
It’s the pause before paradise that’s all the rage with jet-setters – a stay in Dubai before moving on to the Maldives.
Is this the ultimate stopover?
I followed in the footsteps of the fashionable set to find out.
I checked into a hotel in Dubai that first made waves over a decade ago – the five-star Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, a sister property of the iconic Burj Al Arab with a similarly opulent, but less formal feel.
It looks out from the secluded West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the palm-shaped, man-made archipelago in the Arabian Gulf.
The hotel’s architecture is inspired by the Gilded Age of the Ottoman Empire, with domes, minarets and arches on the outside and interiors embellished with gold leaf, marble, decorative tiles, latticework, Persian rugs, and velvet furnishings.
The entrance hall is magnificent, with a polished marble fountain at its centre, surrounded by soaring golden pillars. Vast corridors on either side lead off to 15 boutiques and jewellery stores – plus some of the hotel’s 10 eateries.
There are 367 rooms in the main hotel and 38 ‘Royal Residences’. My wife and I booked into a deluxe sea-view room for three nights, with an arched balcony looking out onto the Palm.
Ian Walker checked in to the five-star Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, before heading to the Maldives
Ian revealed that the pool (above) at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel was ‘hectic’ during his stay
Ian booked into a deluxe sea-view room for three nights with a balcony offering views of the Palm
A marble, sunken bath dominated the bathroom and an extra-large filler tap meant only a short wait for a foamy dip. There was also a large rainfall shower and high-quality toiletries.
Breakfast was served in the Imperium restaurant, with rows of chandeliers and gilt marble-topped Corinthian columns, but our favourite place was the shaded terrace looking out to the gardens, pool and beach.
Breakfast choices included Arabian shakshuka, Scandinavian and German cold cuts and cheeses, English and Indian food, pastries, and live-cooking stations.
The pool was our next stop and it was hectic during our stay, with few spare sun loungers. The beach was less busy and offered a full beverage service, free sun lotion, bottled water and ice lollies.
We sampled the couples’ hour-long Royal Ottoman Signature Hammam, which involves relaxing in palatial splendour on the warmed stone ‘bed’.
The vigorous, traditional ‘kese’ mitt body polish, foam massage, and mask were wonderfully rejuvenating.
We tried three of the hotel restaurants.
Al Nafoorah serves Lebanese classics. Our visit to Tori Tori, based on Japanese-style small sharing plates, was even better and our final meal at Indian restaurant Amala was also one to remember.
At daybreak, we headed for the airport and on to Malé, the capital of the Maldives, on the second leg of our trip.
In just over four hours, we arrived at Velana Airport and boarded a speedboat taking us to Jumeirah Olhahali Island.
Paradise: Ian flew into Velana Airport and arrived at Jumeirah Olhahali (above) Island via speedboat. Arriving by seaplane is also an option
Ian checked in to an over-water villa (above) on Olhahali Island resort, which has 67 luxury villas in total
Olhahali Island resort’s villas have an ‘excess of space’ and ‘all expected mod cons are provided’
The crossing was choppy and took longer than the normal 55 minutes. There is also the option of a 15-minute seaplane transfer.
Our three-day stay was hit by bad weather, but also, fortunately, some sunny periods. Staff were faultless in their constant efforts to substitute activities.
Olhahali Island resort has 67 luxury villas that boast an excess of space – the bathroom is bigger than many London studio flats. A freestanding bathtub is in the middle, facing a glass wall and outside shower area.
A few of the villas are beach-side, but ours, as most are, was over water.
The doors slid open, from the bedroom and the living room, onto a decked area with an ocean-edge infinity pool and a sunken seating area with steps down to the sea.
There was a large rooftop terrace area to enjoy both sunset and sunrise, as well as private BBQs where staff can cook for you by prior arrangement.
All expected mod-cons are provided, including kimonos and a top-of-the-range Dyson hairdryer that Tariq, our star butler (one comes with every villa), claimed was the favourite gadget of female guests.
My wife raised an eyebrow at this, but then tried it and was hooked!
There is a buggy service to take guests to the main buildings, but it is a small island and takes only 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other.
There is a buggy service to take guests to the main buildings, but it takes only 10 minutes to walk from one end of the island to the other, notes Ian
There are three restaurants at the resort, with two that look onto a huge infinity pool (above)
Above is the luxury bathroom in one of the over-water villas, which feature sunken baths
We made the most of a sunny spell and visited the public areas that include an ice-cream shop, where the cones are made on-site, and a coffee shop and cocktail bar with ocean views.
There are three restaurants. Shimmers offered beachside dining and on the island’s other side are two restaurants that look onto a huge infinity pool.
Glow serves an elegant breakfast and offered all-day dining, and Kayto’s offers a la carte ‘Nikkei’ cuisine that combines Peruvian and Japanese elements.
At dinner, treats included rock shrimp tempura, Wagyu beef tataki and grilled sea bass. We were also treated to a Maldivian cooking masterclass with two skilled chefs who helped us create a fresh tuna curry.
Bad weather affected the itinerary, but ‘staff were faultless in their constant efforts to substitute activities’
Ian and his wife enjoying a floating breakfast
A downpour kiboshed the planned rooftop dinner and starlit cinema at our villa. Instead, Tariq came to collect us for a surprise plan B.
We had a romantic dinner in one of the island’s massive three-story villas. Candles were set up on every surface, a chef created a seafood BBQ feast and our chosen movie was set up on the flat-screen TV. Bliss!
The next morning, a ‘floating breakfast’ was delivered to the edge of our pool. It made for great photographs, but was much easier to eat once we had hauled it out of the pool!
A final highlight of our trip was the Coconut Bliss couples massage at the over-water Spa. Our treatment room had the wow factor with three glass sides taking in the ocean and a window in the floor where we could watch the marine life while expert therapists pummeled us into relaxed submission.
For us, the dual-destination week was an unmitigated success.
TRAVEL FACTS
Ian was hosted by Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, where rooms cost from around £260/$325, and by Jumeirah Olhahali Island, where rooms cost from around £1,352/$1,690.
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai
Pros: Everything on-site, loads of facilities and restaurant choice, good for families with children.
Cons: Busy pool area, location a little too far for city-centre sight-seeing.
Rating out of five: 4
Visit www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/jumeirah-zabeel.
Jumeirah Olhahali Island, Maldives
Pros: Staff who go above and beyond, fabulously well-appointed and spacious villas.
Cons: A lot of activities are weather-dependent and that can be unpredictable.
Rating out of five: 4.8
Visit www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/maldives/jumeirah-maldives.
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