JA Ocean View ★★★★★

I don’t know why, but recently it seems as if Dubai is the place to be. The name of the grand city has rolled off the tongue of so many of my friends in the past few months that I feel a burning desire to go and visit this mysterious land of the future. My husband and I had our destination for our next trip!

As we arrived at the airport we immediately realised that this city spared no expense when wanting to impress visitors; the airport was like an enormous greenhouse with palm trees, all sorts of flowers, fountains and even exotic colourful birds that flew under the incredibly high ceilings. We jumped into a taxi and were driven on our way, and along it, I was captivated by the twinkling of the towering glass skyscrapers and the blue sky which is so rarely seen in my own country of origin!

At the JA Ocean View, staff were awaiting us with a delightful smile and we felt immediately comfortable. It was just what we needed after a long journey, though I was looking forward to relaxing on a large bed to recover from our lack of sleep on the way here! Before we arrived at our door however, I had some time to admire the palatial reception as my husband dealt with the check-in. Chandelier like fittings with a modern touch hang from the glossy ceilings, and the marble floors evoke the luxurious palaces of the past.

“Are you coming, then?” my husband asked breaking me from my daydream. So up we wondered to the other delights that waited us in our sea-view room. The staircase led from the centre of reception up into a spiral, from the centre we could see all the way up, and believe me that was a fair way! We stepped into our room and relished the bright sea-coloured décor enhanced by the light that was flooding in from our ceiling to floor balcony window. I looked around for my husband but before I could even take anything in, he had retired to the king size bed which made the centre piece of the room. Smiling at his face and shut eyes, I decided to leave him to his rest and wonder out onto the furnished balcony. The heat hit me with a surprising comfort, confirming that we had arrived in Dubai – I was finally here looking out over the Arabian Sea.

After our rest, I slipped into the bathroom to freshen up with the sweet smelling toiletries provided by the hotel. The bathroom was pristine and glossy, and came with a bath tub and shower head. It was about this time that we decided we were hungry, and still a little too new to everything we decided to stick with dining at the hotel restaurant. Deciding where to eat and drink at the hotel was as much of a choice as venturing outdoors however, with seven different establishments to choose from. We settled on the French brasserie for our first night, familiar but yet satisfying. Perhaps tomorrow we would try the Arabian flavours of the outdoor Sehr Al Bahar at The Deck, where there is also live belly-dancing to give that unmistakably Middle-Eastern feel. We were still tired from our travel, but after our delicious meal we strived to keep our eyes open for the hotel offers an array of evening entertainment in the various decadent bars and lounges.

Tomorrow would be a choice between how we wanted to pamper ourselves, a day on the terrace by the pool or a day on the beach? Shopping in Dubai’s famous shopping centres or relaxing in the hotel’s Calm Spa? Finally now I know what all the fuss about Dubai is, and it’s rightly deserved too!