Business Bay is fast-becoming a leisure hub to rival any other in Dubai, with a number of new hotels springing up to make it a contender for a staycation.
From blowout to budget options, the locality has something for every traveller, including the recently opened Revier Dubai.
This 230-room, four-star hotel combines famed Swiss efficiency with a homely setting that's largely geared towards bleisure travellers — that is travellers combining business with leisure. The National went along to find out what stays at this hotel are all about.
The neighbourhood
Located on Al Asayel Street in Business Bay, the hotel is easily accessible from Sheikh Zayed and Al Khail roads. Nestled between residential towers, it's in a rather quiet neighbourhood, which is ideal if you’re looking for a serene weekend getaway or a productive day in the co-working lounge. It's also a short walk from the Dubai Water Canal and only about six kilometres from Downtown Dubai, The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
The welcome
We arrive a little later in the evening, and the lobby is empty and check-in a breeze. The area is spacious and set up to replicate a comfortable living room in a Swiss chalet. Low-key sofas and chairs are nestled around a wood-panelled wall that holds logs, books, knick-knacks and a TV set, topped off by overhead lights in the shape of Swiss cowbells. It's entirely homely and I half expect to see a fire blazing in the corner somewhere or the lilting sound of jangling bells in the distance.
Over on the other side of the lobby are the Bern and Lucerne meeting rooms (which can be combined to make a larger one) and the Lounge sitting area with a co-working space featuring a large central table and a handy Grab & Go food and coffee outlet next to it. Adding a quirky touch is a giant cow sculpture in colourful Swiss attire, holding an alpine horn and perched on a chair-lift, offering guests a very Swiss welcome.
The safety measures
The hotel has standard Covid-19 safety measures in place, in line with Dubai's regulations. Masks are required to be worn at all times in public areas except when dining, in the bar, at the shisha terrace and poolside. Hand sanitiser dispensers are prominently placed on black stands throughout the hotel. In Alphorn Restaurant, a sign also asks guests to wear face masks and gloves — which are available right next to it — while serving themselves food, and to maintain social distancing.
The room
Our Junior Suite up on the 18th floor is impressive and in keeping with the hotel's overarching chalet theme, visible in even the smallest of details. The drawer handles are leather straps, and the same feature is found on the lamps, headboard and bed-base corners. The main lighting feature has a pulley design and the different tones of wood and copper finishings match the muted furnishings in neutral greys, blues and browns — a design nod to the famous Swiss neutrality, perhaps? Wooden skis adorn one wall, while artworks depict alpine mountains with only the big print over the bed featuring a camel as a nod to the property's Dubai location.
The room has keyless and remote entry options, double-paned glass and a super-comfy mattress with a memory foam topper that ensures we get one of the best sleeps ever in a hotel. To litmus-test the hotel's bleisure credentials, we also monitor the Wi-Fi strength and charging points and are happy to report it passes with flying colours with a strong signal and plenty of USB plug points.
The theme deftly spills over into the rest of the hotel. A wall made up of a series of log rounds greeting guests as they exit the lifts is a cool touch, cowbell lights are everywhere and carpets feature a print of topographic map lines echoing the Swiss mountains.
The service
All the staff, from the lobby to housekeeping, were attentive and checked if we needed anything but without being intrusive at any time. The restaurant manager and waiting staff in particular captured what we believe to be true Swiss hospitality, taking us through all the menu offerings, having excellent knowledge of what was on offer and recommending the right dishes.
The scene
For a hotel that has a home-from-home vibe, Revier Dubai packs the right amount of food and recreational offerings. The third floor is known as the Leisure Floor, with the Alphorn Restaurant and Allegra Shisha & Bar, overlooking a 30-metre-long outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery and high-rises. The health club on the fourth floor is compact, but well-equipped for cardio, weights, postural and yoga workouts.
The food
While Alphorn’s a la carte menu highlights Swiss-German dishes, there are also pizzas, Asian and Indian offerings, and themed nights where you can indulge in everything from cheese fondue (Thursdays), to steak night on Tuesdays. The hotel serves pork, which is cooked in a separate kitchen and served in a special non-halal section.
For dinner, we decide to stay in tune with Revier’s origins and tuck into a Wiener schnitzel (Dh120) at Alphorn, which was a tender portion of veal Milanese served with roast potato, lemon and cranberries, that was as wholesome as expected. The kasespatzli (Dh52), the Swiss-German version of mac and cheese, came with a generous topping of roasted onions and chives, in the manner it is traditionally made. My hungry friend goes for the rib-eye steak (Dh250), which looks a tad small, but is grilled to medium-rare perfection and comes with a side of hand-cut fries and asparagus.
Although the menu is heavily skewed towards meat, with a mushroom risotto seeming to be the only vegetarian option, staff will cater to individual tastes and customise dishes for plant-based diners. For dessert, the apple strudel with vanilla Anglaise and walnut ice cream (Dh35), and mousse au chocolat with an interesting mango chilli chutney (Dh40) addition are must-tries.
As the weather was still pleasant during our stay, we have breakfast by the poolside. The buffet is on the smaller side, but has all the usual options of croissants, pastries, cereal, breads, eggs and fruits, as well as smoked salmon and deli meats.
Highs and lows
This is a compact but efficient property where the staff go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable and fulfil your every need. All the rooms are impeccably fitted out, the epitome of comfort and, as mentioned above, we had one of our best night's sleep away from home. Although, guests need to pay for premium coffee at breakfast.
The insider tip
If you’re working during your stay, the hotel will provide adaptors suited to your electronic devices. Additionally, a free shuttle service is available from the hotel to La Mer and The Dubai Mall, so guests can take advantage of their time in Dubai and explore the city with ease.
The verdict
Primarily, the Swiss hospitality and travel thread running through this hotel make it a one-of-a-kind stay among Dubai’s hotel offerings. It's accessibility and focus on being a digital nomad-friendly space ensure that it is more than ideal for combining work and play, or for a quick weekend getaway.
The bottom line
Stays start from Dh450 per night, excluding taxes. Stay-and-dine half-board packages are also available. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at noon.
Revier Dubai; dubai.revierhotels.com
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel during the global coronavirus pandemic. It reflects hotel standards during the time, services may change in the future
