Rumours had swirled around the mysterious Palazzo Versace for many years of when it would open and what it would look like, and finally, just a few months ago, the hotel after 8 years of building, constructing and perfecting launched its soft opening. Curiosity got the better of us, and as my husband and I love discovering new hotel properties, thought this was the perfect opportunity.
The hotel is amongst the first building in the area, and will nest itself in the new Cultural Village along the banks of Dubai Creek, and is only 15 minutes from Dubai Airport. If you are looking for the perfect staycation to try something different, this hotel is discreetly tucked away, and it is unlikely you will bump into anyone. The hotel makes me reminisce of a time gone by when hotels were built like palaces 10 to 15 years ago.
犀利士
justify;”>The lobby is an opulently decorated large hall with views of the pool and Creek, and Versace’s distinctive style is laced on the floors amongst 1.6 million mosaics. Hotels of this craftsmanship and artisan workmanship, with superior finishings, has not been seen in recent years since the beautiful Royal Mirage, Al Qasr hotels were built, and it is evident that the team behind Palazzo Versace has been invested much in the quality of all its furnishings and infrastructure. Beautiful and elegant corridors of white marble with gold borders on the ground floor take you to the room hallways that are then laden with violet carpets and white walls, giving a relaxing and therapeutic atmosphere.
My husband and I got married in Venice, and our Palazzo Versace suite reminded us of traditional Venetian hotel rooms with striking parquet flooring and panelled doors shipped from Italy with high end installation and finishing. The tranquil sun-bathed rooms hosts various pastille shades of pinks, blues and yellows themes with perfect beds that even Goldilocks would have approved of. Surprisingly, even though the rooms are designed by Versace, the design house’s logos and designs are very subtly laced into the furnishings of the room, the total opposite from the lobby’s bolder design statements. Honestly, it was an incredible 24 hours away and I could have easily stayed another night and more.
Facilities
There are two pools, an adult only pool in front of the lobby, and another larger pool for families tucked next to the breakfast room. The cleverly designed family pool has a ring of sand on the water’s edge for children to make sandcastles, and large areas of shallow water for children to wallow in and benches in the pool demarcating the deep end from the shallow end whilst parents sit to watch their children. There is a spa, gym and two bars, one of which will be only opened in September.
Enigma
This has to be the crowning glory for Palazzo Versace to have the unique idea to fly in some of the top 50 chefs in the world for 3 months at a time. This is a venue for real foodies. I spend much of my free time watching cooking programs about Chefs from all over the world on Netflix. One of the series follows 6 of the top Michelin chefs in the world, to understand how their careers have come to be, their passion for the ingredients and what drives them to be the best. I was blown away to discover that the Palazzo Versace was bringing these types of chefs to Dubai. This month, we were lucky to experience Bjorn Frantzen who was born in Sweden, and had two Michelin Stars under his belt combining the best of Nordic culinary traditions, ranked number 31/50 in the world. Not to be missed for foodies.
Overview
Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised by the care taken by the hotel’s owners to bring the best in service, food, quality and finishings to the Palazzo Versace. As the Italians would say, bravo! Highly recommended staycation.
Perfect for: Couples and families.
Top tip: Get a room facing the Creek
For more information visit: Palazzo Versace