The Bvlgari Dubai King rooms start at $900 AUD in the low season, and upwards of $2500 AUD per night in high season. Private Villas start at $6,000 AUD/night with a 3 night minimum stay.
The Bvlgari Dubai does not scream “Dubai Luxury” at all. There’s no gold. There’s no gilt. There’s no flash and sparkle. It is located 12 minutes drive from Downtown, between the Airport and the Palm, in the quiet and well to do suburb of Jumeirah Bay.
Greeted at the entranceway by sharply dressed and ultra polite doormen, you are ushered into a small and quietly furnished lobby with seating for about 30 people. Brown leather couches, subdued artwork, the clink of coffee cups and splashes of marble punctuate your gaze, as the lobby overlooks the private beach.
I took no photos of the lobby. It was burbling with the conversation of local Emirati and expat clientele; teas, coffees, and small dishes from a variety of onsite food venues were being served. Immediately I understood that this property caters to those who have no desire to show off, but rather the type of guests who deeply appreciate privacy.
Low ceilings, dark carpets, wood paneling in the hallways give the impression of the interior of a luxurious boat (this is a Yacht Marina after all), whilst at the same time drawing inspiration from minimalist Japanese design sensibilities.
Last year I was driving down the Ligurian Coast visiting the small towns of Rapallo, Positano, and Recco. I made a point of staying at locally owned hotels that had been there for 50+ years as I wanted to get the real “Italian seaside town” experience. Each local hotel I stayed at had an underground area, in which they had a sauna, steam room, spa pool and cold bucket.
I understood that this “daily ritual” was a key component of life on the Riveria - and promptly integrated it into my own! These facilities were not the last word in refinement or luxury (neither were the hotels I stayed in) but no matter.
Back in Dubai, descend to the lowest floor or the “hull” of the boat and you are in for the treat that sets all Bvlgari Hotels apart - the extensive Italian spa. They have taken this aspect of the “Riviera lifestyle” and elevated it to an art form. Steam rooms, sauna, plunge pools, rest rooms replete with various snacks and recliner couches, changing rooms with Acqua Di Parma amenities - all are included in the room rate.
I did find that the wood seating in the mens sauna was flimsy and cracked in several places - not a huge deal but not in keeping with the rest of the property.
As you meander through the spa to the very end of the promontory, jutting out like the bow of an ocean liner into the bay is the 25m fully enclosed swimming pool, and outdoor decking with daybeds that offers a view of the private beach and the city skyline beyond.
“Watching the ships roll in and then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away” strains of Otis Redding came to mind as I watched the deep red sunset, diffuse with the desert dust.
I won’t wax lyrical about the rooms - except to say they are well thought out, come in a variety of configurations, and there are 108 of them. Having a flat iPhone charging pad built into the bedside table, and daily turn down service with custom Bulgari chocolates and chamomile tea shows the attention to detail.
Each room has a substantial balcony, we had a Marina view of some techy superyachts - on the other side you have a view of the beach and the cityscape beyond. Beds are topped with a Cashmere throw (Loro Piana, of course) and the beds themselves are of an exceptionally high standard.
20 Private Villas are also available in one, two, and three bedroom configurations. You can be picked up from the airport, drive right into your private villa, bypass reception and check in in your room. Those with celebrity status or an enthusiasm for privacy are well catered to here. Villas are equipped with more extensive bar setups, in room amenities, and Devialet audio systems. A nice touch was seeing wine in the cabinets from Bulgari’s own Italian vineyard.
Luxury hotels seem obsessed with competing to have ever more elaborate buffets. Bvlgari is zigging whilst everyone else is zagging here, and everything is “a la carte”, off the menu and cooked to order. Breakfast is 24/7, I’ll repeat that, 24/7. You can have it in the cafe, in your room, or in the lobby lounge. Same menu. Unlimited plates. Any hour of the day or night. Included in the room rate. Shakshuka was a highlight for me, but all dishes were well balanced, thoughtful, well seasoned and not too big or small.
Cappuccinos were (sadly) classic Italian style. Sorry Italy, your coffee culture sucks - far better baristas to be found in New Zealand, Australia and across South East Asia. I’ll make an exception for your espresso. There’s no question that they make coffee at the Bulgari just like they make it in Rome.
What more could you want than having a 5pm eggs benedict on your balcony, watching the sunset frame the masts of superyachts, snuggled into your cashmere Loro throw?
We did not dine at the other venues, although there is an Italian restaurant onsite (2 Michelin star) and a 9 seat Omakase (1 Michelin star) as well. However, after polishing off a bottle of Church Road Grand Reserve 2021 on the balcony we did decide to head on over to the Bvlgari Yacht Club. A quick word to the front desk and the Mercedes EQE was made available to whip us around the Marina in air conditioned comfort. More wood paneling, more discreet service as
we headed upstairs to the cigar room. What a pleasant surprise!
Panoramic views over the bay, well made classic cocktails, friendly bar staff, and reasonably priced cigars. The Yacht Club is a little known & little hyped location, but is now my #1 recommendation for a Friday evening deep & meaningful chat with a friend, business partner, or prospective client in Dubai. A Quai D’Orsay 54, a Negroni and an Old Fashioned appeared, then disappeared in short order - and cost only 80 AED each for the generously sized cocktails.
This was a significant departure from the previous evening, where we were at the Dubai Edition Hotel bar - packed full of punters, dirty with cigarette smoke, ground floor so no view, and they were charging 120 AED for tiny little cocktails with pithy plastic syringes in them - effectively you had to mix your own drink. I did not have words.
The Bvlgari is a very focused and well thought out property - from the design philosophy, the service, the cuisine, everything is guest focused & surprisingly good value. Nothing that I experienced was the best of the best, but everything I experienced was “Top 4 all time”. This is incredibly difficult to pull off, across such a range of factors from the day spa, to the food, the door staff, in room butler, and the farewell gifts and amenities.
OK I lied. The croissants were the best I’ve ever had. The balance between flakiness, chewiness, and pillowyness was just right, and they’ve knocked Kenn’s Coffee & Croissant in Bangkok from my top spot. That’s no slight to Kenn’s though, as they were my #1 since December 2020.
This is not flash and sparkle, it’s not ostentatious, it’s just bloody good hospitality with an Italian twist. This stay genuinely inspired me, and has got me itching to stay at other Bulgari properties.
The Bulgari Dubai is resolutely not a scam. It’s actually worth every dirham. I’d stay again in a heartbeat.
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