I’m staying in Dubai for five nights over Christmas and there are simply too many hotels to choose from and they are many very different characters. In the end I decided to spend two nights in the city followed by another three by the beach.
For the city break, I went for ME Dubai, a Melia hotel. The hotel’s biggest selling point is “designed by Zaha Hadid”, and although I don’t understand its outer appearance, the interior does look very chic.
Another reason I chose this hotel was price. Melia had a Black Friday sale and combined with the other available offers I was able to get two nights for £300 with breakfast and dinner included. That’s almost a 50% off discount compared to its regular rate!
ME Dubai is located at the Business Bay and if I’m not mistaken it’s a financial district similar to say London’s Bank area. It’s about 20 to 30 minutes’ walk from the Dubai Mall and walking in Dubai’s winter is very enjoyable.
The building is a hollow cube with a irregular-shaped hole in the centre, and the ME Dubai is beneath that “hole”. Yes – ME Dubai only occupies the four lower levels of the building, which I think is a bit misleading. Don’t expect any high floors or breathtaking views!
The lobby design reminds me of Abu Dhabi Edition, as they are both layers of white rings stacked on top of one another. ME Dubai gives more of a wavy vibe though, and with the sun flowing in from the skylight I have the surreal feeling of being in a spaceship.
I arrived early at 10am and was able to check in immediately, and the hotel does look pretty quiet in this festive period. I was wondering if they would be more generous with room upgrade given it’s Middle East, but I was too optimistic 😛
Let’s go check out my room on the second floor. Their standard room is called Always Me, and I booked three level above: Always Me with extra space and Khalifa view. Higher levels are Superior Me and suites, which are larger and some are equipped with a built-in jacuzzi.
To summarise the room’s style in two words: simplistic as it’s almost only black, white and grey tones; and futuristic as demonstrated by the curves and the oversized bed and TV wall.
There’s a lot of technology in this room. The light turns on when you enter and all control panels react automatically when your hand approaches.
The tub is huge and they provide bath salt.
And a wardrobe:
The Khalifa view is very underwhelming, so I wouldn’t recommend paying more for such room type.
A welcome plate for Melia Gold:
The hotel has only one (small outdoor) swimming pool. On the plus side it is heated.
The gym on the other hand is pretty big and they have yoga mats.
A benefit if you book via Melia: 20% off dining and massage. For massage there’s an additional coupon for 30 extra minutes, so it’s about £70 for a 90-minute massage, quite a decent deal I think.
I’m on the half-board option and both breakfast and dinner are served in the main restaurant on the second floor. Breakfast is a-la-carte ordering complimented by a small buffet.
Although it’s an Arabic country, there are so many international tourists all the time so many restaurants serve pork and alcohol.
The menu has many options from different cuisines: Full English, eggs benedict, waffle, French toast, falafels and shakshuka etc.
For the other meal in the half-board you can come have it anytime. There’s a special menu:
Melia is a company from Spain and this restaurant specialises in Spanish cuisine.
I love Spanish cuisine and the food is great! All soft drinks, beer and wine are free as well. Service by the restaurant staff is top-notch.
Zaha Hadid’s name doesn’t disappoint and ME Dubai indeed has a lot of character. However, I don’t think the hotel is on that kind of luxury level that matches its price point, so unless you can snatch a deal during Melia’s sales there are many other better options.
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