Okay, so I just finished my collaboration with the Grand Habtoor. I am exhausted but I am so excited to be on my way to my next and final hotel collab during my trip in Dubai – Amwaj Rotana. If you are a loyal reader of hennasharif.com, you would know that this is my second review of the hotel. Following my previous stay, I praised the hotel, gave the managers extensive feedback and wrote a steller blog. I am keen to evaluate whether that feedback has been acted upon and if (or how) the customer experience has changed at all. You would also be aware of why I am extra mindful during this cab journey. If you don’t know the reason why, you’re missing out. Find out why here.
Since I have been extra vigilant in the cab this time round, it was a smooth arrival. Check-in with Shawki was swift, but slightly problematic due to a mix up in booking names. Our team had inputted a name that differs from my passport, which caused a kerfuffle. Though, it felt unnecessarily long at the time, I was thankful for his vigilance, his care, and the added security. In the world of social media, stalkers can be very scary and therefore as a team we appreciate all preemptive security measures.
A short intro, orange juice on arrival and the activation of two key cards later, we arrived in our Classic Suite with a sea view. First impressions: well sized space, homely lounge, thoughtful welcome chocolates, a beautiful room, and an impeccable view transcending the Dubai eye. I discussed this in my last blog, but it was simply a name to me then. The Dubai eye is on Bluewaters Island Project – a reclaimed land transformed into a hotspot for residential, hospitality, lifestyle and leisure just 500metres from Amwaj Rotana. The island is not yet complete, with much development pending. Personally, I am especially excited for the construction of Madame Tussauds. For youngsters and families staying at Amwaj Rotana, having such luxuries at such close proximity may be a massive pull factor in choosing the hotel. Back to the suite…the marble furnished bathroom was plush, and featured a shower room, tub, and walk in wardrobe (which of course came in handy for obvious reasons).
As ever, days at the beach will only be complete with a meal back at Amwaj. I opted to try JB’s Pub. The rustic, yet electric vibe catapulted me back into the UK. Not only did the British accent echo from wall to wall, but the menu of traditional English and American favorites, coupled with a volcanic flow of beers, cocktails and mocktails made me feel right at home. It was nice to strip away from all the fuss and frills of luxury restaurants and eat good food with the company that I love. Our server Krishna seated us outside, with Game of the Day serving as a lively backdrop. Starting off with mojitos, we scanned the menu to fulfil our cravings. We settled on:
- Grilled Halloumi and Quinoa Salad (highly recommend)
- Grilled Atlantic Salmon (highly recommend)
- Roasted Baby Chicken (do not recommend)
- Austrailian Wagyu Striploin (recommend)
Breakfast resonated the wider atmosphere of the hotel – busy, friendly and full of groups from all over the globe. Similar to last time, I had an omelette, a selection of fresh fruit and juices which is my holiday version of a healthy brekkie (let’s ignore the mountain of cheese) – would highly recommend.
I’d say a key difference between this year and last years stay is the fact that I spent a healthy amount of of time lounging by the hotels luxury outdoor pool. There were times when the beach was horrendously busy, and opting for space and the least noise pollution as possible meant that this was an natural choice.
I spent an evening at Rosso restaurant, smoked a sheesha that I was craving and then went home to order room service. From the room service menu, I would highly recommend the grilled jumbo prawns and the beef stroganoff.
That evening at Amwaj was my favorite night there. I sat in awe on the balcony, looking out, with an immense amount of gratitude for the fortnight that I had just experienced. I met people that changed my perspective, bumped into old friends, did things for the very first time, tasted new food, danced to new music, picked up some Arabic, laughed hard, and understood myself a little deeper. This holiday was different, I wasn’t trying to simply escape work and the stresses of London. I felt every moment, emotion and experience deeply and Amwaj played a big part in that. I was in tune with everything that was going on and knew that where I was, was exactly where I needed to be. Like JB’s motto highlight, I indeed felt like a gastronaut, an evolver, someone that loved to travel and stumbling into this very moment was part of my road map.
Whilst I rated Amwaj Rotana a 4.1/5 during my last visit, I am confident that my overall experience has improved. With this in mind, I would rate the hotel a 4.3 based on the following points scale:
Location: 4.7
Service: 4.2
Facilities: 4
Room: 4.3
As ever, I am super excited to hear your thoughts on Amwaj Rotana and see pictures from your stay!
H xo