What is the best Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Dubai with a beach for a family? Le Royal Meridien vs. Grosvenor House vs. Le Meridien Mina Seyahi vs. St. Regis Saadiyat Island?
In Dubai, there are loads of Marriott Bonvoy and Sheraton SPG hotels, but which is best? None of the Bonvoy properties is purely family-oriented, but some are more appropriate for children and families than others. Le Meridien on the beach is probably your best bet within Dubai, but St Regis Saadiyat Island is worth considering even though it is an hour from the center of Dubai and on Saadiyat Island 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi island.
Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa
If you are a family, you will probably prefer to stay at Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa. This has large free-form pools with bridges, gorgeous grassy lawns adorned with palm trees, and a beach alongside. The decor in the rooms is fresh and modern, and the balconies are large with lovely views, the best of which looks over the gardens and beach. There is a large club lounge here that serves breakfast but do bear in mind that it does get very busy at breakfast. The breakfast here in the lounge is extremely good, much like you would expect in a normal restaurant, with a vast buffet. After breakfast, it quietens down, and you can enjoy snacks and drinks. It picks up again and gets busy at happy hour when they serve free drinks and light bites.
For a family, the pool at the Royal Meridien and having a beach will add to your holiday, but if you are traveling as a couple or on business, you may well prefer the pool at the Grosvenor House over the beach at Le Royal Meridien. Le Royal Meridien beach and the hotel itself is full of holidaymakers who have booked packages from all over the world, as well as lots of kids and, sometimes, mosquitos in the greenery. It doesn’t feel exclusive. The pool at the St Regis Saadiyat and at the Grosvenor house feels more exclusive and could be considered as an alternative if you are set on a beachside resort.
Grosvenor House Dubai
The Grosvenor House Dubai feels very much like a proper Luxury Collection hotel, with a brilliant location close to the beach, next to the marina walk and with plenty of great bars and restaurants in the hotel including Sidarta Lounge, Buddha Bar, Torro Torro, The Embassy, etc. The main breakfast selection at the hotel is so good that the locals and ex-pats come here for breakfast.
The Grosvenor House has great views of the marina from the rooms, which is a great way to wake up. Many rooms have a nice balcony overlooking Atlantis. The club lounge is one of the best in Dubai. Overall, this is your best option if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member and are looking for luxury and the best Marriott or SPG Starwood property to earn and redeem your points, particularly if you are traveling as a couple. You also get access to all the beach and pool facilities at Le Royal Meridien via a free and regular shuttle between the two hotels, or you can just run across Al Sufouh Road between the hotels, so you get the best of both worlds.
The food in the club lounge at the Grosvenor House Luxury Collection is very good. Breakfast is amazing (though the restaurant breakfast is a bit better), and lunch is provided, followed by afternoon tea time and pre-dinner drinks. Afternoon tea is extravagant! Eggplant spaghetti and a large salad, anyone? This is a proper meal and the largest spread I have ever seen for afternoon tea at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel. Overall you can treat this lounge-like half or even full board as there is enough food to fill you up.
St Regis Saadiyat Island
St Regis Saadiyat Island is situated on the underutilized 8-lane Sheikh Khalifa highway linking Saadiyat to Yas, which means that it is easy to reach from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports. It is probably Starwood’s (and Marriott Bonvoy’s) most luxury property in Abu Dhabi, but it is not far from Dubai and is worth considering if you are heading to Dubai with your family.
It is located around an hour’s drive from Le Royal Meridien and Grosvenor House hotels which are more centrally located Marriott Bonvoy properties in Dubai and around one and a half hours drive from the airport.
The hotel is just one part of the larger complex, which also includes the new villas and apartments and features a number of swimming pools, including an adults-only pool and pools for kids. These extensive pool areas are perfect for families, and there is even a great pool for toddlers, with large parts of it ankle-to-knee deep.
As well as the pools, there is also a long white private beach with cabanas, loungers, and umbrellas set up and a drinks service. The adventurous traveler can walk for miles along the beach, past the Park Hyatt. It is as good a beach as I’ve seen in the UAE. It really feels miles from the rest of the world. The only slight downside is it gets a bit rocky as you get to the sea.
There is also an Iridium Spa to relax in and a St Regis Athletic Club, a well-equipped gym with cardio and weight machines as well as free weights, a 25-meter lap pool, and a juice bar as well as spinning classes, etc.
The rooms at St Regis Saadiyat Island are of a good size with a balcony. The bathroom is long and thin, with a large dressing area, twin sinks, toilet, shower, and a large bath.
There are a number of restaurants at the hotel, with the signature restaurant being 55&5th, The Grill. Breakfast is served at Olea, which is the main buffet-style restaurant. This resort is relaxing and definitely very child-friendly and attracts lots of families. They have a kids club and a kids’ area set up for the Friday brunch in the restaurant. The Sandcastle Club is great for kids up to about 10, with a fun pool area and excellent kids’ entertainers.
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Another good family choice in Dubai is Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and the Westin next door. Again, you can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points at these two hotels. They share facilities and the beach, but Le Meridien is cheaper.
The lounge here is a good size with lunch and dinner offerings that you could easily make a full meal of. You can also enjoy alcohol, including champagne, all day free of charge, not just during a set Happy Hour period.
Both Le Meridien and the Westin Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina in Dubai are great beachfront properties, and the staff are fantastic. Some rooms have a great view of Atlantis on The Palm.
Which is the best Marriott Bonvoy Hotel In Dubai For Families? Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa is the most convenient right in Dubai. Still, the beach and ambiance is better at the St Regis Saadiyat Island, and the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi tends to be the cheapest of these Marriott Bonvoy beach resorts in Dubai. The St. Regis Dubai, the Palm, is a grand hotel and another hotel you may want to consider. It has clearly had money spent on it, but it doesn’t feel as lively as many of the other Bonvoy hotels in Dubai and feels rather soulless. The other option is the Ritz-Carlton Beach Dubai, but as you can read in our feature in our best club lounges in Dubai, this hotel is very disappointing for a Ritz-Carlton.
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