M and I live in the suburbs of Dubai, or as some would put it: In The Middle Of The Desert. Believe it or not, we love it. We love Dubai and everything it has to offer, but we also love that at the end of every beautifully chaotic day, we come home to a quieter, cooler, and infinitely more peaceful home in the suburbs.
Recently, however, with the fall in rents and the increase in irritation resulting from commuting to the city, we’ve been considering moving to Dubai Marina, and decided to test the waters by spending a weekend there. I couldn’t possibly think of a better place than The Address Dubai Marina, so we packed our overnight bag and trotted off.
Here’s how my experience at TADM went..
Check-in: We scored ourselves a premier suite, and that meant VIP treatment from the moment we approached the check-in desk. All guests who book the Premier, Grand, or Presidential suites get an insane number of perks. These include transfers, 24-hour check-in, and access to the Club Lounge. We’ll talk about how Club Lounge in a while because that was one of my favorite features of the hotel.
The Suite: Two words: Mind. Blown. We were given a guided tour of the pleasantly-fragranced, cosy, and spacious lounge, with a comfy couch, desk, and a balcony. It also had latest 60 inch LG TV, 3D glasses, and an Ipad which which you could control the air-conditioning, lights, make restaurant reservations, select a movie to watch, and order movie snacks or any other kind of room service! M had an absolute blast with said I-Pad, and I’d be lying if I said we didn’t watch Deadpool four times during our stay- and Spongebob, once.
The Balcony: The sweeping views from the balcony were breathtaking and if I could, I would have spent all my time there. There was amply seating for two, with a table in between, and it was just perfect.
The Minibar: I completely disregarded the alcoholic beverages as we don’t drink, but even other than that, the minibar was one dreams are made of. Chocolates, nuts and candy aside, there was a Nespresso machine, Arabic coffee, and TWG teas (my favorite). What I especially loved was the array of glasses teacups that were neatly placed upside down on disposable coasters rather than having the rims touch the trays itself. The trays were clean, but it was a small and very important detail for the obsessive compulsive germaphobe in me that made me feel right at home and very comfortable with the cleanliness element.
The bedroom: The softest most comfiest bed EVER. This is exactly what a business traveller needs after a long trip and/or a trying day. I know hotels are notorious for comfortable beds, but this was on a whole new level, especially with the sweeping views of the Marina. It gets even better though: remember the HUGE 3D, IPad compatible TV in the lounge? They had another one of these (TV and IPad) in the bedroom too!
The bathroom: Ok, clearly I had no idea what “living” is, until I stepped into this bathroom. This bathroom could fit a small neighborhood in it- but that’s no cue to invite your friends and family over, because you will want to draw up a bath and read a book overlooking the Marina, Pier Chic and the tiny people from 13 floors up.
Club Lounge: (Eligible) guests who arrive between 6-11 pm can directly check into the club lounge if they’d like, and can grab complimentary and extremely moreish meals at the club lounge from 6am till 11pm. I had one meal here and the variety was just sufficient, offering something for everyone without being overwhelming, and everything was so, so delicious. I was genuinely surprised by how satisfying the meal was, as club lounges usually offer disappointing meals that won’t rev up anyone’s appetite.
Shades: We enjoyed a breathtaking poolside dinner on one of the days during our stay at The Address Dubai Marina. The view was absolutely stunning. M got himself a grape-mint sheesha, and together with some delicious food we enjoyed sweeping views of the marina. Part Most of me wished I could just jump in the pool, but being cleverly disguised as a responsible adult prevented me from doing so. Instead, I ordered us a couple of salads, and a couple of grills (because healthy eating was my thing for a few weeks this summer). We got an unsolicited but much appreciated plate of Cheesy Jalapeno focaccia as an appetizer and it was so, SO good. Next up we had some Papaya Salad, which was one of the less impressive papaya salads I’ve had, but the Poached Chicken Salad with a soy honey dressing was sheer umami. The dressing was absolute perfection, and the chicken didn’t have that unpleasant smell most poached chicken has. I also loved the abundance of sesame seeds in it. We also had the Watermelon Feta Salad, and while this has become a common item on most menus now, the chef had given it a unique twist by brining the watermelon and funking up the dressing with balsamic, caviar, and sakura. This homogenized the flavors and rounded the contrast between the sweet and savory elements, but I’d skip the brining as I personally like the contrast of flavors this dish usually has to offer.
