Weekending at W Dubai - The Palm means a triple whammy (a www, if you will) of fun, food and fabulosity.
Pulling up to the epic entrance (branded as Wheels), you enter through a disco-like tunnel which feels like a scene from The Fast and the Furious, setting the tone for an electric experience. Bedrooms engulf you in lush purple soft furnishings framed by moody iridescent mosaic walls blasted with stylised graffiti featuring Arabic lyrics by Lebanese singer Fairouz.
With a vast swimming pool complex spread over multiple levels, and a separate party pool that effectively hives off the adult element from anyone after a more chilled vibe, this high-energy resort, which opened in early 2019, puts fun front and centre.
Although not marketed to families (the kids’ club is called a games room – but don’t worry, it’s a kids’ club where they play dance games and dress-up and do arts and crafts), W - Dubai The Palm works really well if you have kids in tow. It’s relaxed enough not to worry that they are disrupting the five star fabulosity (although it is very fabulous), it’s buzzy enough to keep them engaged (see the Jeff Koons-esque balloon dog sculptures in lobby and a glass ‘fire pit’ in homage to desert camping) and it’s packed with sensory stimuli from the 30 metre chandelier in the entrance that represents the ‘W’ soundwave pattern to the space-agey pods around the pool to the giant beach balls outside the Italian eatery Torno Subito (which also has a cute Polaroid machine and delicious candy pink bathrooms). And when it comes to breakfasting at all-day eatery Liv you could be forgiven for thinking a child is the brains behind the buffet, given the abundance of candy-coloured pastries and actual candy. Surely only a seven-year-old thinks that eating your way through a donut wall by 8am is acceptable?
That said, I wasn’t heartbroken that kids aren’t allowed at the rooftop SoBe bar with its Miami vibes (SoBe is abbreviated from South Beach), which plays host to a sunset ritual each night adding Instagrammable impact to the 360-degree Palm views. Sharing the rooftop is the Japanese-with-a-Korean-kick restaurant Akira Back, which is decadently delicious. The tuna pizza deserves its stellar reputation.
Whatever your view on kids, I think we can agree that W’s decision to allow dogs (up to 18kgs) is to be roundly applauded. Very little in life is not improved by the presence of a pup. Woof (well at least it begins with a W).
See you by the pool.
