Reaching out into the brilliant blue of the Arabian Gulf, the iconic shape of the Palm Jumeirah is a holidaymaker’s paradise. So having the Andaz Dubai The Palm makes perfect sense.
As we travel the 32km from the airport, much of which is broad freeway lined with all manner of unusual buildings, we’re not sure what to expect of the Palm Jumeirah.
One of the world’s largest manmade islands and Dubai’s first, we’ve all seen pictures of the Palm Jumeirah from the air—even from space. But at street level, it’s even more surreal.
From the ‘trunk’ of this palm tree-shaped island, which by the way has two six-lane freeways on it, the seven palm fronds of the island have created an enormous amount of coastline.
The Palm Jumeirah has over 56km of beaches and yacht marinas even though it covers just 5.7km².
It means that all the properties on the palm fronds (and most of them on the trunk as well) have absolute waterfront access.
Staying at Andaz Dubai The Palm – a Concept by Hyatt
Check out our video walkthrough of Andaz Dubai The Palm here:
We arrive at the beautiful lobby of the Andaz in the morning—a full eight hours before we’re supposed to check in.
Thankfully, this isn’t a problem for our new friend Mustafa at this five-star resort’s reception. Before we know it, we’re making ourselves comfortable in our suite overlooking the marina and the hotel’s beach and pool.
The Room
Everything in this suite, from the marble tiled floors and long dining table to the giant curving couch and the beautiful bathroom, shows you you’re staying in luxury.
There’s even a washing machine, a knife block, and an oven and convection hob in the fully equipped kitchen.
Artwork hangs from every wall, and where there’s no art, there’s a huge TV.
The bedroom and its luxurious super-king has views over to Frond A and a yacht marina, and you have the option of closing it off with double sliding doors if you have guests. There is also a separate powder room so your ensuite bathroom remains private too.
Talking of which, the bathroom is pretty grand, with a deep-fill bath, a twin sink vanity and a huge shower with a rain shower and regular power shower head.
Other Features Of The Andaz Dubai The Palm
There’s so much for you to do here, with five bars and restaurants, your own beach, a day spa and gym, two pools and a yoga terrace—it’s almost a shame to leave the hotel at all!
The Pools And Spa
Up on the 14th floor is the adults-only cabana pool. Surrounded by a dozen private cabanas and even more loungers, this pool is the perfect spot to hang out after a busy day exploring.
Also on the 14th floor connected to the cabana pool, the hotel’s day spa Ora offers all the trimmings for treatments, and its 24-hour gym and fitness centre have amazing views out to the end of the Palm Jumeirah.
The beach pool is a lagoon-style family pool with an infinity edge that looks out over the beach all the way to the Burj al Arab in the distance. There’s also a bar here with loungers and umbrellas.
The beach—a 300m stretch of sand leading on to the crystal waters of the Gulf—is for Andaz guests only, so it’s very peaceful. You can easily find a lounger and brolly, and you’re not far from the beach bar either.
Where To Eat And Drink In Dubai
With only 182 rooms and 34 suites, we’re surprised that the Andaz has so many places to eat and drink.
The Andaz Lounge up on the mezzanine looking down on the lobby has a relaxed vibe with comfy sofas and nooks for a quiet romantic drink before dinner. There’s also a more open space that doubles up as a work area with complimentary Macs for guests to use.
Downstairs on the beach side of the lobby is the Locale. This is where breakfast is served every day from 7.30 to 11.00—and what a breakfast! Everything from dhals, dips and dumplings to cereals, fruit and huge blocks of marinated feta cheese.
There’s even a replete bakery section with donuts, croissants and freshly-made crepes and waffles.
You’ll also find all the usual cooked breakfast elements, though the bacon—veal bacon here for obvious reasons—is a bit weird. And when there are so many other things to try, a full English seems a bit of a waste!
The Locale is also a good lunch spot, though the sliders and club sandwich we order don’t really impress. Especially at over AU$100.
La Coco is the beach bar next to the lagoon pool and looks like a really lovely spot to spend an afternoon. Views out over the water and down to the pool, a fresh Palm Springs/Miami vibe—coral pink and duck egg decor with a wall of succulents and hacienda style bar.
But for the best views—especially at sunset, heading up on the top floor to Hanami is a must.
This slick Tokyo-inspired rooftop bar looks out over the Jumeirah right to the top of the Palm as well as out across the city up and down the coast.
Drinks here are well-made and worth your time. And as the sun dips into the sea turning the sky bronze and the buildings golden, Hanami is the place to be with a cocktail at your elbow.
Andaz Dubai also has a late-night venue: an underground club called KnoX, but we didn’t get a chance to check that one out.
Where Is The Andaz Dubai The Palm?
Staying on the Palm Jumeirah might sound like a lovely idea—all that beach and coastline and such a unique place. But if you’re at the end of the 5km long island or down the end of one of the seven Fronds, you’ve got quite a lot of traffic to deal with before you even get to the mainland.
Where the Andaz is lets you have the best of both worlds. It’s not on one of the fronds but is high up on the righthand side of the trunk. This means you still get the same waterfront vibe the fronds give, but your drive to and from the hotel is shorter and simpler.
Finally, I think it is important to point out that the manmade islands of the Palm archipelagos, The World and other artificial islands on the UAE coast are not without their controversies.
According to several internationally recognised agencies, including Greenpeace and NASA, building these islands has caused pretty significant environmental impacts. And their existence and upkeep is costly and disruptive to local ecosystems.
