Love is to be celebrated all year round, but whats the harm in having one special day to put a little bit of extra effort, right?! For Valentine’s Day this year, I’ve put together the ULTIMATE GUIDE for everything V-Day-related! Everything is handpicked and I’ve weeded out all of that same-old plain-jane Valentines Day stuff. Some of these are very unique ideas, some are incredibly extravagant, while others are super down-to-earth. From dinners to hotels, and spas to gifts, you can find the perfect things to do (and get) for a very special Valentines Day:

 

Bateaux Dubai (For the lovebirds) 

Its snazzy new pier at the Al Seef Cultural District, makes the boarding experience on Bateaux Dubai a perfect start to a romantic six-course dinner cruise along the historic waters of Dubai Creek. This experience in the glass-enclosed restaurant can be booked throughout February for AED 1,300 per couple, including alcoholic house beverages. For AED 2,000 per couple, guests enjoy extra exclusivity with a table in the Premium Lounge, as well as additional advantages like French bubbly, a floral bouquet and deluxe Elemis toiletries as gifts. We’ve been on Bateaux Dubai before and its truly a lovely experience! 

Phone: +971 4 814 5553

Website: Bateaux Dubai

Instagram: Bateaux Dubai Instagram

 

Bliss Beach Lounge (For the couple that wants to keep it upbeat) 

Bliss Beach Lounge is a lovely outdoor setting. Its apart of Sheraton JBR and its perfect if you’re looking for a trendy kind of Valentines Day. For a sushi platter, dessert and a bottle of wine or bubbly, its an affordable AED 349. They also have private cabanas inclusive of sushi platter, dessert and free flow of bubbly, which can be booked for two hour time-slots for AED 999.

Phone: +971 4 315 3861

Website: Bliss Lounge Dubai

Instagram: Bliss Lounge Dubai

 

Couqley (For a V-day spent with friends)

Couqley is an amazing French Bistro that is a great place to go for a fun Valentines dinner as a casual couple, or with a group of friends. Personally, I love the variety of food they have! So many great, fresh dishes and lovely service. Its a nice, fancy but not-too-high-maintenance place to have a filling Valentines Day dinner.

Phone: +971 4 514 9339

Website: Couqley Facebook

Instagram: Couqley Dubai Instagram

 

 

 

 

Rasasi  (For those who love perfumes and bukhoor) 

 

Who doesn’t love perfumes as a gift?! You can never have too many. I recently came across one of the most amazing scents, Rasasi’s Junoon Leather (AED 250). I literally gave up my usual daily abaya perfume for it (and yes, I have a perfume just for abayas!). Its actually for men, but I think its more like a unisex Arabic scent. Along with that, they also have an absolutely intoxicating bukhoor scent called Ambroxia (AED 125). I say this for both the bukhoor and the perfume– you simply have to go smell it to believe it! Its a great gift for a man or a woman, and it wont break the bank.

Website: Rasasi Website

Instagram: Rasasi Instagram

 

Delecto (For the chocolate and Arabic sweets lovers)

Delecto makes some of the most breathtaking sweets trays EVER! They are based in Abu Dhabi and create the most extravagant looking edible gifts. For Valentines Day, they have created several special trays and arrangements and they start from just AED 200! They can also customize it to have Moroccan, Tunisian or other Arabic sweet instead of chocolate. I have to warn you though, most of their stuff is just too pretty to eat, but also too delicious to not! 

Phone: +971 2 496 3444

Website: Delecto Website

Instagram: Delecto Instagram

 

joi Gifts (For those who like to do things with a personal touch) 

joi Gifts is THE place to go for gifts all throughout the year. For Valentines Day especially though, they have some really unique gifts. There are so many things you can order to be personalized! They have chocolates with personalized messages, picture mugs, personal messages and even images carved into crystal, customized puzzles where you can put together a message or a special picture of you and your beloved– the list goes on and on. 

For Valentines Day, joi Gifts also has a special Singing Telegram. You can literally have someone come and serenade your significant other! Or you can have them come and bring some V-day spirit to liven up the office. Bet you didn’t even know that was a thing here in Dubai! Along with those custom services and products, joi Gifts also has gorgeous flower arrangements, cakes and gift bundles. They are also giving you guys a special discount if you book for delivery on Valentine’s Day before Feb 5, you can get a 20% discount. Just use the promo code ‘PREBOOK20’.

Phone: 800 joi (564)

Website: joi Gifts Website

Instagram: joi Gifts Instagram

 

Eclair (For those who can’t choose between flowers or sweets)

Because of Eclair in Dubai, eclairs are seriously my new favorite dessert. Its amazing how they pack so much natural flavor into those deliciously creative French pastries. For Valentines Day, they are having a special deal where you can get a luxury combo of mouthwatering eclairs plus roses. Its available in a set of 6 roses and eclairs for AED 325 or a set of 12 for AED 495.

Phone: +971 4 343 9901

Website: Eclairs + Roses Bundle

Instagram: Eclair Instagram

 

Origin Base (For the DIY lovers) 

Origin Base is a one-of-a-kind place here in Dubai. Its a workspace for builders and creators and they have everything from wood/metal/electric workshops to 3-D building machines. You can go and make stuff yourself OR you can even have someone from the Origin Base team custom-make anything your heart desires. A couple of weeks ago, I went there to have a custom bench made, and one of the builders, Henry, did everything perfectly to my specifications. I even got to put some of the finishing touches (so I could say that I kinda made it too, haha). If you’re looking for something truly special and unique to make for your loved one, this is the place to go.

Phone: +971 55 134 9247

Website: Origin Base Website

Instagram: Origin Base Instagram

 

Shakespeare & Co. (For delicious locally-made chocolates and cakes!) 

For almost every special occasion or holiday, I get sweets from Shakespeare. This year’s Valentines Day will not be any different. Their chocolates are all locally made and have some of the most delicious flavors. Their Cinnamon Crushed Caramel is my absolute favorite chocolate in the world! They also have delicious cakes (large and single serve) to bring home to your loved one. Also, if you’re looking for an affordable V-day dinner, there are so many beautiful Shakespeare & Co. locations all over the UAE!

Website: Shakespeare and Co. Website

Instagram: Shakespeare and Co. Instagram

 

 

JA Palm Tree Court (For those who want to experience one of the best resorts at an affordable price)

With whimsical walkways through Instagram-worthy tropical gardens spread across 128 acres, even a stroll before dinner is romantic at JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort, Dubai’s Only True Resort. Enjoy an overnight stay from 14-17 February 2018, including a five-course Valentine’s dinners at La Traviata or White Orchid with 2 glasses of sparkling, a rose for the lady and a box of chocolates as well as in-room breakfast. Prices start at AED 1,089 per night in a Garden View Room at JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel and AED 1,689 per night in a Garden View Junior Suite at JA Palm Tree Court. There is also an option to book a private table on the beach, under the glittery stars for AED 1,500 per couple, including a bottle of Italian bubbly, a rose for the lady and a box of chocolates.

Phone: +971 4 814 5500

Website: JA Palm Tree Court Website

Instagram: JA Palm Tree Court Instagram

 

Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort (For a lovely night’s stay in a JBR resort)

Sheraton in JBR is offering an exclusive cabana set-up on the beach for a candlelight dinner while facing the Arabian Sea. How romantic does that sound?! The price for that is AED 3,499 per couple. There is also an option to have a romantic private cabana in a lush palm tree garden for the price of AED 2,999. After dinner, you can enjoy a complimentary stay at the resort on the same night.

