Nicole (@nicole_lovelock_mears), one of my favourite Dubai Instagrammers, recently spent a weekend at Jumeirah Al Naseem, which, despite being the new kid on the block, is already making waves in Dubai’s ever changing, fast-moving hotel scene. You can visit Nicole’s blog or Instagram to follow her adventures in Dubai and abroad. Below is Nicole’s review of the hotel:
I recently visited the newest addition to the Jumeirah family, Al Naseem, for a summer staycation and I have to tell you I was so impressed that I’m already planning my next visit!
From the carefully-considered landscaping, the impressive artwork, modern luxurious features and the attentiveness of the staff, Jumeirah Al Naseem has just got it right. This resort is luxury upon luxury and despite its vast size and grandiosity you instantly feel at home and relaxed.
Upon arrival, expect to receive a warm welcome to the backdrop of an impressive art installation depicting a metallic herd of racing camels shimmering under the summer sun. The grand entrance and floor to ceiling windows framing the Burj Al Arab will leave you in awe, but just wait until you check in and arrive at your room. This is definitely the place to come for a real treat and some serious chilling out.
Here are the reasons I fell in love with this hotel and why it’s shot into my top 10 hotels in Dubai:
The Design: The resort itself is sprawling and its asymmetrical design makes for interesting exploring. The meandering corridors and paths through the beautifully green landscaped gardens are peppered with more modern art and interesting iron works. In total, the resort spans 4 incredible pools, with a dedicated “Adults Only” pool featuring a detailed mosaic bottom with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and allow for privacy. The stunning décor and cleverly thought out design of the rooms were one of my favourite features. A huge walk in bathroom and dressing room sits open in the middle of the room but gives you the option of privacy by using sliding plantation screens, allowing you to create a room within a room.
The Locale: Al Naseem forms part of the sprawling Madinat complex, featuring 4 hotels all connected by beautiful waterways which you can explore via an abra boat. There’s also a huge souk for all your shopping pleasures and over 50 dining options throughout the various hotels. Al Naseem has prime location along the waterfront with beautiful white sand, crystal blue waters and an impressive aspect from the Marina to the towering Burj Al Arab.
The Food: Al Naseem itself has 10 restaurants on site and as I mentioned above, if this isn’t enough you have plenty to choose from within the Madinat. We visited the infamous New York Burger joint Black Tap for lunch on day one. It has a fun ambiance with an urban chic design. Think graffiti-ed walls and neon signs. Packed with an eclectic mix from kids enjoying their weekly treat, to couples on a date day, to groups of friends catching up over burgers and beers. With a core offering of burgers with options to customise, the place will satisfy the dirtiest of burger hankerings. For dinner we dined in the brand new Rockfish restaurant, serving exquisitely cooked seafood. Check out their Ahi Tune ceviche and Grilled Scallop and Scottish Salmon. For lunch the following day we decided to keep it casual at the poolside Sugarmash restaurant. The Coconut Fried Fish Tacos are a must try!
The Service: For me, Jumeirah offers a level of service which is way above a lot of other hotel chains. The staff here simply couldn’t do enough for you. Our waiter visited us several times throughout our day at the pool to bring cold towels, top up our cool bag full of chilled water and to check if we were ready for our next ice cold beer. The service was attentive without being intrusive and all the staff are genuinely lovely. They’re happy to have a chat and a joke with you and just add to the whole experience, not to mention they know how to make a mean cocktail!!
The perfect destination for the whole family: Al Naseem has struck a perfect balance between appealing to couples and families. For those of you looking to visit with kids there is the obvious fun to be had in the pools and beach but there is also a dedicated kids club and the Turtle Lagoon, which is part of Jumeirah’s turtle rehabilitation project. And let’s face it, what child wouldn’t want to indulge in one of the incredible freak shakes from Black Tap!
