I was recently passing through Dubai and staying at the Rotana Al Boustan was a great choice considering that it's close to the Dubai airport and close to where our meetings were scheduled the next morning.
When stepping into Al Bustan Rotana Dubai I was enchanted by its unique blend of traditional Arabian hospitality and modern luxury. A huge lobby, high ceiling and an atrium with openings on all floors all made for a stunning impression. I walked to the reception and waited to be shown to my room.
- Non smoking rooms
- Currency exchange
- Doctor on call
- Valet parking and dedicated parking area
- Car and limousine rental service
- Multilingual staff
- Hair and beauty salon
- Gift shop
- Shuttle bus service to the City Center Shopping Mall
- "Paid" Wireless Internet in public areas
Al Bustan Rotana in few lines:
- 275 spacious rooms and suites
- "Paid" High speed wireless internet connection in all rooms
- Complimentary tea and coffee making facilities
- Fully stocked mini bar
- Multi channel satellite television
- IDD telephone
- Personal in-room safe
- Laundry and dry cleaning service
- Daily housekeeping service
- Daily local newspaper
- Bathrobes and hair dryer
The room:
- A large relaxing room with a king sized bed, a working desk and two sofas
- Red curtains added a touch of color
- A relaxing bed stuffed with fluffy and enjoyable pillows
- Four paintings decorated the walls
- A complete section of the room is dedicated to the mini bar. A fully loaded fridge and some snacks
- Light brown wallpapers cover the walls
- A fluffy carpet covers the floor
- A large bathroom loaded with amenities with a generous bathtub
- Bathrobes and slippers are available in all the rooms
The unacceptable:
- It's not acceptable to pay for Internet in 2014. $25 for every 24 hours makes you regret staying here and maybe not coming back. Yes, $25 per day, that's $175/week, more than a fixed mobile line with open unlimited 3G for a month. This is what I did: I bought a 3G local number and enjoyed surfing the net.
The buffet of wide choices:
- Grilled station
- Pancakes: Strawberry, mango, chocolate sauce and maple syrup
- French toast
- Meat patty
- Noodles
- Steamed vegetables
- The vegetarian corner
- Brioche, bread and manakish
- Cereals, dried nuts, dried fruits and milk
- Honey comb
- Salad bar
- The cold cuts station, labneh and cheese
- Fruits and yogurt
- Eggs and omelets live cooking
- Foul mdammas
- Baked beans
- Roasted potatoes
- Baby marrow
- Chicken and veal sausages
- Soup station
- Grilled vegetables
- Waffle station
- Freshly squeezed juices
- Danish pastry and cakes
I met the French executive chef, a great person who's welcoming. We had a quick discussion that reflected his passion and dedication towards what he does.
I've tried couple things:
- The French toast were too oily and lack juiciness
- The waffles were good
- The savory brioche is a no. Too dry
- The donuts were too dry as well, and too condensed with an oily aftertaste
- The chocolate and mango sauces were excellent
- I fell in love with the cheese croissant
- The chocolate brownies were way too dry
- The eggs tasted too dull. The cheese is not even felt and the mix needs seasoning
My feelings about this breakfast:
- Lots of things are dry. Just add some moisture
- All the food can be better... everything needs some fine-tuning
- The omelet station needs reshuffling
