Dubai is getting a new beach club as Soulbeach opens at JA The Resort in Jebel Ali on Friday.
Spread across 3,000 square metres of beachfront, the new lifestyle venue is an adults-only haven where sunseekers can enjoy an infinity pool dotted with sunbeds, including a 26-metre-long lounger.
Colourful parasols line the beach and it has a host of indoor and outdoor lounges, bars and restaurants.
It's the latest transformation for Dubai's largest experience resort, a destination that is also home to one of the city's oldest hotels, the JA Beach Hotel, which dates back to 1981.
Ahead of Soulbeach's launch on Friday The National paid a visit to JA The Resort to find out what else is on the cards for guests checking in to JA Lake View Hotel, the most recent hotel to open at in the city's most sustainable five-star resort.
The welcome
JA Lake View Hotel is set back a little from the beachfront at the rear of what is Dubai's biggest resort, and has its own turn off from the main road for arrivals.
First impressions of this design-centric hotel are positive. The lobby and all its fixtures and fittings feel new, probably because the hotel launched in 2019 but closed shortly after, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. A violinist sets a serene ambience, performing live music in the centre of the lobby, and there are some beautiful artistic sculptures decorating the bright, airy space.
Check-in is not the fastest we've seen, but the staff are friendly and provide plenty of information on amenities within the resort, dining options, activities and more before directing us to our fifth-floor room.
The neighbourhood
The hotel's Jebel Ali address has both pros and cons. It’s a bit far from the city for those looking to easily explore Dubai’s myriad shops, restaurants and bars. But there are frequent free shuttle buses to several of the emirate's malls.
The fact it is set away from the bustle of Dubai, though, means you really get the sense that you’re on a mini-holiday. It’s also only a 50-minute drive from Abu Dhabi, and 20 minutes door-to-door to Expo 2020 Dubai, which will suit some travellers.
The safety measures
JA Resorts & Hotels received the #DubaiAssured stamp after a health and safety verification process in collaboration with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
At JA Lake View Hotel, there are plenty of sanitising stations dotted around the public areas, and staff wear face masks and remind guests to do the same. Wide hallways mean there's plenty of room to pass others at a distance, while spacious restaurants make social distancing easy, even during busy times.
There were no hygiene packs in our room, though – something that has become almost standard during the pandemic. Perhaps this is because sanitiser bottles and face masks are typically made of plastic, which goes against the resort’s sustainability ethos.
The room
We’re staying in a Resort Course View King room on the fifth floor of the six-storey hotel. It's spacious with a modern vibe, a muted, beachy colour palette with sandy-coloured carpets and fittings set against a deep blue feature wall. A large balcony overlooks the pool, golf course, and onwards to the sea.
There’s plenty of storage thanks to built-in wardrobes, drawers and dressers, and a handy vanity unit with a mirror that unfolds out of the desk – just remember not to forget your hair straighteners inside this drawer when you check out, a lesson we learnt first-hand.
The bathrooms have a gorgeous curved bathtub and a separate shower, sink and toilet. They are slightly on the smaller side with the toilet tucked right behind the door and you may need to exercise some patience when it comes to waiting on hot water in the shower.
All the rooms at the hotel are smart, so expect Bluetooth buttons for the easy connection of devices, USB plugs inside the lamps and touch control panels for lights, air-conditioning and do not disturb signs.
JA Lake View Hotel was also the first in the region to introduce voice-activated Alexa devices in each room, allowing guests to request services. All you need to do is say “Alexa, ask the hotel to send me new towels" and it's done – although we imagine this could get confusing if any of your guests are actually called Alexa.
The attendant who delivers our luggage tells us that we should be able to press a button in our bathroom to turn the frosted glass wall separating it from our bedroom transparent, allowing us to see through to the room and the view. It doesn't seem to work in our suite, but it’s no great loss – we prefer the privacy.
The service
Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. We meet reception manager Diana as we wait to check-in and she gives us a run-through of everything going on at the resort and some tips on the best places to dine.
There's a lovely turndown service provided by housekeeping, although this takes place a little bit too early for our liking. We returned to the room at about 5.30pm when the sun was still up and the staff were busy closing our curtains.
We have dinner at Kinara by Vikas Khanna. The restaurant staff are welcoming and well-informed about each dish they bring us.