Phone: +971 4 315 3861

Website: Sheraton JBR Website

Instagram:  Sheraton JBR Instagram

 

Fairmont Dubai  (For the couple that wants to go allll out, in true Dubai-style)

Your dreamlike two-day romantic staycation will start with a stretch limo pick-up from the comfort of your home, taking you straight to the hotel, followed by a helicopter ride over Dubai. You’ll then be taken back to the hotel and given the keys to the hotel’s 548 sq. m two-story Imperial Suite, where a private butler awaits your arrival with a bouquet of 100 red roses and a diamond jewelry set worth over AED 15,000. You will then head to the hotel’s salon, where professional make-up artists and hair stylists help you and your better half get ready. For dinner, you’ll be treated to a 7-course gourmet menu with beverage pairings, created by the personal chef, served on the hotel’s rooftop and accompanied by a live violinist to serenade you for the evening. On the next morning, before taking a dip in your own private jacuzzi, you will be treated to a romantic bubbly breakfast in bed. Later on the day, you’ll be chauffeured to take a 40-minute flight over Dubai’s skyline on board a seaplane, followed by a 90-minute couples’ massage in the comfort of your suite. You’ll spend an afternoon on a private yacht with a bottle of bubbly and strawberries dipped in chocolate, followed by a dinner at The Exchange Grill in the evening. Before you’re chauffeured back home with the stretch limousine the day after, another sumptuous breakfast buffet will be laid out for you and your better half on the Imperial Suite’s terrace.

This Valentine’s package is available for a stay from 14th February 2018 and
priced at AED 85, 000 per couple.

Phone: +971 4 332 5555

Website: Fairmont Dubai Website

Instagram: Fairmont Dubai Instagram

 

Softouch Spa, Kempinski Dubai (For those who just need to relaaax) 

This delightful experience is the ideal way for couples to relax and rejuvenate together. Each treatment is custom-tailored to suit individual needs, with a specially formulated warm oil creating a deep penetrating heat, while the therapist applies a range of techniques and pressures designed to reduce tension and alleviate fatigue by stretching overworked, tired and stressed muscles.

The session ends with the healing art of reflexology. Used by the Chinese since ancient times, this foot treatment helps the body and mind to maintain balance and equity by incorporating pressure points that mirror the body’s key systems. The treatment takes 90 minutes and costs AED 1155 per couple

Phone: +971 4 409 5909 

Website: Softouch Spa, Kempinski Website

 

Luban Spa (For those who want to spend V-day relaxing with the girls) 

Luban Spa is the first of its kind spa in the region featuring the precious Omani frankincense rituals for the body & mind in its 5* luxury premises, which has been exclusively designed for women to ensure a high level of privacy and confidentiality. It offers everything from Hammams, soothing Massages, express pampering sessions, facials, body scrubs and more. Its a ladies-only spa and these are their Valentine’s Day Spa Packages: RHYTHM OF LOVE – 60 minutes Roses and Love Caress Body Scrub and a 60 minutes Luban Body Harmony Massage, AED 600; LOVES RADIANCE – 75 mins Luban Body Bliss, plus and Timeless Manicure and Pedicure, AED 535. I did the latter a few week ago and it was soooo relaxing!

Phone: +971 434 60000

Website: Luban Spa Website

Instagram:  Luban Spa Instagram

 

SensAsia Urban Spa (For those who want to recover together) 

The Recovery For Two is a 75-minute treatment, taken side-by-side in one of SensAsiaʼs sumptuous couples’ suites at its Emirates Golf Club location. It begins with a 15-minute head, neck and face acupressure massage, targeting the tiny muscles that hold on to so much tension, and preparing the body to enter a true state of tranquility. Then, itʼs on to a 60-minute full body massage, using deep pressure and long, penetrating strokes to break down tightly-wound muscles and correct posture. The Recovery can include a variety of techniques to really melt away the dull aches, sharp pains, cramping, lactic acid build-up and ‘lockedʼ feelings that come with regular and strenuous exercise. The Recovery For Two is a 75-minute treatment, available at SensAsia Urban Spa at Emirates Golf Club throughout February. The price is 1,150dhs, with a discounted rate of 1,050dhs if pre-booked and paid before February 14th.

Website: SensAsia Urban Spa

Instagram: SensAsia Urban Spa Instagram