For the entree, we ordered a plate of Grilled Salmon that was done beautifully, and it came with sides that made it a huge, very filling meal. I wasn’t too crazy about the dessert, which was a cookie and icecream sandwich; the cookie was far too hard.
The Spa: Just before I checked out, I went for the Original Beauty facial at The Spa. I was welcomed with chilled towels fragranced with jasmine; and the options of green tea and lemon water. The lighting is dim and relaxing, the air balmy and the aroma calming. The towels, robes and slippers were all beige and the spa was decorated with all neutral earth tones– very classy and calming. Clear attention had been paid to the smallest details; the robes were extremely comfortable, and the slippers were perfect. They were clearly designed for the smaller petite feet of women, and it was such a treat to slip my feet into disposable slippers that fit for a change.
The facial started with a short but extremely relaxing head massage. I had had a good night’s sleep but I was ready to doze off again already. The Original Beauty facial I got was intended for deep cleansing and anti-aging. All the products used were Themae Organic, and the main ingredients used in my facial were red tea, white tea and black tea and green tea. How perfect, for me to have tea products slathered on my face.
My specialist, Jam, was a darling and served me dried fruits and tea after the treatment. Although I had the option to enjoy the sauna and steam room before the treatment, I passed as I never enjoy saunas and steam rooms. Instead, I lounged in the relaxation room after the treatment, sipping on my lavender tea, tucked into the comforting warmth of a throw, realizing how truly and absolutely relaxing the entire experience was. You’d think it’s obvious how lighting should be dim and music soft in a spa, but some spas still get that wrong and luckily The Spa at The Address Downtown is one that has nailed the recipe to keep people coming back for more. Absolutely loved it.
The Negatives: I actually had to struggle to find flaws in ur suite. Everything was spotless and impeccable. I finally did manage to find one though: the ironing board. The ironing board and iron were total misfits in the modern suite, and were so dated and worn out that they stuck out like a sore thumb. As for the dining options, I wasn’t entirely impressed by Kambaa afternoon tea and Shades was a hit and miss, but the Club Lounge and Mazina definitely served up memorable and delicious meals.
Summary of Overall Experience: We checked in on a Friday afternoon, had afternoon tea at Kambaa, and spent the evening relaxing in the luxuriously comfortable and cosy suite. It was fully quipped with all the modern amenities and more. The hotel had really done their homework, and gave me the best welcome I’ve ever gotten in a hotel. In addition to the usual fruit basket that welcomes me in most hotels, there was a vibrant plate of hand-crafted, fondent-wrapped chocolates to look like dim sum– this truly made my day. We had an early dinner at Shades, then returned back to the room and we watched Spongebob, before moving to the balcony for several cups of Arabic coffee and a view of Pier 7, tiny shoppers leaving Marina mall 13 floors down, and the twinkling lights on Dhows and yatchs floating away in the marina. It was a truly relaxing and pleasant change of scenery.
The next morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to the view of the Marina skyscrapers in a light I’ve never seen before, and decided to catch up on some reading. As much as I find it hard to wake up early, I’m the chirpiest bird when I do. I made myself another one of those brilliant Nescafe Arabic coffees, sat myself down in the balcony and watched the uncharacteristically static Marina. When M woke up, we headed downstairs for The Superhero Brunch at Mazina, and came back upstairs a few hours later with very happy stomachs. More relaxing in the suite was followed by an uncanny craving for Kale chips, so I prepared myself to make the hike to Waitrose in Dubai Marina Mall. Little did I know, that the hike I prepared for would not be, as the mall is directly connected to the hotel. A pack of Kale Chips in hand, we returned to the hotel to have a light dinner at the Club Lounge because I was still stuffed from brunch. Much to my surprise, the dinner was so much better than I expected, and so far above the usual club lounge meals that tend to kill one’s appetite at first sight.
On our second morning there, when we were due to check out, I ordered in-room breakfast and managed to score one of my favorite Instagram pictures till date, after which I headed to the Spa for some me-time and a facial. The hotel was nice enough to allow me a late check-out, so I didn’t feel rushed at all. It was –in a nutshell– an absolutely wonderful experience that reminded me of how great hotels stays can be. I’m already a loyal fan of the Emaar Hospitality group but this experience just further strengthened by belief in them. Thank you so much for an unforgettable stay.
