Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront

A new hotel in the up-and-coming Dubai Water Canal district in Business Bay, the Raddison Blu Dubai Waterfront is an excellent choice for both business and leisure travellers.

We stayed in a deluxe room with a large balcony and a view of the canal and Burj Khalifa. The room was a great place to relax with two easy chairs for lounging, a large bathroom with separate shower and bathtub, and all the in-room amenities you would expect from a luxury hotel – mini bar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, international TV channels, free highspeed wifi and a comfortable bed with top-quality linens.

We dined at the outdoor terrace of Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar which offered a wide range of flame-cooked top-quality seafood and meats as well as a small selection of vegetarian dishes. The setting was sublime, with the glittering towers of Business Bay and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, providing the perfectly decadent backdrop to delicious pre-dinner cocktails.

The hotel’s affable general manager is a Scot (like us) and there are Scottish touches throughout the hotel. From the Nigerian doorman resplendent in his kilt, to the Scottish bar and the cutlery at breakfast laid out in a cross, reminiscent of the Saltire, Scotland’s flag, these little Caledonian touches give the hotel a distinct character.

The most distinctive thing about the hotel, however, is the staff. In a city packed with luxury choices and great service, Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront’s staff really do live up to the hotel’s slogan of “the friendliest 5-star hotel in Dubai”. I don’t quite know how the manager has done it – although he did personally meet each and every staff member during their recruitment process – but he has engendered a genuine warmth and friendliness throughout the hotel. With hundreds of staff from 41 countries, it’s quite an achievement and one which makes for a memorable stay.