My second collaboration in Dubai was with Amwaj Rotana, perfectly situated on ‘The Walk’, Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). The day started with an premature checkout from the Grand Habtoor to a ‘WDF, I LEFT MY PHONE IN THE CAB’ to a more relaxed check-in at the Amwaj Rotana. I had two bell boys running after the cab driver, myself plunging into the same pockets hoping that god loves me enough to magically make it appear the 5th time I checked, and guests thinking this girl is C to the CRAZY. I was completely mind blown at my stupidity but later found that my friend had the phone the whole time – Sorry bell boys but kudos to you all for being so hospitable during this difficult time!
Photograph of exterior
Post phone drama, I took in the hustle and bustle of the lobby and pledged to have a calmer afternoon. I found check-in to be relaxed and found the staff to be friendly and appreciated the two choices of rooms I was offered. With 301 rooms, each room has its own balcony facing the Arabian Gulf and Palm Jumeriah and I was compelled to take the room on the 17th floor (with the better view of course #cheeky). I found the rooms tastefully furnished, and well sized. Post check-in, I made a point to check out the spa facilities. The spa was fully operating with a jaccuzi, sauna and steam room and a wide variety of spa treatments to choose from. Although the service could have been better during busy times, the staff were completely on par with the requests that I had and were extremely friendly and respectful.
With ‘Amwaj’ meaning waves in Arabic and me feeling like I’m missing out on exactly that, we headed to the beach, which was literally a 2-minute walk! The vicinity of Jumeirah Beach, and Dubai Marina was most definitely the biggest pull factor for my stay at Amwaj Rotana. I’d certainly say out of all three hotels that I had reviewed in Dubai Marina during my stay, Amwaj Rotana was by far the greatest location, which was feature that that made it stand out. From my conversations with guests, it was clear that it was an ideal choice for both families and solo travellers.
Photograph of view from suite
The next morning, I enjoyed breakfast at Horizon and finally found a cook that puts enough cheese into my vegetable omelette (haha, yes I am picky). I thought that there was enough variety, loved the fruit selection and had plenty bowls of coco pops! I’d recommend getting to breakfast before 10am to ensure you can are able to indulge in the wide variety of choices available. Since we are on the topic of food, during my experience I was invited to dinner at Rosso, which was beautiful. I loved the décor, vibes coming from the DJ and the food. We had messy prawns, calamari fritti, penne al ragu di polloe e funghi, grilled T bone steak fiorentina (only dish I would not recommend). The mushroom pasta was my favourite! Amwaj Rotana also has a Benihana – an award winning steak and sushi restaurant so if you fancy some Asain, I would definitely give it a try.
Photograph of Rosso
Dinner at Rosso
Photograph of Outdoor Pool
Overall, the stay was extremely comfortable, the staff were inherently friendly and the highly convenient location meant that we were able to explore JBR at ease. I also found the hotel to be very family friendly due to the live entertainment, themed evening, and Flipper’s Kid’s Club. Additionally, the bad points do not take away with how amazing the location is. Massive shout out to Dinesh for being incredibly helpful during the entire stay. We will most definitely be back.
I would rate the Amwaj Rotana a 4.1 based on the following point scale:
5 – Amazing, 4 – Good, 3 – Average, 2 – Not good, 1 – Never coming back!
Location – 4.7
Service – 4
Facilities – 4
Room – 4