said, there were a few minor hiccups in the breakfast service itself, but the team showed how much they cared by working hard to make things right.
During my stay I also had a chance to give the Raffle’s Solo Italian Restaurant & Bar a try.
The pool, gym and relaxation areas at the property were incredibly impressive! The gym has brand-new equipment, all feeling like it was fresh out of the box. So much quality equipment and only a few days to enjoy it. The gym looks out over their incredibly beautiful and special pool. Once you’ve finished your workout I would definitely recommend taking a step into the relaxation facilities located in the changing rooms where you can find the steam room, sauna and jacuzzi. One of my favorite ways to relax!
Overall, my stay at Raffles Dubai was very enjoyable! I had high expectations from my previous stay at Raffles Istanbul and in most areas Raffles Dubai lived up to them. Raffles Dubai’s strong points included the gorgeous Egyptian luxury design, convenient location, butler service and spa facilities. All in all, I enjoyed my time immensely at the Raffles Dubai Hotel and I’m sure you will too!
Hotel
13th Street, Sheikh Rashid Rd, Wafi city – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 324 8888
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