Lobby Lounge @ The Conrad Dubai, United Arab Emirates

During our stay in Dubai we wanted to check out the new Conrad hotel, located on Sheikh Zayed Road. It had recently opened.

The lobby was large, but somehow felt already outdated, at least to us. For example the reception was straight ahead from the entrance, which is normally more often seen at older properties.

We liked the floor to ceiling windows and the color scheme. The views over the city from the lobby were blocked by the Metro Station, though.

We took a seat at the Lobby Lounge. It took ages for the waiter to arrive and to our surprise told us they didn't have a menu in the sense, only the TWG Tea selection, and no food was served. It was definitely a let-down for us, because we had considered having a snack.

There were a few other groups and couples. I think it was difficult for the waiters to distinguish who was simply waiting for someone without ordering and who wanted to spend money.

The atmosphere overall was not to our taste. It felt more like we were in a train station with people coming and going.

Our waiter was efficient and friendly. I had the TWG Geisha Cherry Blossom Tea and it was one of the best I've ever had. The aroma was delicious. The tea came with biscuits. They were a suitable accompaniment.
My better half chose an orange juice. It was fresh and deemed good too.

The bill came in at 53 AED (ca. 11.60 Euro or 14.50 USD).
Unfortunately we won't return, even so the service is attentive, but the venue isn't to our taste.

©2014

Majlis @ The Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When we were at the Ibn Battuta Mall we also visited the Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel. It has the largest arch in the world, where the Presidential Suite is located. The hotel is operated by Moevenpick.

We like the Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, because the Arabic design continues and adds to the architecture of the shopping mall.

We stopped at Majlis for drinks. The first waiter we had was warm and took our order, but left later on.

The second waitress was professional, but not as warm as the first member of staff. Our order arrived correct - one large bottle of still water, one Green Hornet Mocktail and one orange juice. The mocktail and the orange juice were freshly prepared at the bar and were delicious.

The cost was 65 AED (ca. 14.20 Euro / ca. 17.75 USD).

Refreshed we were ready to go on exploring Ibn Battuta Mall further.

©2014

Ibn Battuta Mall & Cinnabon Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ibn Battuta Mall is one of our favorite malls. It is located near Jebel Ali and very easy to reach by Metro or of course car/taxi and even by bus.

It is appealing to us, because the whole building is dedicated to the travels of the 9th century explorer Ibn Battuta. Each section of the mall is designed after a country/empire or region Ibn Battuta visited.

There are also exhibits, describing how navigation, water clocks and other things functioned in the past, so the mall combines education, architecture and retail very well. It has a cinema, a Geant supermarket and a food court beside retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Coton and Max.

At the moment an extension of 200 shops and restaurants is on-going.

A Carluccio's has newly opened.

We strolled a bit, but also did some shopping and had a snack at Cinnabon.

The staff was happy to have us and very friendly.

We had two Mochalata and two classic cinnamon rolls. At first the snack was great, but after a certain time both the drinks and rolls turned cloyingly sweet. Our tastes must have changed a bit over the years and next time we will share a large roll.

The cost was 65 AED (ca. 14.05 Euro or ca. 17.75 USD).

The Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel - operated by Moevenpick - is just across the road from the mall and a visit would be for us incomplete if not going there.

Next time in Dubai we will return to this mall via the Metro Dubai and explore the extension in the future, enjoy the atmosphere and shop a bit.

©2014 

Pizza Hut Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

On our first night at the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District - we went out to explore our surroundings and had dinner at Pizza Hut Bur Dubai, just opposite Bur Juman Shopping Mall.

It was already busy when we arrived, but a space was found for us quickly.  There were lots of families. Take away was also doing a brisk business.

We ordered two orange juice, two pieces of fire cracker chicken rolls, a foot long chicken lasagne and one medium Chicken Lover pizza. All was delicious.

Even though, the staff was extremely busy, our food arrived relatively quick and the order was correct.
 
The waiters were friendly too.

We enjoyed our meal, but thought the noise volume was quite high, so it's nothing for you if you are looking for a quiet time.
 
We paid 83 AED (ca. 17.65 Euro or ca. 22.60 USD).

We would return again since we like Pizza Hut and have tried different ones around the world.

©2014  

Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

After spending one night at the InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, to relax we took a taxi to the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District for our five night stay.

