Review: St. Regis Dubai, the Palm

I visited Dubai to check out Expo 2020 for a few days on my recent trip to the Middle East, and stayed at the brand-new St. Regis Dubai, The Palm for one night. 

Dubai is known for its high-end tourism and modern architecture, with an extensive collection of Marriott-branded properties tailored for all types of travellers. 

The St. Regis on The Palm is one of Marriott’s most luxurious properties in the city thus far, bringing its signature opulence and 1920s touch to the heart of Dubai’s famous man-made island, the Palm Jumeirah. 

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Booking

The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm is a Category 7 property with Marriott Bonvoy. Standard points redemptions will cost 60,000 Bonvoy points, while off-peak and peak redemptions will cost 50,000 and 70,000 points, respectively.

I was able to book at a cash rate of $300, which was a much better value for my one-night stay than redeeming 60,000 points. We value Bonvoy points at 0.9 cents per point, and redeeming points would’ve fallen well short of that target.

As a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite member, I went ahead and applied one of my Suite Night Awards to the reservation.

I wanted to secure a suite since I’d be staying quite late the second day and requesting a late checkout, and my request for a Metropolitan Suite was indeed cleared a couple of days before arrival. 

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Location

The hotel entrance is situated just in front of the Nakheel Mall at the base of the Palm Tower skyscraper. For those arriving by car, valet staff are available to take your car and luggage.

The hotel’s location on The Palm isn’t necessarily the most ideal for accessing Dubai’s main tourist attractions, like Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, or the Mall of the Emirates.

If it’s your first visit to Dubai and you’d like to see the sights, perhaps staying near Dubai Mall or DIFC would be your best bet. 

Despite the distance to Dubai’s main attractions, there are quite a few things to do on The Palm as well. The hotel conveniently connects directly to the Nakheel Mall, a luxury shopping centre with over 300 shops, restaurants, and entertainment outlets. 

Within the mall is one of the five monorail stations on the Palm, which is one of the best ways to navigate the man-made island. You can take the monorail to attractions such as the Aquaventure Waterpark and the Pointe, a popular waterfront destination featuring the world’s largest fountain.

Dubai International Airport is approximately a 30-minute drive or Uber from the hotel. Meanwhile, the site of Expo 2020, which I was keen to check out on this trip, is a 20-minute drive away.

Overall, the St. Regis’s location is best if you’re simply looking to enjoy life and relax or party it up on The Palm, rather than if you’re heading into the city very often.

For a longer trip to Dubai, I’d recommend combining a primary stay in the city centre with a shorter stay out here on The Palm. 

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Check-In

Upon entering the hotel, a grand spiral staircase, inspired by the first-ever St. Regis in New York, dominates the marble-clad lobby.

The staircase encircles a crystal chandelier designed in the style of an Arabian palm tree, an example of the combination of modern glamour and local influences that permeates the property’s sophisticated aesthetic.

I was invited to sit down for my check-in formalities, which is always an elevated touch that I appreciate at St. Regis properties.

However, since I had arrived at 12pm and upgraded to a specialty suite, my room wasn’t ready yet, and would only be ready in a few hours.

At check-in, I requested a 6pm late checkout if possible, since I’d be leaving Dubai on an Emirates flight at 2:30am the following early morning.

To my delight, the staff were happy to grant the request. Indeed, I’ve found Middle East hotels to be quite generous with late checkout policies in the past, as I had been granted a 6pm checkout at the Waldorf Astoria DIFC on my last trip as well. 

I went for a quick lunch in the mall while I waited for the suite to be ready. A few hours later, I stopped by the front desk to pick up my keys and head up to the 6th floor. 

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Metropolitan Suite

The guest room hallways mirror the rest of the hotel in terms of design, drawing upon muted neutrals and pastels and incorporating ample marble in the doors and baseboards as part of an elegant look.

The Metropolitan Suite is satisfyingly situated at the end of the hallway. The rooms have contactless entry; a quick tap of the key, and you can simply push the door open. 

As you enter the 968-square-foot suite, a small guest bathroom is immediately to the right, with a single sink, mirror, and bidet. 

The suite then opens up directly to the living room, which features a sitting area and a dining table, all separate from the primary bedroom.

