In all the millions of words written about Dubai since it became one of the world’s most talked about and exciting cities, the comparison that seems the most obvious is with Las Vegas. Both saw obscure desert settlements turn into temples to commerce, innovation and a peculiar kind of style that can both enthrall and repel. Both cities have a real love-it or loathe-it quality to them. The key difference, of course, is that Las Vegas is now sufficiently established for most visitors to know exactly what they’re going to get. Dubai, by way of contrast, is still very much an evolving city, where a new visit will bring a host of new buildings, including many of the world’s set-piece new hotels and restaurants. When Giorgio Armani wants to open his first hotel, or Gary Rhodes wants to launch a new high-class yet casual grill, Dubai is the place that they want to do it.
I headed to Dubai over the Ramadan period in early September. This is both a challenging and exciting time to see the city; challenging, because the 40+ degree heat is coupled with all eating and drinking in public being forbidden between the hours of sunrise and sunset, but exciting because it gives all visitors an opportunity to participate in the iftar ceremony at sunset, when Muslims break their fast with a lavish and celebratory meal. More prosaically, it means that hotel prices are at their most competitive, meaning that visitors can experience five or even seven star luxury at rates that would be virtually impossible at other times of the year.
I stayed at the Shangri-La hotel, situated near to the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building, and the near-legendary Dubai Mall. If you are an aficionado of luxury hotels, Dubai is likely to be an unmissable opportunity. If you spent one night apiece in all of the city’s five star luxury destinations, it would be the best part of two months before you had exhausted your options. The Shangri-La is an excellent example of the high standards of accommodation that the city offers, with every room offering mod cons including decadently comfortable beds and deep-soak baths. Part of a Far Eastern chain, it offers high quality dining in a wide range of bars and restaurants, including modern Cantonese cooking in Shang Palace and traditional Arabian cuisine at Marrakech, which has a Moroccan theme and offers dishes as eclectic as tagines and, for the intrepid, lamb’s brains.
If you are a gourmand, Dubai offers a huge amount of choice. Many of the world’s greatest chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and Pierre Gagnaire, have outposts here, and the high-class surroundings that these restaurants are located in are more than matched by the excellent cooking. A visit to Gary Rhodes’ brand new Twenty Ten at Le Royal Meriden Beach Resort offered Rhodes’ trademark spin on English brasserie staples, whether it was lobster bisque, steak ‘n’ chips (where the beef is Wagyu, the chips are triple cooked, and you’re gently suggested towards foie gras and snails as accompaniments) or a gloriously deconstructed banana and chocolate pudding. If you’re after something more European, the fine dining Ristorante at the Armani Hotel shows that Signor Giorgio is as serious about food as he is about fashion, with an eclectic and well chosen menu of Italian favourites. The highlight for me was a perfectly cooked and presented tenderloin of veal with foie gras. Although the UAE is of course a dry country, alcohol is readily available in hotel bars and restaurants (where most serious socialising takes place), which means that the wine lists and cocktail selections are every bit as impressive as in any other major city. Prices, as you would expect, are not cheap, however, so a certain level of discretion is recommended unless you have the bank account of an Arab sheikh.
There’s plenty more weird and wonderful things to do on a trip here, whether it’s visiting an unusual but amusing ‘fish spa’ at the Wild Wadi Water Park (which also boasts a frankly terrifying 150-foot water slide, the so-called ‘Jumeirah Sceirah’) or checking out the world’s largest indoor aquarium at the lavish Dubai Mall, itself host to virtually every major store and brand name you can think of. If you’re looking for culture, heritage or history you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re after a genuinely eye-opening look at what the world is going to be like later this century, Dubai is the place to be.
For more information about Dubai call Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing on + 44 (0)20 7321 6110 or visit www.dubaitourism.ae.
3 nights B&B at Shangri-La Hotel including economy flights with Virgin Atlantic from GBP 839 per person. Valid for departures 21 Oct – 8 Dec 2010. Call + 44 (0) 845 050 5871 or visit www.trailfinders.com.
Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to Dubai daily. Fares start from GBP 357 including taxes and can be booked online at www.virginatlantic.com or by calling reservations on + 44 (0) 8448 747 747
Half day city tour from GBP 25 per adult / GBP 12 per child. Al Abjar Tourism Adventures: info@abjartourism.ae or www.abjartourism.com.