We arrived after check in time, but our room wasn't ready yet, so we were invited to go to Anwar Restaurant and have something to drink and eat. Since we weren't hungry, we just had juices.

The check in was completed by the reception manager.

The lobby was extremely busy with a large Indian group arriving at the same time as us.

After having been handed over our key cards we went to our room. The bell captain arrived at the same time with our luggage.

We had booked an Executive King Bed Room overlooking one of the courtyards.

There was just one window, making the room mellow and elegant. It is a great space to represent for business or relax with a family.

The room was very large with separate sitting area, including a sofa, chair, coffee table, writing desk and luggage rack.

There was also a hallway with a large wardrobe.

The bed was large and comfortable with a credenza in front and a flat screen TV, offering thirty five international and regional channels.

There was also a minibar containing Coca Cola, Sprite, Johnny Walker Red Label, Chivas Regal and other drinks.

The wooden furniture was dark and had beautiful inlays, which continued throughout the room. The upholstery of the sofa and chair was kept in gold tones.

The red carpet had a circle of life theme and the artwork, depicting autumn landscapes, integrated well with the color scheme of the room.

The bath room was medium in size with bath tub / shower combination, Lauf Pro sink, bidet and toilet.

The bath room amenities were by Ecokind. We hadn't had them before, but liked them.

As IHG Rewards Club members we also received free breakfast at the Two Guineas Pub, free internet access, free daily newspaper, 2 PM late check out if available - we didn't need it, since we had an early flight back home - and room upgrade, subject to availability. We didn't receive one, because the hotel was fully booked due to the conference taking place, but we enjoyed our room and had consciously chosen it in the first place.

A welcome card and gift was waiting for us - in this case a fruit basket.

Turn down was done every night and included replenishing of the bottles of water and camel milk chocolates on the bed.

Additionally there was a 15% discount at the Anwar Restaurant, the Two Guineas Pub or if using the mini bar and in room dining.

Beside the pub and restaurant there is also a cafe and Murjan Pool Bar.

The hotel has meeting facilities, a pool and fitness center.

We loved taking the bubble lifts, revealing views into the stunning atrium with a lot of gold decoration and Anwar.

Every morning we made our way to breakfast. The choice was good with international, Indian and Arabic dishes.

The staff was attentive and friendly, remembering where we liked to sit and what drinks we wanted. We were also offered omelettes made to order and a take away breakfast on our last morning was easily arranged, because we had to leave for the airport before breakfast was available.

We used in room dining twice. We had Spaghetti Bolognese on each occasion. The portions were huge, so we weren't left hungry for sure. The 15% discount was calculated into the bill I had to sign when our server delivered the pasta. It was 98 AED (ca. 21.05 Euro or 26.70 USD) for two.

On one evening we received an invitation to the managers reception. We had already plans, so we couldn't make it. We appreciated the thought, though.

The location was ideal and one of the reasons we chose the Holiday Inn. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Bur Juman Shopping Mall and the Metro station with the same name, giving easy access to the city.

Check out arrived too soon. It was done fast and correct.

We were very happy during our stay. The food was very good, the room was inviting, comfortable and beautifully furnished and the staff couldn't have been more helpful, friendly and efficient.

When we are back in Dubai we definitely are going to return to this hotel for a further few nights.


 ©2014 

Mezza Luna @ The InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

During our stay at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City, we had dinner and breakfast at Mezza Luna.

The restaurant was designed in the same contemporary style as the lobby with two story floor to ceiling windows and black and white photographs.

Mezza Luna serves Italian cuisine.

There was an open kitchen and when we arrived there was a family and a few couples already dining.

The chef showed some kids how pizza was made as they watched.


DINNER:


We ordered one berry smoothie, one mango juice, one hot chocolate, one Piri Piri chicken pizza, one gnocchi with artichokes, cherry tomatoes and garlic parmesan sauce and a tiramisu to share.

The hotel is dry, so Mezza Luna doesn't serve alcohol.

The pizza had just the right amount of spiciness. It wasn't a scorcher, but hot enough.

The gnocchi dish was surprisingly light, considering the sauce was cream/cheese based. It was colorful and mild.

The tiramisu was served with coffee ice cream. All was delicious.

The bill came in at 200 AED (ca. 42.10 Euro or 54.50 USD).


