La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites
La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites
La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites
La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites

Hotel insider: La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai


  • English
  • Arabic

The welcome

I arrive by car at the plush, water-feature-embellished entrance of this Autograph Collection hotel, the third in the city. Valets are quick to enquire after my luggage. A computer fault foils an early check-in, but I am able to leave my suitcase, and when I return, formalities are completed by a personable receptionist. Unfortunately, a mix-up means that I assume the porter who shows me to my room has my door card, but it hasn't been issued to either of us.

The lobby at La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites
The lobby at La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites

The neighbourhood

City Walk is one of the most pleasant low-rise developments in Dubai, and in the early winter, it is a delight to stroll its streets. There are shops and cafes aplenty within a few steps of the hotel. It is only a short drive to Downtown Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road, but far enough from those hectic environs to feel almost entirely disconnected.

The room

My third-floor premium room has a view of the Burj Khalifa, albeit slightly obscured by construction work in Downtown Dubai. Other boons include a pineapple ornament filled with discount vouchers for the hotel's outlets, plus a comprehensive range of television channels. A large overhanging floor lamp near the wardrobe is at a perfect height for smacking your head, something that I inevitably manage. The room is equipped with an especially comfortable king bed, an Illy coffee machine, a work desk subtly integrated into the room design, a large Lowry-meets-­cartoon artwork above the bed depicting City Walk, and a tiny table with two-seater couch and upholstered chair. Bathroom highlights include a full tub and large separate rain shower.

The service

Attentive, charming and mostly intuitive – even the room-key drama doesn’t seem like a hassle, such is the swift and amiable resolution, while restaurant staff effortlessly slip into chatty conversations.

The scene

With 77 rooms, 11 suites and 68 apartments, La Ville is effectively split into two wings for guests and residents. The reception has a busy, slightly ­businesslike feel, with a steady stream of people using the lobby cafe for meetings. Wi-Fi is free and connects from rooms to restaurants and everywhere in-between. The low-rise design – there are only five floors – lends a distinctly European vibe.

The food

There are three restaurants, plus the lobby cafe and rooftop pool bar LookUp. The most attractive is ground-floor gastro-grill Graze, which has a semi-open-air design that allows you to gaze onto the street during your meal. I dine alone after a friend cancels at short notice, but what could ordinarily be an awkward experience is rescued by some of the most attentive but well-judged service in Dubai. The highlight is some enjoyably tart ceviche (Dh65); Graze has the chops – and steaks – to be a worthy stand-alone dining destination. Breakfast is part-buffet, part-à la carte at Chival, which is next door to Graze. It also has a lovely terrace, on the interior courtyard of the hotel – a perfect place to consume fresh juices served in cute mini milk bottles and an asparagus-embellished poached-egg dish that takes its name from the restaurant. Sadly, largely thanks to its dinner-only opening times, I don’t get to experience the fare at the hotel’s bar/kitchen Grapeskin, which looks like it would make a nice lunch spot.

Graze restaurant at La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites
Graze restaurant at La Ville Hotel & Suites, City Walk, Dubai. La Ville Hotel & Suites

Loved

The low-rise atmosphere and Graze’s food and staff.

Hated

Check-in could have been smoother, but it turned out OK in the end.

LookUp pool bar
LookUp pool bar

The verdict

An escape from Dubai’s skyscrapers, but without travelling far from the city’s core.

The bottom line

Double rooms at La Ville Hotel & Suites cost from Dh1,400, including taxes.

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Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

Shipping%20and%20banking%20
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Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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UAE-based players

Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim

Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

 

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Other key dates
  • Finals draw: December 2
  • Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
  • Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
  • Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed