The Versace brand made a new home in Dubai! Palazzo Versace opened its doors just a few months ago, and although its still in its soft-opening phase, we just had to check it out.

You would actually be surprised at how many people are opting to stay at the hotel even though its still not completed– so much so that every room was booked during our stay, and we were lucky to be able to reserve a 1-night stay on a couple of weeks notice. If your looking into staying at the hotel, I highly suggest that you book ASAP since it gets filled up fast.

Palazzo Versace is located in Al Jaddaf, which is just a little bit outside of the Oud Metha area, and only a few minutes drive to Downtown Dubai. The area and roads surrounding the hotel are currently going through construction, so it can be a little bit confusing to get to the hotel, but all of that should be cleared up within a matter of a few weeks or a couple of months at the most.

Once you get to the hotel, however, it feels like you have stepped into a modern Palace of Versailles. There is literally nothing else I can possibly compare it to, because its just that opulent, extravagant and gorgeous.

Every single thing in the hotel is Versace-branded, from the doormat rug at the entrance, to the furniture, and right down to the hand towels in the bathrooms.

After marveling at the beautiful lobby, my husband, 1-year old Khalifa and I made our way to the check-in desks. They welcomed us with a refreshing towel and drinks. I handed them our IDs and after signing a paper, we were asked if we wanted a quick tour of the grounds, and we of course, said yes!

We were taken around almost the entire ground floor, shown the restaurants and cafes and then went outside to see the pools. Our guide explained so many details about the hotel, and you can really tell that the staff are very well-informed and educated about the property– something that can be unusual for a very new hotel.

He even gave us interesting facts about the hotel; for example, this chandelier was a special import that weighs over 3,000 kilograms!

Once we were done with the tour, he showed us to our room on the 3rd floor. We were staying in a Deluxe Room with a Dubai Creek view. This room category has two different views, the Dubai Creek view and the Cultural Village view and I would highly recommend that you opt for the Dubai Creek view especially if your booking your stay for the near future because the Cultural Village view has a lot of construction going on.

The Deluxe Room is actually their most basic room, but the size of it is quite large. Palazzo Versace is very generous with space, and although we usually stay in suites (especially if we’re staying any longer than 1 night), the space of this room was very acceptable, even with a 1-year old in tow.

In the main area of the room, there was a king-sized bed with a nightstand on each side of it. Across from the bed, there is a large TV with a cabinet below it. Next to that is a work desk and chair. On the desk, they provide everything you could possibly need to get some work done, including stationary and even a USB.

On one corner of the room, there is a dining/lounge area, where there are two plush chairs and a small table between them. On that table, they left for us a platter of fresh fruits and a box of Palazzo Versace chocolates!

Next to this little dining area, there area double doors leading to the balcony, which has a view overlooking the pool and creek. It also has outdoor seating, so you can enjoy the beautiful and peaceful evenings in this area.

On the other side of the room, there is a hidden closet-like area that opens up to a mini bar that has a fully-stocked fridge, glasses, a coffee machine, complimentary water, teas and coffee pods.

The corridor leading to the bathroom is cleverly designed– one side of it is a closet, while the other side is a make up table! Versace knows me well…

The bathroom is all in one area but separated into three rooms/sections; one room for the sinks and bathtub, another for the shower and the last for the toilet.

Our luggage arrived, and we put them away in the closet, connected to the in-room Wifi, and then headed downstairs. Our little Khalifa saw the pool and instantly wanted to get in, but none of us were appropriately dressed for the pool. One of the lifeguards saw just how badly he wanted to go into the water, so he actually carried him into the pool and played with him there! If that’s not friendly service, I don’t know what is!

After that, we headed upstairs and Khalifa took a nap while we got ready for dinner. We had a booking made for dinner at Palazzo Versace’s Italian seafood restaurant, Vanitas. To see our full experience there, check out the review here: Vanitas at Palazzo Versace [Restaurant Review].

When we were done with a scrumptious dinner, we headed back up to the room and relaxed on the balcony until we were tired enough for bed.

Day 2

This day started off beautiful and sunny. We headed downstairs to the breakfast buffet, and it really was one of the best breakfast spreads that I’ve ever tried at any hotel. Yes, there was a fairly large variety, but in all honesty, I wont say that it was the largest I’ve ever seen. What made this breakfast so special is quality of the food. Every morsel couldn’t possibly have been made any better. The fruits were especially great in quality. We usually rush through breakfast, but we really took our time enjoying this one!

After breakfast, we went up to the room and I called to request a late check out so we could make the most of the pool. Unfortunately, since the hotel was at maximum occupancy, we had to check out at 12pm.

We did go down to the pool for a little bit before heading out, and oh what a lovely pool! There are actually two pools– one that is family-friendly and the other that is child-free.

When we were done with the pool, we headed back upstairs to wash up, pack and were on our way down to the lobby to check out at 12pm sharp.

Check out was a breeze, and our car was loaded with our bags and we headed home.

The hotel really went above my expectations. Since its a new hotel, I really thought there would be plenty of mishaps and the staff wouldn’t be as well-informed, and the service would lack, but I was so wrong! Everything was really on point. The hotel itself was a work of art.

The price for one night in the room we stayed in (the Deluxe Suite with Creek View) is around 2,000 Dhs (March 2016). 

Ratings (0-5): 

• Location: 4
• Hotel Ambience: 5
• Staff (Friendliness and Helpfulness): 5
• Room: 5
• Room/Bath Products Provided: 5
• In-Room WiFi: 5 (Not chargeable) 
• Amenities: 5
• Housekeeping: 5
• Value for money: 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.83

To book at Palazzo Versace Dubai, call +971 (0)4 556 8888.