Through its large floor-to-ceiling windows, the corner suite offers stunning views of The Palm and beyond, extending across the buildings, city, and sea, with the Burj Al Arab visible across the waters in the distance.

I’ve always found Dubai to have one of the world’s most striking skylines with a variety of vantage points from which to behold it, and the views from here at The Palm were just as inspiring as I remembered them from previous trips.

The sitting area follows a traditional layout, with a wide leather sofa and gold side tables at each end. Along with the sofa, two armchairs surround a modern, multi-layered coffee table. 

On the opposite wall, a flat-screen TV sits on a marble entertainment centre. As for design, a palette of ivory, blush, grey, and gold are used to colour the space. 

The smaller dining area features four orange accent chairs under a modern hangover floor lamp, along with the pantry behind it.

Proceeding to the bedroom, the colour theme continues with subtle notes of orange blush. The room features a king-sized bed with Frette luxury linens and down-filled pillows, offering a much-needed superior night of rest on this whirlwind trip. 

A small chaise longue sits in the corner, while a wall-mounted flat-screen TV with a marble desk underneath is positioned across from the bed.

Moving through the bedroom, a set of full-height mirrored panel doors open up to the bathroom, which consists of luxurious marble finishes throughout.

I quite liked the bathroom layout with the freestanding soaking tub as the centrepiece.

Double sink vanities are placed under a LED mirror, while an additional full-length gold-lined mirror is mounted on the wall to the right. 

The rain shower was simplistic, with some geometric patterns inlaid to the shower wall.

The bathroom also featured oversized closets, which had a vast amount of luggage and storage space. 

The St. Regis brand’s signature butler service includes packing and unpacking your luggage, although I don’t typically ask to make use of this. Instead, I made sure to maximize the butler service’s other offerings, including complimentary 24/7 coffee and tea, as well as two complimentary garment pressings per day. 

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel is complimentary for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members and above.

The hotel offered an excellent buffet breakfast in its Cordelia all-day dining venue with outdoor seating by the pool, which I really enjoyed in the Dubai sunshine.

The buffet spread is extensive, serving up a wide range of high-quality Western, Middle Eastern, and Indian flavours. Additional dishes, like made-to-order eggs, are also available à la carte.

I enjoyed a big breakfast by the pool and caught up on some work before heading out to Expo 2020 for the day.

St. Regis Dubai, the Palm – Other Facilities

The property features two infinity swimming pools, complete with poolside butler service that brings you towels, sunscreen, fresh fruit, and cold drinks throughout the day. 

The pools are separated, one at each side of the hotel building, and both are surrounded by lush greenery. One is designated for families, and the other is adult-only. 

Alas, the infinity-edge views aren’t too much to speak of, as both pools face out to the Palm’s other glitzy buildings with limited views of the sea in the distance.

Still, the pools seemed like a relaxing spot to unwind during the day, and I wish I had some time to go for a dip during my short stay.

On the second floor is the St. Regis’s signature Iridium Spa, which offers a steam room, sauna, in-suite massages, and various facial treatments all of which incorporate local ingredients.

You’ll also find an exercise room on the second floor. 

The 24-hour facility offers ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, free weights, and weight machines, all housed in a large, luxurious space with lofted ceilings.

Lastly, the King Cole Bar, another St. Regis staple, is situated on the ground floor. The bar has a modern style and an intimate atmosphere, serving up small plates alongside classic cocktails, while there’s also an impressive wine cellar for guests to pick from.

Conclusion

The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm provided me with a posh and polished one-night stay, adding yet another chapter to my book of memorable St. Regis experiences. 

The Metropolitan Suite was chic and spacious, with stunning views of the Palm. In addition, the breakfast buffet has a very impressive selection, and I thoroughly enjoyed the option to eat outside and relax in the sun.

The generous elite treatment, including a 6pm late checkout that the hotel was under no obligation to provide, was only the icing on the cake. 

If you’re looking to visit some of Dubai’s more popular attractions, then a centrally located hotel may be more suitable. However, if soaking in the sun or partying on the Palm is on your agenda, I’d highly recommend giving the St. Regis a try.

The quality is very much on par with the many other luxury options I’ve tried in the city, and is probably among the best properties to book if you’re a Marriott loyalist. I’d certainly stay here again if I needed to be near The Palm on another Dubai trip in the future.