Crowne Plaza Dubai – Festival City: 5-Star Hotel with 6-Star Service

Good service is synonymous with five-star hotels. It’s also something that I take for granted whenever I check into a five-star hotel. I have stayed in my fair share of five-star hotels, especially in Asia where hotel service levels far surpass those of Europe and America. So if the service level of a hotel has the ability to leave a deep impression, there must be something special about it. And I have found this something special in Crowne Plaza Dubai – Festival City.

In the city of Dubai where grandiose five-star hotels are dime a dozen, I visited at least nine hotels during my trip – I dined in six of them and stayed in two. The service levels in most of them were fine, but Crowne Plaza Dubai – Festival City stood out in a class of its own.

Check-In

The excellent hospitality was felt even before I reached the hotel. Having taken a red eye flight, we arrived at Dubai at 5am. Awaiting our arrival at the airport was Arun, a staff member from Crowne Plaza. Arun’s smile was infectious – he instantly “woke” me up with his genuine friendliness and helpfulness. When I asked where I could purchase a local SIM card at the airport, he not only helped me locate the counter, but also constantly checked with the counter staff to make sure they wouldn’t miss me.

The journey to the hotel was a short 10 minutes’ ride in the hotel’s BMW 5-series (they served my favourite VOSS water in the car!). Arun gave us suggestions on where to go in Dubai; I took note of some of his useful recommendations while momentarily got distracted by the beautiful dawn sky above us.

The staff at the hotel reception addressed me by name, even before I identified myself. The check-in process was a breeze – something I appreciated since I was in serious lack of sleep.

The Room

The room where I was to stay for a night was a Deluxe Room with a view of the Dubai Creek. In the distance, I could see the Burj Khalifa. Albeit not large by my standard, the room was by no means short on space. The design within was modern with hues of warm colours. The amply spaced bathroom came with a bathtub and a window in the wall gave the impression of more space. I particularly appreciated the fact that there’s a proper separate workspace for me to do my work.

Dining

We swiftly dropped our belongings and headed to the hotel’s Zaytoun restaurant for breakfast, ready to refuel ourselves. Located on the fifth level, Zaytoun has both indoor and outdoor dining areas. The beautiful chandeliers in the indoor area caught my eye, but the open-air terrace beckoned more with the lure of dining in 18°C weather and views of the Dubai skyline. With soft music playing in the background, I sipped my warm tea and basked in the cool breeze, savouring every serene minute. I couldn’t have a better start to the trip.

If I had any suspicion of being accorded special media treatment earlier at check-in, those suspicions were dispelled at breakfast; the service at Zaytoun was just as superb. The restaurant staff was extremely attentive, checking on us every now and then to make sure everything was fine – without being intrusive and overdoing it. The same level of attentiveness applied to every guest. Everything was done with a warm smile.

At the buffet line, I overheard another guest asking for smoked salmon, which was not served at the buffet. Instead of telling the guest that the item was not on the buffet menu, the staff member simply replied, “No problem, sir. I’ll get some for you.” And, promptly the staff headed to the kitchen.

That evening, we returned to Zaytoun for its Mashawi Nights BBQ dinner (from AED195, or S$76, per person). The atmosphere was relaxing and quiet. A chef worked away at an open-air grill, barbequing seafood and different cuts of meat. There was also a buffet of Mediterranean dishes for guests to start off the dinner while waiting for their BBQ fare.

Without too long a wait, a female staff brought to our table our food – juicy prawns, chicken, lamb chops served on an exquisite-looking gold-coloured grill. The palate-stimulating aroma of spices and herbs filled the table and our noses. There’s nothing like having seafood and marinated meat hot off the grill. And to eat these in cold weather made the experience doubly enjoyable. The succulent lamb chops were a clear winner in our books; they were so sublime we asked for seconds.

Needless to say, the service again was excellent. Nothing seemed to be too much of a trouble to the staff who came across as truly happy in helping guests. Good service may be common, but good service with genuineness is not. Never have I been so bowled over by such consistent quality service in a hotel.

The next morning when checking out, we again bumped into Arun, ever ready with his wide smile. He helped us with our bags as we walked to our next destination. Along the way, we chatted like friends, filling him in with details on where we had been the day before. When Arun left us, the genuine warmth of Arun and Crowne Plaza Dubai were almost instantly missed.

Crowne Plaza Dubai – Festival City 
PO Box 45777, Dubai Festival City
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +971-4-7012222

Editor’s note: While this hotel stay was a media invitation, all opinions are the Editor’s own.

Photos were taken using a Canon EOS 5D Mark iii with EF 16-35mm f2.8L II lens and EF 50mm f1.8 II lens.