Melia Dubai: Enjoy the exquisite Spanish luxury in Dubai!

Melia Dubai is the first Spanish five star hotel in Dubai, and it's unique location close to the heart of the original Dubai makes it even more special. Great food, great views and highly stylized interiors recreate an eclectic mix of cultures which also defines the spirit of Dubai.

Here's my review of the hotel.

At the terrace of Melia Dubai

View of the hotel lobby from my floor

As we drove from the airport to the hotel after a an unexpectedly plush business class flight experience with flydubai, I was curious to find out more about the neighborhood of the hotel. I was a bit surprised when our host told me that it was located close to Old Dubai.

Old Dubai? Is there an old Dubai as well? Somehow I had always associated the city as a shining new metropolis of high-rises and swanky roads. The word 'old' somehow didn't fit in at all with the image in my mind. For someone like me who loves to always explore a place a layer below the obvious, the plot was already getting interesting.



Half an hour later I was in my plush room at the hotel with a view to die for! It was still early morning with an overcast sky, and the view simply took my breath away. Right in front of me was Burj Khalifa with the rest of the skyline which dominates the image of Dubai in our minds currently.

Dubai skyline from my room

Over the next few days, I explored not just the swanky new Dubai, but even more so the Old Dubai, locally known as Old Dubai. Though the location of the hotel seemed unusual in the beginning, it was actually perfect for someone like me who loves to explore both the old and the new, the past and the present to get a sense of the city and it's people.

However, it's not just things that you can do around, but also within the hotel which make it special. So without much ado, here are my top five reasons why you must plan a stay at Melia Dubai on your next trip to the country :)

Lobby of the hotel

Close to Old Dubai

Barely located at a distance of 2km from the Abra stand on the Dubai creek, the location is just perfect! A cab ride takes just about 10 minutes, and on a good evening you can even walk back to the hotel.

A photo posted by The Wanderer (@siddharthajoshi) on Dec 28, 2016 at 4:17am PST

Old Dubai is where Dubai originally started and it's a great place to start exploration of the city to understand why it is the way it is. While you are there, take the Abra (boat) ride and go across the creek and explore the old souks as well. There are some shops will also sell chocolates made with camel milk and they are certainly worth trying out.

Also close to New Dubai

A visit to Dubai will certainly not be complete without visiting the Dubai the way we understand it now. The iconic Burj Khalifa is located about 9 km from here and it takes about 20 minutes in a cab to reach, though it's much more if you travel during the peak hours.

A photo posted by The Wanderer (@siddharthajoshi) on Jan 2, 2017 at 12:40am PST

There is also a metro station close by, which will also also take you to the new part of the city, though I didn't take that.

Food

This was the last thing I expected to be special at Melia Dubai, and boy I was so wrong about it. Start your day at the Azalya with it's sumptuous continental breakfast spread. You can even find idli if you are missing Indian food :)

Azalya

However, my favourite, by far, was Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor. We were actually pampered by the head chef at the restaurant, and the food simply blew me away. You have to try it to believe the flavours that the food has at this lovely restaurant, which is famous across Dubai.



Freshly cooked food. Yum!

Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor

Dessert! 



After the dinner, head out to the terrace for a drink at Estrellas, and if you are in mood for the party later in the night, check out their night club called Muscovites.

Muscovites - the night club!

Yhi Spa

Over the last few years, I have come to enjoy the spa treatments at the hotels, and to me they are the best ways to end your day, especially when you are dead tired with the excursions.

I took the Moroccan bath, and loved it! If you are staying there, go for it :)

Yhi spa

By the way, there are couples spa rooms with Jacuzzi, so if you are traveling with your better half, this might be a great way to unwind :)

Room and service

Finally, this is something which is the crux of your stay in any hotel. I can talk a lot about it, or simply show my room.

My room

I loved this little tub :)

Also, did I mention that there was a digital personal message for me right when I entered. Certainly made me feel special :)

Welcome to Melia Dubai :)

Travel in Dubai

Over the next few days I travelled extensively in the city, exploring both the popular tourist destinations like visiting Burj Khalifa, but also digging deeper into some very local experiences. and in the process I collected tons of experiences and memories of a lifetime!

Read more: Offbeat Dubai Travel Guide

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Disclaimer: I was hosted in Dubai by Melia Dubai. All views expressed here are unbiased and based on my own personal experiences.