Executive travel: Dubai’s Four Seasons hotels offer contrasting styles

Exterior of the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

A panoramic view of Dubai from one of the rooms at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

The outdoor pool area at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

A bathroom inside one of the rooms at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

Living room in one of the rooms at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

The lobby entrance at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

All rooms at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach are lavishly equipped. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

All rooms at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach are lavishly equipped. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

The spa pool at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

The living room of the Imperial Suite at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

A premier sea view room at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

From the high-ceilinged lobby with its Shai Saloon tea lounge to the ballroom that can seat 360 for dinner, the public spaces at the hotel are palatial. Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels Limited

Until recent years Dubai was a blank spot on the map of Four Seasons hotels around the world. But now the city has two, a Mediterranean beachfront property on the Jumeirah side of the newly opened Dubai Canal, and a boutique hotel in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Although the DIFC is the obvious place to stay for intensive work in that district, the opulent beach resort would be the better choice for a visiting chief executive with an eye to entertaining and impressing local contacts. Conveniently those lodged at the DIFC hotel can use the other’s beach, some 10-15 minutes away depending on the traffic.

For the high-end executive traveller, options are aplenty. The Imperial Suite exudes the true style of a modern leader with an all-white interior and suitable artworks, huge curved Samsung TV, a separate rooftop gym at one end and a huge marble bathroom with Arabian Gulf views at the other.

The more traditional Royal Suite has the Versailles touch with three enormous chandeliers in a massive reception room and arguably better sea views from the middle of the property.

When I stayed, booking.com was offering 22 per cent off the Imperial Suite at Dh13,875 per night and not quoting for the Royal. My more modest 70 square-metre room, the smallest on offer, with treetop view was 20 per cent off at Dh2,080.

The rooms are all lavishly equipped; my large oval desk had two multi-plugs. And the complimentary Wi-Fi had speeds of 1.5 Mbps.

If you want it faster, you pay Dh100 per day for 20 Mbps for up to 20 devices. However, the business centre has three Dell computers each with an HP printer and a Xerox 7835 WorkCentre. Room service, ordered from an in-room iPad, included a Margherita pizza for Dh75, club sandwich at Dh80 with Evian water, Dh30 for a small bottle, and Pepsi Dh20.

It costs Dh40 to get a shirt or blouse cleaned and ironed, and the quickest four-hour turnaround has a 50 per cent extra charge.

One thing – remember to ask for a firm bed if you want one as mine was very soft.

q&a many options available

Peter Cooper expands on his experience at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach:

How was dinner?

Restaurant options are limited to Asian fusion with a sea view at the appropriately named Sea Fu, pool bar fare and all-day dining at the Suq. Try the duck with foie gras roll or salmon and truffle roll at Sea Fu for something very unusual. Then again the hotel has the adjacent Four Seasons Village complex of franchised restaurants with some of the best in the city: Coya for Peruvian, Provocateur, Nusr-Et and the Jean Georges Dubai.

I’d like to host a business event – what are the options?

From the high-ceilinged lobby with its Shai Saloon tea lounge to the ballroom that can seat 360 for dinner, the public spaces are palatial. With views of the pool, the five meeting rooms can host 12 to 100 guests, and receptions for up to 450 are possible.

Full hotel?

On my visit the beach looked empty during the day but things livened up at night, particularly at the rooftop Mercury lounge with its views of Burj Khalifa to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. Still, the hotel boasts November occupancy rates of 86 per cent, up from 78 per cent for the same month last year.

Best in Dubai?

It is popular but there is a lot of competition and more coming. From the beach you can see the Bulgari super-luxury hotel and residences under construction on an adjacent artificial island. If I had a complaint it would be that offshore construction sites limit the Arabian Sea view on both sides of the hotel.

* The writer was a guest of the hotel.

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