BREAKFAST:


Breakfast was included in our rate
.
Cold items were served buffet style with a lot of Western and Middle Eastern choices, including fruit salad, lassi, cold cuts, cheese, bread and pastries and much more.

Hot items, coffee/tea and juices could be ordered from the waiter.

We had scrambled eggs with sausages.

We enjoyed the quality and freshness of both, breakfast and dinner.

We would gladly enjoy Mezza Luna again when staying next time at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City.

 ©2014

InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

After long consideration we decided to relax after our flight from Dublin to Dubai at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City for one night.

Arriving very early in the morning we took a Lexus limousine, instead of a regular taxi to the hotel.
There was a bit of confusion, because there is also the InterContinental Hotel Festival City, but the Residence Suites are at a slightly different location and building. It might be best to tell the taxi driver to go to Marsa Plaza, where the suites are located.
We paid 62 AED (ca. 13.05 Euro or 16.90 USD).

Beside the InterContinental Residences, the Marsa Plaza also contains long stay apartments.

The location was ideal for us. The InterContinental Hotel and Crowne Plaza Festival City were just fifteen minutes walk away along the New Creek. From there it was only a stone throw to Festival City Shopping Mall.

The Residence's entrace was relatively small, compared to the seize of the building. The lobby was also small, but filled with daylight through high ceilings and offered contemporary design and had Sakura artwork. The reception and concierge were to the left. There was also a hallway leading to the prayer rooms, ATM and rest rooms.

To the right was the Cafe Deli and Mezza Luna Italian restaurant.

We didn't expect our room would be ready. We had sent an email to the hotel to advise them we would arrive at around 08.00 hours.

The receptionists were very friendly and asked us to take a seat in the lounge area while they checked if a room was available for us soon.

After waiting for about half an hour we could check in and were pleasantly surprised. A late check out at 14.00 hours was granted without problems either. We had booked the Weekend Rate, which included late check out until 4 PM and breakfast. The over night rate for a room or a Studio Suite was the same, so we booked the studio.

Our One bed Studio Suite was located on a higher floor as requested. We had views over the airport, two mosques and towards Sharjah.

The room was large and had a kitchen, large kingsized bed, a dining table, three chairs, a 50 in flat screen TV (with 196 channels), a shelf, small wardrobe and an unfurnished balcony.

The kitchen was marble tiled and had everything expect a microwave and tea towels. According to the manual on the shelf we should have had a microwave. Since we didn't intend to use it, it wasn't a problem.

The fridge wasn't stocked, beside several bottles of water and the residences are dry.

The TV channels were more than enough and should offer for every taste something.

The chairs and bed were all comfortable and the living/sleeping area carpeted with palm prints.

Overall the room had a homey feel as was to be expected since it was in a residence and was contemporary. The color scheme was inspired by the dessert.

On the shelf was a Time Out Dubai magazine, a directory, a form to join the InterContinental's Ambassador program, the spa menu of the InterContinental Hotel Festival City (massages start from 415 AED - that's about 87.35 Euro or 113 USD. A free shuttle bus to the sister hotel runs every ten minutes.) and the in room dining menu.

The bath room was large with a bath tub shower combination, marble tiles, granite, Toto toilet, bidet and a sink.


Bath room amenities were by Agraria.

The bath tub was a bit difficult to climb in and out. When using the shower the room turned into a steam room and at first we managed to flood the floor, because the protective glass divider wasn't water tight. After changing the dirctions of the spa shower head it was better.

Before napping we had in room breakfast. When I ordered Eggs Benedict I was offered to have smoked salmon instead of ham at no extra charge, since I love smoked salmon it was a done deal. Beside the Eggs Royal we ordered one hot chocolate, one large bottle of still water, one carrot juice, one water melon juice and one portion of pancakes with vanilla cream and fresh fruits. It was all delicious and the carrot juice smooth. The bill was 160 AED (ca. 33.70 Euro or ca. 43.60 USD).

After our nap we went exploring the hotel and the surrounding area.

On the 17th floor were the fitness center, jacuzzis and swimming pool and the pool bar located. The pool is clean cut, interesting lighted and has stunning views over Dubai. We could clearly see the Palazzo Versace across the creek.

We had dinner and breakfast at Mezza Luna.

The staff was efficient, knowledgeable and warm. They were always ready to offer help and services or if we wanted to, have a chat. They seemed genuinely interested in us.


