Why book?
For a hearty dose of Dubai sunshine minus the bling. This is an elegant and understated Dubai hotel with an unstuffy approach to ultra-luxury that the One&Only brand is known for. The combination is one that’s created an if-you-know-you-know loyal following – during my stay I met a fellow Londoner who has stayed with her family every February for the last six years.
Set the scene
A sprawling low-set Arabian-style village, surrounded by immaculate gardens of carpet-like grass, fuchsia Bougainville and date palms. Located opposite the trunk of The Palm Jumeirah, the hotel stretches along a kilometre-long private beach and comprises three distinct properties – the Palace, Arabian Court and The Residence & Spa. Upon arrival you’ll spot a mix of Bentleys, Mercedes and golf carts that zip guests around the grounds. Much of the action takes place by the pool of course, where an international crowd dressed in white linen, Missoni knits and toting Chanel deauville raffia bags soak up the guaranteed sun, set to a soundtrack of birds chipping, kids laughing and the distant hum of Dubai construction.
The backstory
The hotel opened in 1999, which in Dubai years is practically prehistoric. Back then it comprised just The Palace part of the resort and despite the years, its classic Arabian good looks still endure. One&Only is a Dubai-based brand (owned by Kerzner International), with two sister hotels in Dubai – One&Only The Palm and One&Only One Za’abeel – and 11 other locations around the world.
The rooms
I stayed in a deluxe room in the Arabian Court with my young family. The interiors were timeless, tastefully done and offered plenty of room for all four of us. All rooms come with balconies apart from those on the ground floor which open out directly onto the lawn – an ideal option if you’ve got little ones. To stay away from broods, book one of the rooms at the Residence, the adults-only part of the hotel. The suites here are particularly dreamy, notably the rooftop suites with large terraces. For extra privacy, the hotel has two villas, both with two bedrooms, private pools and room to sleep six.
Food & drink
There’s certainly no shortage of incredible restaurants in Dubai, and so I was surprised to witness many locals arrive at the hotel with restaurant reservations. Of the eight dining venues at the hotel, Beach Bar and Grill seemed to be the hot ticket venue, particularly for its smart Sunday brunch. The reservation combines live music with freshly grilled seafood, steak and views of the beach and marine club. If you’re here for supper, don’t skip pudding – the tiramisu is theatrically assembled tableside with Arabic coffee and mascarpone cream.
My favourite though was Euzone, a scenic spot with various dining pavilions perched above water with wooden walkways in-between. The food was equally lovely – Chilean sea bass curry, hot stone rice and fresh sashimi and ceviche. Then again, all of the restaurants, and even the most simplest meals – my son’s chicken nuggets, pizza by the pool, my iced coffee at breakfast – were done to the highest standard.
The area
The location is Palm adjacent – to the left of the trunk from a bird’s eye view. You’re in good company with The Westin and W hotel as neighbours on one side, and The Palace Of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the other side of the tree trunk. The beach overlooks the Dubai Marina, so there is quite a bit of water traffic. For a more peaceful swim, guests of the hotel can take a private boat transfer from the hotel jetty to visit One&Only the Palm.
The spa
The wellness facilities are among some of the best in Dubai, notably the three floodlit tennis courts and two Padel courts. The spa is a destination in itself, hidden away on the grounds in a separate fort-style building and down a spiral staircase. The treatment to book is the tradition hammam experience – traditional but also elevated in every aspect – which involves a 90 minute session of scrubs, body wraps, steam and massage. A couple’s Hammam experience is also available.
The Service
The service starts at the airport – Kerzner International has a lounge at arrivals where guests can enjoy a drink while waiting mere minutes for their transfers to the hotel. From there, service is seamless and speedy, with all requests made via WhatsApp.
Families
Families are best to book into the Arabian Court wing of the hotel, where kids can spend countless hours going down the waterslide into the circular swimming pool. On the beach, tired parents order drinks to the loungers while bucket and spades are provided to tinies. This is very much a hotel for all ages too, all the way up to teens who can play arcade games, air hockey and video games in the dedicated games room. At the kid’s club, there’s an hourly schedule of activities as well as indoor and outdoor play areas. And while there’s plenty to keep kids occupied, the hotel also has a great set up for families to actually spend time together. I was really struck when I looked around the lawn one hazy afternoon to see families of all ages juggling cups of ice cream while playing mini golf, table tennis and football, with not a phone in sight.
Eco-effort
The large grounds are immaculately maintained using recycled water from the hotel that’s processed onsite. The lush landscape is home to a thriving bird population, a beehive and a herb garden that provides ingredients to the onsite restaurants.
Accessibility
The hotel is fully accessible including accessible bathrooms throughout the resort, plus four adapted Prestige rooms.
Anything left to mention
Don’t miss the One&Only fragrance collection by Montroi, available in the hotel gift shop. The Royal Mirage fragrance, called Oriental Garden, is an intoxicating mix of cedarwood, oud and amber. Of all the hotel scents, the Royal Mirage signature is by far the loveliest and as a result is often sold out – I loved it so much that I bought the incense sticks and signed up to be notified when the perfume is back in stock online.