When faced with an oppurtinity to spend a five day break we were first tempted to head outside the country. That plan was quickly shelved thanks to the high prices and we did what any other family does - we booked a staycation. If you have the priviledge of residing in Dubai, it will seem foolish to not head to the many desert resorts in the UAE. We decided to avoid the crowds. After a few searches we arrived on H Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Yes that's the name of the hotel and indeed it is on what one can arguably call, the busiest street of the city. However we got the rare cynical pleasure of seing this otherwise busy road completely devoid of traffic on the national holidays celebrating Eid.
When we arrived all eager to check-in we met a delightful Front Desk Manager named Mahesh Gaude and Executive Housekeeper, Deepesh Pisawadia who upgraded our booking to an Executive Suite. I can still hear the delightful scream of my 12 year old who was left with a distinct 'aaah' when we entered the room. We were on the 24th floor of the hotel and the view is one I have yet to get over. You did not need television. The view of the city and flights passing by in the distance was enough to keep my family on cloud 9.
The Executive Suite has a large living room with its own flat screen tv and mini bar. The bedroom is a luxurious space with an attached bathroom. The bathroom has all the major amentiest one could hope for. A seperate shower and a bathtub offers the view of, you guessed it, the busy street. Of course you can soak in the privacy of your tub with no view as well. The room has its own walk in closet which had to be the place I spent a sufficient amount of time. When we had our share of soaking in the pleasures of in-room amenities we made our way to the swimming pool of the hotel. It isn't gigantic by any measure but what I appreciated is the fact that you can bask in the shade of an attached pool bar serving a few bites in the vicinity. The pool also has a wave pool feature which is a delight to try. Children can avail of swimming classes at H Hotel as well and we saw many swirl and twirl while we were there. The hotel also has the 'Mandara Spa' at which I booked a Balinese massage, which was refreshing and relaxing at the same time. Hotel guests and people who book the spa can use the jacuzzi and shower amenities at the women's section of the spa. There was a special discount at the time which meant yours truly felt little shame in indulging in the pampering. The spa uses signature oils and treatments and offers guests a choice of green tea or ginger tea after the treatment before they depart back in to a busy world. Remincising about the treatment makes me want to go back.
We also used the gym facilities of the hotel while we were there. There are seperate gyms for men and women and instructors come and go should you need assistance.
My family is not hard to please though with complimentary wi-fi there is little that can go wrong. We used the valet services of the hotel and took many trips to downtown Dubai and checked out the Eid festivities. It seemed like those days passed by in a flash. Every morning the hotel served a sumptous breakfast at 'Eat and Meat' with healthy and sugary options to please one and all. They made me 'masala tea' which was a nice touch and my children were served way too many crepes and pancakes but who's counting?
The staff was always courteous, extremely diligent and willing to lend a ear when it came to customer satisfaction. There are many restaurants left to explore. I would definitely reccomend a stay at this hotel.
