We stayed at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa for three days last weekend. Most of the people who live in Dubai know exactly where it is because its been a landmark for years. For those of you who don’t know though, its located in Dubai Marina and its very close to JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence). I’ve always loved the location of this hotel– its a 3-minute walk to the famous JBR, but the best thing about it, is that its tucked away so that you don’t have to deal with any of the traffic that JBR is so well-known for.

We got to the hotel on a Thursday night and drove up to the valet service. The hotel usually gets busy on weekends because there are so many different restaurants and lounges on the property, but we arrived around 7pm and were able to check-in before it started getting more crowded.

I’ve been to Habtoor Grand a couple of years ago, but the lobby and entrance area were completely different to how I remembered it. It was beautiful before, but now it looks so much more modern and elegant! I love the new renovation, and it goes to show just how much they care about their guests, by making sure to keep the hotel up-to-date. There are so many hotels in Dubai (I hate to name names but I’ll drop one that I really feel strongly about– Burj al Arab), which have established their brand or name and don’t feel the need to  remodel or fine-tune their hotels because they believe that customers will come to them regardless.

I knew that Habtoor Grand was recently renovated, but the look of the lobby really exceeded my expectations! The new decor of the lobby makes it feel so open, fresh and glamorous. Its filled with tones of gold and off-white and there are many beautiful statement pieces scattered across the lobby area, and its also very practical because there is a lot of seating as well.

While my husband was overseeing our luggage being taken out of the car, my baby Khalifa and I went to the counter to check-in. All I had to do was show our ID’s and they did the rest. They asked if we would like to leave a deposit of 500 Dhs for things like laundry or room service, but we opted to pay upon purchase, or at check out. Our room keys were handed to us and a bellman took us up to our room.

We stayed on the 16th floor, in a corner room, so we had an incredible view of the sea, the pool area,  hotel grounds, JBR, and even a partial view of Palm Jumeirah. Since we arrived at night, we would have to wait till the next day to see all that the view has to offer.

But what did surprise us is that there was a fireworks display happening on JBR and we were at the perfect location to witness it, right in the comfort of our room! What a way to start the night!

Now for the room– it had cool Mediterranean blue and white tones. The theme and decor, while slightly arabesque, reminds me of Santorini. Its fresh and crisp, with calming colors and elegant patterns.

The whole room is laid out in one main space, with a large king-sized bed in the center. Either side of the bed has side tables, and on the far side of the room, near the window, there is a classy and feminine sofa, a coffee table and a comfortable chair and ottoman. (P.S. Khalifa is a total photobomber).

In front of the bed, there is a large flat screen TV which sits on top of a spacious cabinet, where you can keep some of your belongings, and this is also where the mini-fridge is.

Next to that, is a long desk and chair, and on top of the desk there is a large selection of mini bar items, as well as complementary teas, coffees and water.

There is a short hallway which has the closet one side, and the bathroom entrance on the other. The closet has ample space, with one part of it for hanging clothes, and the other part has plenty of drawer space. There were also robes and comfortable complimentary house slippers left inside the closet.

The bathroom is decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles and it has a large bathtub, separate stand-alone shower, toilet area and a fully glass sink. The bath products provided are by the British cosmetics and body care company, Molton Brown.

Once we got acquainted with the room, we tried to log on to the WiFi. The hotel provides free WiFi but the connection was not good in our room, so we just used our mobile data during our stay. However, the internet connection whenever we were out and about around the hotel, was pretty good. I think it was only weak in our room perhaps because we were in the corner, but I would take a gorgeous view over WiFi any day!

Soon after figuring out the WiFi, we freshened up and headed out to JBR, because we wanted to make the most out of the location that we were staying in. It’s such a great feeling to go to JBR on a Thursday night and not have to worry about being stuck in traffic!

We stayed out late, so we ended up having dinner at a restaurant in JBR as well. Our little Khalifa was very tired by the time we came back, and we all fell asleep soon after  we got back to the room.

Day 2

Our day started off very early, because my alarm (AKA baby) got up pretty early. Luckily, the breakfast buffet at Al Dhiyafa on the lobby level of the hotel, starts breakfast quite early as well. As you can see, we went there so early that it was still a bit dark outside!

The breakfast items were separated into different stations and the stations were scattered across one of the halls of the restaurant. The restaurant itself is pretty large and there are many different dining areas. For the breakfast buffet, there were many options.

There was a station for cereals, a station for sweets, an omelette bar, a whole table full of varieties of cheese, cold cuts, and trays upon trays of other breakfast items including frittatas, sautéed mushrooms, Indian breakfast curries, and so much more!

