DeziGal

Few hotels can match the grandeur of the Palace in terms of both architecture and amenities. The exterior is more fitting for a palace than a hotel with immaculate vistas of manicured lawns and fountains. To say that the interior is grand is an understatement. More is more at this hotel, where everything is either gold or in shades of gold with thoughtfully placed jewel-tone accents. Italian marble, chandeliers, intricate embellishments, expensive artwork, and fancy floral arrangements make this an accurate showcase of the wealth and opulence of the oil moguls. The palace is an ode to the architecture and artistry of the Middle East with painstaking attention to detail from each doorknob to magnificent ballrooms. The property is state owned but managed by the Kempinski group.

True to a real palace, the hotel has all the trappings of luxury beyond the usual expectations. The overall theme is Arabic, but rooms have the latest technology in terms of remote controlled lights, entertainment, and AC (frankly quite confusing). Our Diamond room had a nice balcony facing the grounds and the ocean and a massive bathroom with oversized everything. The room however wasn’t that big considering the size of the hotel. The décor – Arabia meets Versace. Very flamboyant! Annoying detail –you needed super human strength to squeeze out soap and shampoo from the dome shaped bottles. Nice touch: delicious and regularly replaced fresh fruit, complimentary water and mini-bar.

A few things worth mentioning:

A mere 302 rooms and 92 suites are spread over a palatial ground with multiple restaurants, shops, and spas and pools on each end, so expect to walk a lot (30 min end to end). The only shortcut for going from the east to the west wing is to ride a golf cart from outside near either of the pool areas. The hotel was also eerily quiet for full occupancy. The only indication of other guests was during the breakfast buffet or at the valet outside.

The staff ratio seemed pretty good with someone waiting at every corner whose main purpose was to guide you through the gilded labyrinth. Four different people came to check in on us in the first hour, but soon our butler took over and was pretty good handling everything from laundry and internet to replenishing the fresh fruit and mini-bar. Check-in was efficient with fresh flower bouquets, coffee, and dates. While the staff was courteous, they were a bit rough around the edges in terms of communication skills.

Food: We only had the breakfast buffet, which looked slightly better than it tasted. Though the spread was extensive and majestic -- fruits, pastries, cold cuts, cereals, omelets, and traditional Arab fare such as ful, falafel, halumi, etc. -- the taste was only above average, and not what you expect at a 7* hotel. I preferred the traditional Middle Eastern food knowing that it was the only thing that wasn’t being imported.

The salon was good but unnecessarily overpriced with blowouts and manicures pricier than Beverly Hills. My husband loved the spa. The pools are nicely landscaped with sunken bars, bridges, splash areas, lazy rivers, water slides and waterfalls; great for the family.

After three days, I suffered an opulence overdose, knowing how many resources were being consumed to run the establishment such as water, imported food, power, etc. I guess I shouldn’t complain considering Disney and Vegas are in my backyard.

Bigger may not always be better, but at the Emirates Palace, everything that glitters is gold!