Palazzo Versace Dubai is one of my most frequently visited and favorite properties in Dubai. I’ve enjoyed numerous meals there, have also previously enjoyed a staycation there (which you can read more about here), and I’ve built ever so many incredibly pleasant memories there with friends and family alike.

As we really couldn’t muster up the courage to travel this summer but desperately wanted a change of indoors scenery and wanted said change to be as different from our minimalist, Sandi home, we knew it was time for an encore at Palazzo Versace Dubai, for an opulence overload. This time, however, we went for bigger and better (and they’ve got some incredible summer deals on that are making staying in Dubai for the summer like an actual win).

Enter, the Palazzo Versace Dubai Grand Suite, Creek View. This was exactly the kind of ornate opulence of a ‘treat yourself’ we needed for a thrilling sensory shock to relax yet invigorate us from the mundane monotony of being home for the last year and a half. They have a few Grand Suites on the property, but only 3 with the huge terraces overlooking the creek, and we were lucky enough to score one. Rich rapper life weekend mode: ON.

The reason I’m writing this review even though I’ve already written about this property is because it’s worth mentioning that even 4 years later, the property has not only maintained it’s standards, hospitality, cleanliness and upkeep, but -if anything- this time round we had an even better time than last time. It could partially be due to the fact that we were staying in a colossal suite this time as opposed to the more basic one we occupied last time. It could also be because our travel-deprived souls were desperate for a change, but in no way would that make us lower our standards so I’m pretty sure that if the stay passed all my microscopic tests, it deserved it all the praise I’m about to shower on it.

Our check-in was smooth, breezy and warm.

A bit about our suite: With a living room, desk, dining area, powder room, store room, bedroom, walk-in dressing room and an ensuite bathroom spread across a sprawling 130 square meters. The suite had parquet flooring, white and cream boiserie, and a pastel palette of silk furnishings from the Versace Home Store. Our terrace was so huge that it actually had a dining table for 4, a coffee table and sofa for 4, and 2 loungers, with plenty of room to spare. This suite could easily accommodate a party for 30!

Let’s talk about the progressions / COVID precautions:

• Temperature-screening cameras and hand-san dispensers at the entrance of the hotel and throughout the property, at the entrance of every F&B outlet, gym, and turning point
• In-room welcome gift including 2 Palazzo Versace reusable masks, and two shiny, golden bottles of hand-san
• Spa treatment table was covered in a disposable sheet and the room is sanitized in between treatments.
• Security guards throughout the property were reminding any guests that might have forgotten, to wear their masks
• Glass barriers between the diners and chefs at Giardino, the all day diner, ensuring that all hands don’t touch the serving spoons, and even though they’re chafing dishes, the food remains hygienic and potentially germ-free
• The suite was spotless and had clearly been cleaned very room

Let’s talk about the constants that ticked all the right boxes:

• The Spa, the spa, the spa. I cannot get enough of the spa at Palazzo Versace. It continues to be my absolute favorite spa in Dubai, year on year on year. The Spa gift vouchers are at really good prices and are my go-to gift for friends (and myself).
• Lush robes and amenities: Palazzo Versace have incredibly comfy beds and furniture (something one would expect from all 5* properties but sadly that’s not the case, and their robes are without a doubt some of the BEST we’ve ever come across.
• Mosaico Lobby Lounge: Easily the best Lobby Lounge in Dubai. The 1.5 million hand-laid tiles that inspired the name are a breathtaking spectacle and leave you completely awestricken every single time. Their high-tea is delicious, and if you use an Entertainer voucher, you end up with a really great deal.
• Giardino:  It is what it is- an all day diner, but it’s definitely one of the best all day diners in Dubai. As hard as it is for me to get excited about a chafing dish buffet, I must admit that for an all day diner, the food quality is excellent. How popular the restaurant is amongst families and how packed it is all day every day, bear testament to that. Their Friday brunch in particular is excellent value for money, and we enjoyed both the Wednesday night seafood buffet and the breakfast that we had there. The options are plentiful and quality above industry average.
• Enigma: Granted that /Enigma was not yet a Persian concept when I last stayed at the property, it was great back then and is great now. The menu at Enigma is the most exciting and expansive one out of all their F&B outlets, and we love Enigma so much that we ended up going there for two meals in a row. Their Confit Chicken and Walnut Stew with little surprise parcels of crispy tahdig in there are what decadent dreams are made of and yes, we ordered it twice, for two meals in a row!

Let’s talk about the only regressions:

The minibar– had been completely emptied out of all glassware, drinks and snacks. Only the cups were remaining, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Covid precautions or because far too many guests might have been stealing the expensive glassware? I’ll never understand how people can justify taking non-disposables from hotels. It’s really nothing short of shoplifting. The drinks and snacks might have been missing due to covid precautions?

Vanitas: A restaurant I’ve always wanted to more than I actually managed to, and ha only progressively let me down. The food and flavors have mostly always been forgettable at best, but our most recent meal there frankly made the calories we consumed border on regrettable. They’ve finally added pizza to their menu and I was shocked at hoe unimpressive the pizza was for any establishment, let alone an Italian one. The burrata was chilled and firm, a faux pas I again wouldn’t expect from an Italian restaurant. I hate how harsh this sounds, especially as we absolutely loved the property overall, but I’d even more if my readers didn’t choose better for their meal(s).

Suffice to say, we absolutely LOVED our time at Palazzo Versace Dubai and were not only blissed out on the experience for weeks to come, but we couldn’t stop talking about it with everyone we met. If you follow me on Instagram, you can catch all the details in my highlights, and some summaries on the grid.