After choosing what we wanted, we sat down at our table, which was overlooking the beautiful green grounds of the hotel. The waiter came and asked us what we would like to drink, and we ordered fresh watermelon juice. Khalifa really loved the juice too, so they brought us a third glass for him as well!

Once we were done with breakfast, we went back upstairs. We had planned to take a walk around the grounds of the hotel, but it was still very cold outside because it was early. Instead we explored the main hotel building a bit, and loved the beautiful statement pieces and gorgeous decor!

When we were back in the room, I had to send my husband’s kandoora for dry cleaning and they quickly picked it up. They we able to get it back to us within just a few hours! In the meantime, during  those few hours, Khalifa took his morning nap and my husband and I got ready for the day. When Khalifa woke up, it was time for Jummah, the Friday prayer, and since everything is so close to the hotel, there was a mosque only a 5-minutes walk away, so we headed there.

Once Jummah prayer was over, we came back to the hotel and went straight to lunch at one of Habtoor Grand’s many restaurants, Luciano’s.

Luciano’s may look like your average pool-side restaurant from the outside, but when you sit down and experience the extraordinary Italian food that they proudly serve, you will really understand just how much of a hidden gem this place is! All of the dishes that we had were impeccable.

I honestly do not have any complaints about any of the things we were served, and I would happily go back to the restaurant regardless of whether I’m staying at the hotel or not. To see the full review of Luciano’s, check out: Luciano’s Restaurant Review.

I went back up to the room to change my clothes, and I saw that the staff had cleaned up the room, and restocked everything in the bathrooms.

After lunch, we were going to hang out by the pool for a bit, but Khalifa seemed like he was getting the sniffles, and time in the pool would not have helped that, so we ended up taking him to the outdoor kids play area, which has a jungle gym, slides and theres even an indoor-activity area with plenty of things for toddlers and kids to do.

I was set for a spa treatment that afternoon, but I ended up giving it to my husband (see what a good wife I am!), but since there is a same gender policy and the spa can get quite booked, it had to be rescheduled for the next morning. Instead of spending his time at the spa, my husband ended up taking me shopping at JBR that afternoon– which just goes to show, ladies, that good karma does come around, haha.

As you can see, Khalifa also enjoyed strolling down JBR, so much so that he nearly fell asleep!

When we got back to the hotel, we had a dinner reservation at Habtoor Grand’s Asian seafood restaurant, Fish Bazaar. We were a little late, but they were still happy to accommodate us, and we were able to enjoy delicious, fresh seafood prepared in traditional Asian ways. You can see the full review of Fish Bazaar here: Fish Bazaar Restaurant Review.

After dinner, we headed back up to our room, and relaxed as we flipped through the TV channels. Oh and by the way, they provide very family-friendly channels! The staff had done turn-down service while we were out; they closed all of the curtains, got the comforters and bed ready and left little chocolates on our bed. All we had to lay down and fall asleep!

Day 3

Our day began once again at breakfast at Al Dhiyafa. We didn’t wake up as early as we did the day before, so the restaurant was more packed, but since its so large, there was still plenty of seating.

The items in the buffet stayed mainly the same, with a few variations. This time I ordered a cafe latte and they made it just the way I like it!

After breakfast, my husband headed downstairs to Habtoor Grand’s Elixir Spa where he enjoyed the Signature Elixir massage. Check out the full spa review here.

While he was getting pampered, Khalifa and I were up in the room hanging out. Khalifa played with his “puppy”, all while enjoying the beautiful view of Palm Jumeirah, and I had a cup of tea, all while enjoying the view of JBR. Oh and Khalifa’s view even included skydivers!

Once my husband was done with his spa treatment, he came back upstairs and we packed up and headed downstairs for check out. A bellman came to collect our bags, and we did all of the check out procedures in the lobby. After clearing the bills for laundry and a couple of mini bar items, all of our luggage was packed into the car and we headed off.

If you live in Dubai, chances are that you have passed through Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa, whether it was for a restaurant, brunch, the beach, or for a special event. It’s also such a great place for a staycation because there are so many activities, and its right in the heart of the city. If your visiting Dubai, I would highly recommend you to stay here because you will be literally minutes away from Dubai’s most popular attractions!

The price for one night in the room we stayed in (the Tower Oceanfront King Room including breakfast) is around 1,650 Dhs (January 2016). 

Ratings (0-5): 

• Location: 4.5
• Hotel Ambience: 5
• Staff (Friendliness and Helpfulness): 5 
• Rooms: 4
• Room/Bath Products Provided: 5
• In-Room WiFi: 2 (barely connected in our room, but worked perfectly fine in other areas of the hotel) 
• Amenities: 5
• Housekeeping: 5
• Value for money: 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5

To book at Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa, call +971 (0) 4 399 5000.