Reception staff on the front desk are a little slow by comparison. Upon check-out, three are clustered around one desk but we still have to wait about 10 minutes for the process to be completed. The hold-up also seems to mostly stem from the printing of a paper copy of the bill, something we were a little surprised to be offered, given the hotel's sustainable policies.
The scene
Given that it’s part of Dubai’s largest experience resort, there are a lot of on-site amenities.
At JA Lake View, there are three swimming pools including one reserved for adults only. There's also a fitness suite and several restaurants and bars.
Guests have access to all of the resort’s amenities and frequent electric-powered golf buggies make it easy to move between the hotels.
In total, there’s seven temperature-controlled pools, and there's an 800-metre private beach.
Guests can enjoy a marina, tennis courts, padel courts, an equestrian centre, children's play area, a nine-hole golf course, driving range and one million square metres of nature where peacocks, deer and other animals roam free.
Calm Spa at JA Beach Hotel is a little haven of relaxation. Skilled therapists offer a wide variety of treatments – we try the personalised massage that our therapist, Leni, tailors to relax tight shoulders and hips.
The wet section of the spa is currently closed owing to Coivd-19 restrictions, but post-massage, you can stretch out in the relaxation zone with a cup of herbal tea, fruit and a heated shoulder pillow, with views over the pool and beach.
There’s daily complimentary activities for the whole family, with aqua fit, Zumba, kayaking, volleyball and billiards on the schedule. The resort is also home to Watercooled UAE, one of Dubai's most popular watersports centres.
Children are well-looked after at the Pirates & Mermaids Kids Club, which is free for those aged 4 to 12. There's a daily schedule of activities for them, including yoga, cinema screenings, arts and crafts and stable visits. Younger children can also be entertained at the hotel creche, but this service is chargeable, as is babysitting.
Being named Dubai’s most sustainable five-star resort by Dubai Tourism means bathrooms have no disposable toiletries. Instead, there are refillable bottles and dental kits that come with bamboo toothbrushes in soy packaging. In-room water is served in glass bottles from the hotel’s water filtration unit and all drinks are served with eco straws that manage to not go soggy.
The hotel also uses solar panels and has implemented a food waste programme across all its dining outlets.
One place where there is room for improvement is with the restaurants, where the hotel’s filtered water is not offered and guests are instead served imported, purchased water.
The food
There are 25 restaurants and bars, so guests are spoilt for choice.
Breakfast at JA Lake View is served at 81, which is named after the year JA Hotels & Resorts opened in Jebel Ali. It consists of a good buffet spread of pastries, hot and cold food, fruit, cheeses and more.
For dinner, we opt to dine at Michelin-acclaimed chef Vikas Khanna's Kinara, which serves contemporary Indian fare. Sitting on the huge terrace area alongside an impressive display of flaming torches, the food is equally as grand.
Standouts include tandoori lemon prawns (Dh112) which were beautifully soft with just the right amount of blackening from the grill and accompanied by avocado puree and a beautifully stencilled dusting of spices and pomegranates. The lamb shank curry (Dh120) served up tender meat in a deliciously rich sauce. If you have room for dessert, try the saffron rose pudding (Dh40) for classic Indian flavours.
Highs and lows
The best thing about our stay was the high-tech room and the hotel's commitment to sustainability. The sheer volume of things to do throughout the resort was also impressive.
Lows include having to take a golf buggy every time you wanted to hit the beach, which is efficient but not quite as convenient as having the beach on your doorstep. While service was friendly and largely efficient, we felt a lack of valuable interaction with any staff members during our stay.
The insider tip
Bibe lounge on the rooftop is the place to go at sunset for amazing views over the resort and towards the sea – it's also accompanied by a live saxophonist and complimentary welcome drinks
The verdict
As a family-friendly escape, JA The Resort has long been a stalwart for staycations. Design-centric JA Lake View also brings a sense of modernity to the resort thanks to its sleek interiors, stylish eateries and smart-technology rooms.
The bottom line
Stays at JA Lake View start at Dh891, excluding taxes but including breakfast. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at noon, although late check-out to 2pm can be requested.
JA Lake View Hotel, JA The Resort, Jebel Ali, Dubai; www.jaresorts.com
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel during the global coronavirus pandemic. It reflects hotel standards during this time, services may change in the future.
