After staying last year, I recommended booking a 2nd-floor beachfront villa in the first row. The view was expansive, and it was convenient to get to the beach. This year, I went again, and by chance (due to a full house, the hotel upgraded us to a suite, but we could only check in at night, and for our subsequent plans, we couldn't enjoy late check-out from the suite), I unexpectedly discovered that villas in the back rows also offer good value for money; you don't always need the top-tier option.
However, for the back-row rooms, I still recommend the 2nd floor for the expansive view. On the 1st floor, with buggies passing by, privacy is always a bit compromised. Also, you can check a map or notes to see which villa/room you're getting. Rooms facing the inner canal are quite good, while those facing the lawn have a slightly less appealing view.
A 60-square-meter room is very spacious for two people. I believe all 2nd-floor rooms come with a balcony. The bathroom is quite large, almost half the size of the room. The price for the most basic room without breakfast is only one-third of the sea-view suite. Plus, Wild Wadi Waterpark tickets are included (if you go early, you can get free large towels, but they run out later. No need to rent a locker if you don't have valuables). Breakfast is 250 RMB per person, half price for children. You can book with breakfast or add it on-site if you decide to go.
Dining at the hotel is quite expensive. A bowl of plain rice is 80 RMB, and spring rolls at 150 RMB are just ridiculous. The hotel claims to have 20 restaurants, but honestly, there isn't much to eat. A taxi ride to the nearby Mall of the Emirates costs 100 RMB round trip, and there's a food court downstairs with burgers, pizza, and Chinese food. But this doesn't compensate for the expensive/limited hotel dining options. The breakfast in the main building is good; the egg chef is very skilled, making sunny-side-up eggs tender but not undercooked. Fruits and bread are plentiful, though Chinese-style options are limited to some steamed dim sum.
The cleanliness and housekeeping of the room are impeccable. During this stay, the butler service improved; there were no more unanswered calls, and they were generally very enthusiastic. The buggies and abra boats usually arrived quickly. The only frustrating part was the local staff's math during checkout. We had one night upgraded to a suite, then for the next three nights, all upgrades and breakfast were canceled, and we paid separately for breakfast for 4 days (2 people for 2 days, 3 people for 2 days). The entire checkout process, the butler (the only one I had to complain about this time, a Caucasian person who seemed unenthusiastic), upon seeing I had an issue with the bill, actually said she couldn't handle it and told me to go to the front desk to check out. The front desk recalculated several times and finally found that one day's meal charges were incorrect, and one transaction was misallocated... it took 4 recalculations in total. Of course, the front desk ladies were very patient, and the gentleman at the front desk during check-in was also very patient. We arrived quite late, and he still explained the upgrade costs. After the first night's upgrade, he even arranged a late check-out for the room change the next day. Although he mistakenly upgraded us to a 1st-floor sea-facing suite instead of the room type I wanted, his attitude was very good, which prevented me from getting angry.
- LisA
The best part of our Dubai trip was staying at Jumeirah Al Qasr; it completely exceeded expectations. Especially with the off-season pricing, it was definitely excellent value for money. My only regret is only staying for one day. The Wild Wadi Waterpark is fantastic and easily rivals Atlantis; for a family trip, I'd even say it's better. The entire resort complex of Jumeirah Al Qasr is interconnected by both land and waterways, so whether you prefer the buggy or an abra (boat), they're always readily available. The service is incredibly efficient and makes you feel right at home. You can find almost everything you need for a perfect vacation right within the hotel. Next time I'm in Dubai, I'll definitely stay longer. Highly recommended!
- Sitanhaosiasaimuruipanmei