The welcome
On a busy Friday lunchtime, initial impressions upon arriving aren’t great – there’s minimal help with luggage, and I have to almost physically coax a member of staff into showing me to Le Royal Club building, a Dh450 million expansion to this long-established hotel. Everything changes once I get to the eight-storey, 197-room addition, however, with countless cheery greeters on hand, and I’m whizzed upstairs to my fourth-floor room for check-in.
The neighbourhood
Al Garhoud is one of the city’s older areas, although less grubby than the neighbouring Bur Dubai, and in convenient proximity to Dubai International Airport and Sheikh Zayed Road. The hotel is spread across 15 hectares – you barely feel the need to investigate beyond its expansive grounds.
The room
My 52-square-metre Royal Club room is spacious and airy, with technology decades ahead of many of the main hotel’s rooms. Pride of place goes to a rather addictive massage chair, while another boon is the smart laundry system – a pull-out mini-cupboard next to the room door that can be accessed by staff from outside your room. There’s also a 46-inch Sony television.
The service
The only blip at Le Royal Club is when my room card stops working, which necessitates a frustrating trudge back to reception. Other than that, staff are almost falling over themselves to help – the service during breakfast is particularly on-point. One attentive staffer even remembers a drink preference mentioned in passing conversation several hours previously.
The scene
Le Royal Club’s exclusive facilities enhance the feeling of a resort within a resort – not least the fifth-floor terrace pool and fourth-floor spa. The ambience is improved by a special programme of music in the lifts by French pop group Nouvelle Vague.
The food
Breakfast at Le Royal Club lounge delivers everything required, between excellent à la carte choices and a small but well-conceived buffet. Elsewhere, Le Méridien has a whopping 18 F&B outlets. The Friday brunch and garden party (Dh499 per person) at Yalumba is vibrant, with a mini a la carte menu in addition to a sprawling buffet. For dinner, M’s Beef Bistro doesn’t disappoint, with a steak-centred menu in a faux-rustic French setting. The starters especially excel, such as the pan-seared duck liver with red-onion jam (Dh51). Couples might be confused by the menus themselves, though: I’m seemingly deemed the breadwinner, and handed a menu with prices; my dining partner’s menu is bereft of anything so unsightly as dirham totals. Lunch at the Japanese restaurant, Kiku, is probably the culinary highlight. Try the horse mackerel sushi (Dh16 per piece) or dragon roll sushi (Dh63).
Loved
The massage chair, attentive touches and spacious room.
Hated
Aside from the main reception slackness and room-card fun, the only complaints are minor, such as no way to see from inside your room whether your do-not-disturb sign is on or not.
The verdict
Le Royal Club gives a welcome dose of modern, five-star class to Le Méridien, elevating it above nearby rivals.
The bottom line
Rooms at Le Royal Club at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre (www.lemeridien-dubai.com; 04 217 0000) cost from Dh1,100 per night, including breakfast and Wi-Fi.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel
