Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Written by Olivia Richardson: 25-November-2010
advertisement ^
Despite being in Dubai, there's nothing middle-eastern-looking about this resort - it actually has an old-school Italian theme and there's a massive Murano glass chandelier in the lobby (flown in especially for the resort from Venice).
The resort has 48 Deluxe rooms, and 24 Executive rooms, all with separate living areas and balconies. Most of the 50-square-metre rooms face the sea and give views of the Arabian Gulf (which has The Palm, plus loads of construction-looking things floating on it!).
There are 9 more luxurious rooms and suites (Luxury Suite, Duplex Suites, Grand Suites, Presidential Suite, and Deluxe Corner suites). I stayed in the most basic - a Deluxe room (pictured below).
The best bit? The bed! It is the most comfortable one I've ever slept on and has 10 layers of cleverness in there. It was pure lushness.
When it all gets too hot to handle, head to the beach or one of the 5 swimming pools. Relax in the bath when you return, then consider a treatment at the resort's Heavenly Spa (that's its name!).
The Westin doesn't forget the environment either. All laundry water is recycled for irrigation, waste is sorted and taken to recycling plants and chemicals used around the resort are biodegradable.
Best bits...
30 minutes of free internet a day in the Business Centre. Otherwise, you can buy wireless access in your room.
The yummy and cold lemon/mint water shot and cold face towel on arrival. I wanted more!
Breakfast at Blue Lagoon was insanely awesome! Guava Danish, chocolate bread, the best crepes ‘pancakes' ever, types of Japanese, western and pastries, Indian, and bacon (labelled ‘contains pork' and pork sausages). Yum x a ga-zillion. Ooh and the lemon and mint drink is amazing! I stayed at another resort for the rest of my trip and I was craving this buffet!
(Seating at Blue Lagoon)
Could be improved...
It's a shame internet access costs AED80 a day (around AU$22).
I find the best hotels have fluffy towels - it's the attention to detail. But Westin fails on this front. (They say you can tell a hygienic restaurant by pristine toilets and the same goes for me when it comes to towel quality.)
The hotel prides itself on its sea-facing views of the Arabian Sea but I was a little disappointed! I'm guessing it will be like this for all of Dubai - as the famous Jumeriah Beach Marina area has white sand beaches and ‘views of the gulf' but it's not far-reaching sea... think boats, The Palm (and you can't tell it's in a palm shape from the ground), and freight ship-looking getup. So yes, technically it's the sea but it's not like a clear view of the sea and that's it.
Working the lights in your room is annoying - you have to do it from a swtichboard thingy on the desk! Even to turn on lights in the bathroom.
The semi-old-school 5-star décor (‘aged mahogany' looking wood desks, etc.) mixed with quirky-contemporary Italian classical art was a little mismatched and would be better to keep it all one look.
(Deluxe room)
Tip
Visitors to Dubai maybe shouldn't expect pure Arab hospitality in hotels, etc. because the population is 90% foreigners! So the hotel staff are most likely from India, Africa or even Morocco.
Rating
For a normal hotel review, I give it 5 / 5. But comparing it with other 5-star properties (e.g. Royal Mirage Dubai, Chiva Som in Thailand, Astro Palace in Santorini, etc.), I give it a 3 / 5 in the luxe hotel category. The food is 6 / 5.
Check-in: 3-pm
Check-out: 12 noon.
Website & bookings: www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3034
(Bathroom; aerial lobby view; beach and pool view)