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Offering a refreshing antidote to Dubai’s all-singing-and-dancing skyscraper hotels, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf offers more of a local touchstone with its low-rise Arabian houses set on a network of canals.
The hotel is part of Madinat Jumeirah, a mega-resort made up four separate properties with distinct styles, with Dar Al Masyaf offering the most intimate and private experience for guests.
Recently redesigned, its collection of Arabian houses come with private gardens and butler service. I checked in to find out.
Where is it?
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Along Jumeirah Beach, overlooking the Arabian Gulf, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf is just a 40-minute drive to the airport. Its location also puts you in reach of Dubai’s main attractions, such as the extraordinarily vast Dubai Mall and the Wild Wadi Waterpark.
Best of all, its position within Madinat Jumeirah means you can access some 50-plus restaurants and bars, its own souk and one of Dubai’s leading wellness sanctuaries, the Talise Spa.
Style
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You’ll stay in one of 29 Arabian-style ‘summer houses’, with spacious rooms arranged around a pretty inner courtyard, a traditional majlis (or living room area) and private swimming pool (larger groups can book exclusive use of the villas). The new interiors by Sahar Al Yasser, the award-winning Dubai-based founder of La Bottega Interiors, feels refined and pretty. Textiles and surfaces are designed in a palette of shimmering silver, pearl and opal.
There’s also sumptuous detailing with velvet occasional chairs and sofas, mosaic floors and nods to traditional Arabic architectural styles, with carved fret work, decorative archways, and handcrafted lights. Giving it a luxury edge is the 24-hour butler service and an immersive arrival via traditional abra boat (each villa has direct access to the waterways, so you can also navigate the resort by boat if you wish).
Food & drink
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With over 50 restaurants, there’s an overwhelming choice of dining spots at Madinat Jumeirah, from fresh seafood at Rockfish to Italian dishes at Pierchic, a romantic, overwater restaurant set on its own private pier. You’ll start your day with breakfast at the beachfront French Riviera, where you’ll sit under a raffia sun umbrella to take in the coastal views.
French specialities include the decadent Pain Perdu – French toast, crème brulée style, as well as freshly-baked croissants and antioxidant juices. Don’t miss the Balloons at the Palace pop-up, on the rooftop of Jumeirah Al Qasr.
You’ll dine in an anchored hot air balloon with a menu that takes you on a culinary journey around the world, with each course conceived by a different chef – from seabass carpaccio to a Thai tiger prawn curry. As night falls, you’ll see the city’s skyline light up.
The spa
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The Talise Spa offers one of the most comprehensive wellness offerings in Dubai with its thermal facilities, a traditional hammam and swimming pool. Newly launched is the 360° Women’s Support programme (which you can book from three to seven days), designed to offer a holistic healing journey for women at every stage of their lives. Included are yoga classes, breathwork coaching, art therapy, daily sunrise walks and ‘self-love’ food workshops.
Unique to the spa is the tech-driven Satori Wellness Lounger - the chair reclines back and combines natural vibrations and sound therapies to help with stress, insomnia and anxiety. Also included are tea rituals and The Tide spa treatment – a head and body massage which uses seaweed to invigorate your overall wellbeing.
The extra details
Don’t miss the daily complimentary afternoon tea and cake served in the villa’s majlis. Each evening at 5pm, your butler will also rustle up gin or prosecco cocktails, which you can enjoy in the palm-fringed gardens as preening peacocks wander around.
Which room
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For something extra special, book one of the seven standalone Malakiya Villas, which come with two or three bedrooms. Sumptuous interiors include jewel-toned fabrics, marble bathrooms stocked with House of Amouge toiletries and super-plush beds. Each of the different interior styles have been inspired by Dubai’s heritage, such as Mahra Villa’s nod to Arabian horses and the country’s golden desert dunes.
Best for
A stay at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf offers an under-the-radar way to experience Dubai – much like staying in a high-end, private home. Perfect for a trip with family or friends, it means you can access all of the city’s highlights or simply stay put and soak up the pampering on offer.
Details
Rates for a stay in a summer house at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf start from AED 1,900 (£410) in winter and from AED 1,200 (£259) in the summer. jumeirah.com
