Th8 Palm Beach Resort review: Dubai hotel has family-friendly facilities and ocean views

Dubai's Palm Jumeirah, with its plethora of luxury hotels, is a popular choice for a hotel stay for residents and tourists alike. And with good reason, given that most of the properties come with fantastic views over the Arabian Gulf.

The National checked into Th8 Palm Beach Resort, Vignette Collection by IHG to see what sets this hotel apart from the others in this coastal slice of Dubai.

The welcome

Despite a busy entranceway, the valet staff swiftly take my car while my luggage is whisked inside. There is a flurry of guests waiting to check-in when I arrive at about 7pm on a Thursday evening.

After a short wait, my check-in is completed quickly, and I'm handed the keys to my suite.

The neighbourhood

Located on the West Crescent on Palm Jumeirah, the hotel is far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city to offer a peaceful stay, yet close to enough to many of the must-visit landmarks. Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa are about a 25-minute drive away, while Dubai International Airport can be reached in about 30 minutes, traffic dependent.

The room

Guests can choose from 15 categories of rooms at the hotel. Photo: Th8 Palm Beach Resort, Vignette Collection by IHG

There are 15 categories of rooms on offer at the property, and I am staying in a one-bedroom suite with a kitchen, sofa and balcony. The space features soothing hues of white, grey and taupe, which complement the white marble flooring, while pops of colour come via art on the walls. Just by the entrance is a small bathroom, and the passageway leads to a fully equipped kitchenette.

This is also where I find a host of complimentary teas, a coffee machine and an electric kettle. Opposite the kitchen is a marble-top dining table, which can accommodate four to five people. An abstract black pendant light hangs above the dining area. The cosy couch in the living room faces a television with Chromecast capability. The balcony is spacious, furnished with two chairs and a table, and offers stellar views of the Dubai skyline.

The carpeted bedroom has a comfy king-size bed and is flanked by two side tables with reading lights and several charging points. The desk under the television doubles as a little dressing table.

Double wooden sliding doors lead to a sizeable marble bathroom, which features twin sinks, and a huge deep bathtub. Refillable bottles are filled with Karl Lagerfeld toiletries, the toothbrush provided is made of bamboo and toothpaste comes in recyclable sachets, all nods to sustainability. The space also features two cubicles – one that houses the toilet and other that has a head and hand-held shower.

A feature of the room that I particularly like are the labelled switches that control the lights, allowing guests to easily dim the lights and another button by the bed that allows guests to turn off all lights in the room without having to get up.

The service

All staff that I interact with are incredibly friendly, and ready to help without ever giving you the sense that they are hovering too long.

The scene

Muted colours feature throughout the property, as in the rooms, including in the lobby, which has several seating areas, a massive book shelf that is filled with coffee table books. The cosy cafe in the lobby offers a selection of teas, coffees and desserts, and there is also a shop that offers a selection of swimwear, sunscreens and other items.

The pool at the property. Photo: Th8 Palm Beach Resort, Vignette Collection by IHG

Beyond the lobby and on the way to the beach and pool area is a giant chessboard on the ground, where I spot a number of guests stopping by for pictures. The pool faces villas other side of the water, and also offers views of Sheikh Zayed Road beyond.

There is a gym at the property, but currently no spa however I am told one will open next year. Adults and children staying at the property can enjoy a host of activities including water sports and basketball, table tennis and chess. There's a shaded pool for kids and a children’s club offering supervised play time and organised activities.

The food

Mediterranean all-day dining restaurant Envy. Photo: Th8 Palm Beach Resort, Vignette Collection by IHG

There are two main food and drink outlets at Th8. The principal restaurant is Envy, which offers Mediterranean-style food and where meals are served buffet style. The sizeable breakfast spread offers an egg station, waffles and pancakes, sausages and baked beans, alongside fresh veggies, dips, baked goods, juices, fruits, cold cuts, cheeses and sandwiches. There is also the option to order a hot breakfast, which you can do so from your table. Despite being rather busy on the morning of my visit, my eggs still made it to my table pretty quickly, as did my pot of tea.

Dinner is also buffet style and offerings during my stay include peri peri chicken, vegetarian lasagne, pan-seared fish, beef bourguignon and biriyani rice. There’s also freshly baked pizza, nuggets, spring rolls, a live pasta station and a variety of salads. The restaurant's Saturday Envy brunch offers quite a spread, with everything from seafood and sushi to delicious desserts.

Fluid Beach Club is the second outlet and is the place to go for light bites, platters and a variety of drinks. There is also an in-house DJ at the venue. The hotel offers guests a half board option, but those dining at the hotel who have not booked that tariff can expect to pay Dh160 for breakfast and Dh190 for dinner.

Highs and lows

The service at the property is stellar. From the friendly waiters and bartenders at Envy, who give great recommendations and always have a smile to offer, to the incredibly helpful staff who came to fix a minor electric issue in my room at midnight, I am impressed by how swiftly things are taken care of here.

The only low, if I have to nitpick, is that the hotel can get quite crowded, making the restaurant quite noisy during meal times but I guess that's not entirely unexpected from a family-orientated property.

The insider tip

The location of Th8, the name of which is inspired by the eighth phase of the moon, makes it a great spot for star and moon gazing. There is a telescope at the property to facilitate this, and it hosts seasonal celestial events.

The verdict

The hotel is close enough to Dubai's major landmarks, yet secluded enough to feel like a true getaway. Plus, there are enough activities to keep families busy at the property.

The bottom line

Rates start at Dh417 for the deluxe room. Check-in is from 3pm and checkout is at 11am.

This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time. Services may change in the future

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Company profile

Name: One Good Thing

Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke

Based in: Dubai

Sector: e-commerce

Size: 5 employees

Stage: Looking for seed funding

Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors