The Shangri-La is renowned around the globe as a luxury hotel chain. I stayed at the Shangri-La Sisngapore branch last year and thought that their service was great. I went back for more this year and tried out the Shangri-La Dubai for two nights during ramadam, and this is what I thought.
Shangri-La Dubai Review
My Room at the Shangri-La Dubai
After a confusing check-in where they told me that despite my stay being complimentary (as a blogger), I would still have to pay some random Dubai tax (when in Dubai, amirite), I was shown to my room. My room was gigantic and comfortable, with a huge bed so perfect I swear it cured my jet-lag within one night (I'd flown in from the Philippines) or maybe I just didn't have jet-leg lol. The decor wasn't exactly to my taste, but it wasn't vile either. And I'll take a comfy bed over cool decor any day of the week.
There were plenty of treats in my room: fruits and beautiful little sweets, this was a real plus as I arrived quite late at night and was hungry af.
I loved that there were postcards available to colour in!
The view from my room was trippy, by night it looked like something from a science fiction film, all lights and squiggles. By day you could see the giant buildings which contrasted strangely with the desert. That's pretty much all of Dubai though: a weird idea. When I started learning Arabic one of the first words I learnt was dub, which means bear. I was very excited because I thought maybe Dubai was named after the bears. But it turns out that both bear and Dubai come from the word 'to creep'. Cause, you know, bears creep, and Dubai creeps across the desert. Isn't language fascinating!
But back to my room. My room also had a massive bath and a great shower. it was basically everything I expected and more: comfortable, spacious and suitably equipped for the perfect night's sleep. The sweets and fruit were a real plus. Sometimes, actually often, when I review a room it's just a room - a nice room, but still, a room, what can I really say about it? So when there's sweets and fruits and a crazy view I can say more.
The Rooftop at the Shangri-La Dubai
Guests at the Shangri-La Dubai can enjoy the pool and jacuzzi on the roof. I personally didn't, but I did look at it and took this photo for you:
You can also go outside here, I definitely recommend that you do this at sunset, for this reason:
The Location of the Shangri-La Dubai
The Shangri-La Dubai is in a great location, just a five minute walk to the subway which can take you to most of the touristy spots in Dubai. (As I'm writing this I realise I might well be one of the only guests of the Shangri-La Dubai to ever use the subway, I'm sure most of them use taxis. Still, the subway is great and riding it was actually one of my favourite parts of Dubai.)
One stop over is the Mall of Dubai, where you can find every shop you've ever wanted to visit, and more.
I'm not really into malls, but in Dubai it's something else - there are many malls and most are filled with fascinating shops. Plus they're inside (obviously) so you can avoid the heat!
Breakfast at the Shangri-La Dubai
By far my absolute favourite thing about the Shangri-La Dubai though was the breakfast. It was incredible. I don't think I've ever had such a good breakfast in my entire life. The choice was extensive and, of course, luxurious: little cakes, olives, figs, passion fruits, hummus, juices, coffees and much more from all corners of the globe: Indian, Chinese, Western, and more!
I fell in love with the hummus and the olives, and then I fell in love with one of the chefs - upon hearing I am vegan, he made me a special Indian vegan pancake. It was so delicious. Continuing in that fashion, the staff we met at the Shangri-La were lovely and from all over the globe: Filipinos, Africans (sorry not sure exactly where), Indians. All were friendly and kind. I try to make a point of talking to the real people when I work with hotels (aka the waiters and cleaners, not the managers). One person said I was the first guest to speak to her in six months. So please have some class solidarity and talk to the real people around you wherever you are.
Getting to Shangri-La Dubai
There are many ways to get to the Shangri-La from the airport: they do their own pick-up, you can grab an uber, you can take the tube. But first you have to get to the airport! If you're coming from South East Asia I recommend Cebu Pacific Air, we flew with them from Boracay to Dubai and it was great.
Wrap Up: The Shangri-La Dubai
My stay at the Shangri-La was comfortable and relaxing. I was absolutely blown away by the breakfast, it was the best I've ever had and was truly luxurious. The only thing I didn't like about my stay there was how the staff are treated by the other guests. That says more about the guests than the hotel itself, but still, let's do better please. To book your own stay head on over to their website or find them on Hotels.com.
By the way, I made a video about learning Arabic during my visit, in case you're interested in some useful phrases to get by -- enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: Travelling Weasels were invited as guests of the Shangri-La, but as always all opinions are our own. We would never recommend something we haven't personally tried and loved. If we don't like something, we tell you.
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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