Come to Dubai

Recently, our family took a JOURNEY and crossed over the pond and through the dessert to visit the magnificent land of Dubai. There is so much to unpack here but I will try. Our trip started in London where we spent some time enjoying fish and chips, sights, chilly weather, Big Ben and tea. We did the normal things one would do while in London, Buckingham Palace, the world famous Harrods, and a skyline dinner at Hutong~ London at the Shardview.

It was nothing short of amazing. We stayed at the wonderful and hospitable Hyatt Churchill which was welcoming and upscale. But that was just one stop on our adventure. After a night of rest, we were off to Dubai for a stay at the famous Atlantis Palm resort. When we planned this trip, I knew this was going to be challenging (meaning- time changes, lugging kids, packing for two totally different climates) but somehow it went with ease (7 suitcases later). The flight from London to Dubai was about 7 hours and I purposely scheduled our flight through the night so the kids would sleep.

We flew on British Airways and the flight was comfortable, the service pleasurable and the 7hours was manageable. We arrived in Dubai around 7am, to a region of the world vastly different than what we have experienced thus far. We moved through customs with some ease and was greeted by an Atlantis driver who would take us about 40 minutes to the resort. There was plenty to see along the way. While Dubai was heavily congested with cars up and down their interstate system, it is immensely clean.

The interstate was lined with bright flowers, there were no sights of graffiti on any of the bridges and the reflection of the Dubai sun shined on the buildings. You could see slight influences of the Western world along mixed with the Middle East. After about an hour (due to traffic) we drove over the bridge that separates Atlantis from the rest of Dubai and the smell of the Arabian Sea and the beach brought a different vibe. It’s been a few years since we vacationed on a beach resort, so those feelings of taking things easy for a little was slowly taking over.

Once we pulled in front of the hotel, a red carpet laid at our feet and we were greeted with the finest hospitality one could imagine. After our red carpet entrance, we arrived in a massive lobby filled with the fragrance of Acqua Di Parma, a massive water fountain and concierge service at the highest level. The boys were pretending to play chess while we were presented with an overview of the resort. Mind you, I was prepared to “wait” around the resort because the likelihood of our room being ready so early was slim to none, but if I was a betting woman, I would have lost. The concierge said in the worldliest accent, "your suite is ready"! WHAT, how wonderful, we could shower, relax and let the bougie begin.

As we made our way to our suite, we walked through long halls of the resort passing guests and Atlantis employees who greeted each and every guest by placing their right hand over their heart. In Arab countries, placing your right hand over your heart is a warm way to greet someone and a very respectful and meaningful gesture. Thirteen floors later we arrived to our suite which was gorgeous. It had a walk around terrace, living room, dining room, bedroom, two bathrooms and a walk in closet. It was the perfect space for a family of four. There was fresh fruit, turn down service and access to the Imperial lounge where we had breakfast overlooking the sea.

We chose the Atlantis Palm so the kids could have fun at the water park and really chill, which they took total advantage of. The weather was a breezy 70ish degrees each day, which did not stop the kids from going surfing, scaling down rapid rivers, gliding down water slides and soaking in pools, all while enjoying mock-tails. I... on the other hand did two things, had an amazing time at the spa which included my pre-selection of a worldly massage (I chose Bali) and a glowing facial. Needless to say, I had trouble waking up and gathering myself afterwards! I then, for lack of better words, sun bathed and did absolutely nothing.

We also took some time to explore the newly built Atlantis Royal in all its glory. Now this hotel was on a different kind of vibe, with its gold accents, carefully selected design elements all ascetically pleasing to the eye. We had dinner one night at the Jaleo Dubai in the Royal and for lack of better words, there wasn't much to be desired. To me one does not go to Dubai for the food scene, there are plenty other places to enjoy pleasurable cuisine, but I think we missed the mark and should have opted for street food at the Global Market.

We did plan a few highlights, we went to the Dubai theater, strolled through the Miracle Gardens, “climbed” 100 floors to the top of the Burj Khalifa and walked through the Mall of Dubai. While one would say we missed a lot, I will say the point of staying at the Atlantis resort was to be in an environment whose sole mission is to cater to their guests the promotion of leisure.

Dubai was a good experience, I never would have guessed we would spend our Mardi Gras break in the Middle East but sometimes life gives you special treats. Who knows, when we will travel on this side of the globe again but I will say having a growth-mind set aids in dream.

XOXO,

Mo's Revue