The welcome
Three doormen greet me as I walk through the entrance. I’m offered dates and Arabic coffee during a seated check-in, but everything happens so swiftly that I don’t even take a sip or a bite. When I arrive at my room, a doorman is standing outside with my suitcase, meaning there isn’t one second of “where is my bag?” stress.
The neighbourhood
The St Regis is the first hotel in the ambitious Al Habtoor City (construction is under way on W Dubai and The Westin Dubai, a European-style boulevard, marina on the Dubai Water Canal and a permanent theatre that will house the Las Vegas-style show La Perle by Dragone). It takes a little imagination to see what the area, between Business Bay and Al Quoz, will become. At first, it’s hard to ignore Sheikh Zayed Road, but the hotel is well-insulated, and the commotion soon blends away.
The room
Our deluxe room is gorgeous, featuring stripes-versus-tapestry contrasting wallpaper and lots of mirrors. Lush yellow curtains offset the brilliant white bedding, which is trimmed in gold and crinkles as only the highest of thread counts can. We appreciate the generous walk-in wardrobe/dressing area, which combined with the enormous bathroom gives the room the feel of a suite. The shower is entirely marble, with a nifty seat, and after asking, we find out that most of the marble seen throughout the hotel comes from Ras Al Khaimah.
The scene
A group of glamorous Indonesian women are having a birthday party while I lunch in Brasserie Quartier on a weekday; I basically have the two rooftop pools to myself one afternoon. The rest of the guests seem to be a mix of business travellers and well-heeled tourists from the West and Asia.
The service
The room comes with a butler, who irons two shirts in 15 minutes – very impressive. Staff are apologetic when there are internet issues, phoning to tell me it’s working again. I’m greeted by name everywhere I go. The staff bring me a delicious dark-chocolate bar with a Canadian flag printed on it shortly after check-in. At checkout there’s a bottle of water in my car.
The food
Throughout the hotel, the food is top-notch. Standouts at J&G Steakhouse are the J&G Wagyu cheeseburger with hand-cut french fries (Dh125) and the house favourite, black truffle cheese comte fritters (Dh65). The charming Brasserie Quartier offers a killer French onion soup with Gruyère toast (Dh55); the tarte flambée Alsacienne (Dh60) is also worth a try: it’s a very light, thin French-style pizza from Alsace, topped with smoked veal bacon, onion, sour cream.
Loved
The bathtub is deep and welcoming: substantial white ceramic, with a sloping back that tapers in the front. The hotel is laid out around a calming, quaint courtyard space/eatery called Le Patio, which is a rarity in Dubai, and creates a bright shelter from the city’s craziness.
Hated
While the hum of traffic is sufficiently muted, I can often hear a very distant – but still annoying – beeping from the Al Habtoor City construction. I have to blow-dry my hair standing at the coffee bar because the other outlets don’t face a mirror.
The verdict
The hotel is modelled on the original St Regis New York, and feels that bit more grand because of it. Try to arrive at night to get the full experience of approaching the grandly lit exterior of this very special hotel.
The bottom line
Deluxe rooms at the St Regis Dubai (www.stregisdubai.com; 04 435 5555) cost from Dh1,460, including breakfast, charges and taxes.
amcqueen@thenational.ae