Time went by quick and before we knew it was time to move to our second hotel in Dubai - the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District.

Would we return? Definitely. The location is perfect - very near to the airport and Festival City Shopping Center -,  the staff attentive and friendly, the room feels like a home and is comfortable and the cuisine outstanding.


 ©2014

Lufthansa flight Dublin - Frankfurt - Munich - Dubai - Dubai - Munich - Dublin

Originally we found a very good rate with Emirates to fly to Dubai, but then Lufthansa released lower rates. We thought it was better to pay less and fly more, so we booked Lufthansa.

Our first leg was from Dublin to Frankfurt International Airport, taking off shortly after midday. We had already checked in online the day before to choose our seats and print out the boarding passes.

The person at bag drop was friendly and our suitcase checked in quickly.

Security in Dublin was as always a breeze.

We had time for a quick stop at Starbucks before going to our gate.

During the flight we were offered non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee. There was also a vegetarian sandwich on offer, which I liked, but he not so much. The juices and water were very good.

The seat of the Airbus A321 took a while to get used to for me, but was comfortable then.

He was happy with the leg room. Even when the person reclined in front of him he had still enough space.

In Frankfurt we had a remote stand. There was a shower pouring down when we had to leave the plane. There was one bus in front and one in the back. The first was very full, so the driver didn't let anyone in. The second one wasn't willing to open the door, so we had to wait until the first bus left and the second moved into the correct position. A few of us were fuming. I think this should be a bit better planned and passengers allowed earlier on the bus if the weather is bad.

We had three hours to connect in Frankfurt, which was comfortable to have late lunch and browse the shops a bit.

Our plane, an Airbus A321 - upgraded due to demand from an A320 - between Frankfurt and Munich International Airport was also located at a remote stand.

We were served free drinks on the short flight to Munich.

In Munich we had another remote stand and also three hours connecting time before our overnight flight to Dubai.

Our plane to Dubai was an Airbus A330-300. It was a newer model, very comfortable and the inflight entertainment system easy to handle. It had a good choice, but I prefer Malaysia Airlines’ or Emirates' ICE. They have an even wider selection of movies and TV series and also a lot of World Cinema and Bollywood movies.

Dinner - chicken in our case - was served shortly after reaching cruising altitude and was tasty and healthy.

Afterwards liqueurs, coffee and tea made the rounds.

We both managed to catch around four hours sleep, which wasn't too bad.

No breakfast, but a snack was served with coffee or tea. It was a hard Florentine type biscuit and a bit meagre. We would have preferred at least a continental breakfast.

A day before our departure we checked in online again for our flight from Dubai to Munich and Munich to Dublin.

At the baggage drop off, which was very quiet, we were offered to change the seats on the leg between Munich and Dublin, but we had consciously chosen a seat at the back, because we wanted to avoid stress.

The aircraft, also an Airbus A330-300, but this time around was an older model on the flight between Dubai and Munich. The inflight entertainment system was hard to use and some passengers complained it didn't function at all. The flight wasn't fully booked, so a few could change seats.

The meal choice was pasta with mushrooms or chicken in paprika sauce, roasted vegetables and rice. We had the chicken, which we thought was okay. There was also a shrimp salad and a raisin cake, which he couldn't eat due to allergies.

There was a snack served with cream cheese, crackers and a muffin. Interesting enough there wasn't any cutlery offered, so seeing a neighbor's messy affair, I was more careful and found a solution to avoid that, by keeping the wrapper partly on. A knife would have been appreciated.

In Munich we had around two hours’ time to connect and had a remote stand again.

We slept partly on the Airbus A321 flight to Dublin and missed the food - it looked like the same sandwich we had had between Dublin and Frankfurt, but woke up in time for the drinks.

We liked the spotless toilets, the friendly service on all legs, ease of connections at the airports and the generous portions of Baileys and other drinks.

We think there is room for improvement in regards to head sets (Customers have to put on the soft part themselves and the headsets aren't keeping out the aircraft noise.), plus how a remote stand embarkment/disembarkment during bad weather is handled, a bigger breakfast "snack" when arriving in Dubai and offering cutlery for cream cheese.

Overall Lufthansa offers a good product, the food quality is good, the staff friendly and the inflight entertainment system is adequate, so we would use Lufthansa again on medium and long-haul routes, if the timings and value are right.

 ©2014