Andaz Dubai The Palm

We stayed here for nine nights, and for us that was far too long. I think this is probably more of a 3–4 night hotel rather than somewhere I’d choose for a longer holiday.

The rooms are modern and the beds are comfortable, although the rooms themselves are quite small. Some of the little things you would normally expect from a five-star hotel are missing — for example, there are no slippers or bathrobes, and you have to scan a QR code to request additional amenities. We also found having to request fresh towels rather than them simply being replaced as part of the daily housekeeping a bit annoying.

One of the biggest downsides for us was the pool. It’s around a 3–4 minute walk from the hotel. That doesn’t sound far, but when you’re walking there in 40+ degree summer heat, it makes quite a difference compared with a hotel where you can walk straight out to the pool. The pool also isn’t cooled, so during August it was extremely warm and didn’t really give you any relief from the heat.

Service around the pool was very hit and miss. Some days it was difficult to get served at all, and food and drinks could take quite a while. The staff in general were pleasant though, particularly the reception staff, who always seemed friendly and willing to help.

The evening food was okay in terms of taste, but we found the choice very limited and repetitive, particularly for a longer stay. There is a live cooking station, but it didn’t seem to be used to its potential — for example, one evening it was serving hot dogs that had already been prepared. The restaurant also felt more self-service than you might expect from a five-star hotel, including finding your own table rather than being seated.

There are definitely some positives. The mall being directly opposite is really convenient and gives you somewhere else to go, particularly in the heat. There’s also a well-stocked supermarket on site, and we liked that you could take your own drinks and food around the pool or order delivery. Another nice touch was that soft drinks such as Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta and water were included with the evening meal rather than charged separately.

Overall, we didn’t have a terrible stay, but it just didn’t feel like a five-star experience to us. We’d probably describe it as more of a good four-star/four-star-plus hotel. For a few nights, particularly in the cooler months, I can see the appeal, but after nine nights the limited food choices, pool set-up and level of service became much more noticeable.

Unfortunately, it’s not somewhere we would choose to return to.

Andaz Dubai is a fantastic hotel with a beautiful atmosphere, and the food was amazing. A special thank you to Ushan and Jennie for their excellent service. They were friendly, attentive, and made our dining experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommended!