Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is a luxury resort located on the west crescent of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Situated just 45-60 minutes away from the Dubai International Airport is one of the newest resorts in the Jumeirah collection of resorts and hotels. Click here to browse through all 38 pictures of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.

We decided to review the Zabeel Saray as we had a couple of extra days to spend in Dubai (we were on our way home after almost a month in Africa (Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar). Zabeel Saray offers 405 guest rooms and suites that feature ornate furnishings and magnificent views of the Arabian Gulf. Inspired by the ancient palaces of the Ottoman Empire, this resort is done up in gold and ornate fixtures and is adorned with hand painted frescoes, Turkish artworks and lavish murals. The prominent location of the resort is an added plus as guests have easy access to private beaches, golf courses, theme parks and shopping destinations.

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First Impression/Lobby: Velvet curtains, opulent flower displays and tall marble pillars of Zabeel Saray’s domed lobby. A huge chandelier hangs above a dancing fountain. The throne-style seating in the marble lobby reflects the opulence of the Ottoman era. However, even though the décor is ornate, it is not over done (unlike some luxury hotels in Dubai). As expected, when staying at a resort of this caliber, we were met at the car and quickly escorted to the reception.

Reception: The check-in process was quick and efficient and before we knew it we were asked if we wanted to be escorted to the room, to which we said yes. And we were on our way.

The Suite: Our Deluxe King Room was over-sized and extremely comfortable. The room was furnished with a huge bed, tons of pillows, TV, mini bar, a seating area, a balcony and lots of closet space. The small balcony offered views out to the beach and sea and also to the pool (off to the left). Complimentary internet access was available.

The luxurious bathroom had a separate rain shower, vanity area and an over-sized Turkish marble bath tub. The bath amenities were from Asprey. The bathroom was also equipped with a 42” LCD television, parquet flooring and an IPod docking station.

Room Service: It took two phone calls from us and 55 minutes to deliver a request for ice. However, our lunch order was taken quickly and was delivered on time, nicely set up and tasted at par with a five-star hotel room service. The In-suite dining menu was varied with a good selection of Western and Arabic dishes as well as a few Asian and Indian dishes. Overall, Zabeel Saray’s room service offered good selection and service.

Housekeeping: Wow, talk about housekeeping that went above and beyond! Clothes were neatly folded, shoes lined up perfectly, every detail looked after and a simple red rose placed on the bed. The evening turn down service was just as perfect. Moreover, they were generous with their water too, as each of us was provided a couple of extra bottles without even requesting them.

Overall, our review of Zabeel Saray’s housekeeping service ranks it among the top five-star hotels I’ve stayed ever visited.

Concierge: Other than some issues in getting hold of someone, the concierge service at Zabeel Saray did a wonderful job of answering our questions and tracking down some flight information we required. Kudos to them!

Restaurants: The Al Nafoorah restaurant at the Zabeel Saray serves authentic Lebanese cuisine. This restaurant exudes a cozy ambience with its wood crafted walls and ceilings and traditional Arabic music playing in the background. Located on the ground floor right wing, Al Nafoorah is open for lunch and dinner.

Amala, a fine dining restaurant, serves authentic North Indian cuisine. A separate review of this restaurant is available here: Amala Indian Restaurant review.

Zabeel Saray’s Lalezar is the first Anatolian restaurant in Dubai. This fine dining restaurant has a magnificent Ottoman period décor. Located on the ground floor right wing, Lalezar serves classical Turkish cuisine. The specialty of this restaurant is that guests can order any item from its a la carte menu for a set price.

The Imperium, located at the ground floor left wing, offers an imperial atmosphere with its crystal chandeliers, gilded columns and terrace. For breakfast, the Imperium serves an International and French inspired buffet. The breakfast buffet was huge and offered pretty much everything one could possibly want for breakfast including an egg station for freshly cooked eggs, sushi and Asian noodles. For lunch and dinner, an a la carte French brasserie is served.

The Plaj is situated on the beach and overlooks the Palm Jumeirah. This casual restaurant serves International cuisine.

The Sultan’s Lounge, located in the resort lobby, offers international light fare, tea and coffee.

The Voda bar, located on the ground floor of Zabeel Saray, features a cocktail bar with a sushi counter. This lounge has an uber chic décor.

The C Club is Zabeel Saray’s sophisticated cigar lounge. Located on the ground floor, this colonial lounge is wood paneled from floor to ceiling and serves International beverages and chocolates.

Pool/Spa/Activities: The Zabeel Saray offers a large outdoor infinity pool, a children’s pool and a private beach. Palm tree islands and cabana type areas near the pool add to the pool’s charm. A ton of lounge chairs and a few day beds were laid out at the beach. Trained lifeguards were present at the beach and pool areas during all times. The service at the beach and the pool was excellent with the wait staff always available and quick to take care of us.

The Talise Ottoman Spa offers 42 individual spa rooms and suites, a sauna, an ice room, steam rooms, showers, an indoor swimming pool and 3 Turkish Hammams. Ladies and gentlemen have separate spa and hammam areas. A private spa and hammam area is also available for private groups and parties. The ladies and gentlemen’s salons in the Spa offer a range of beauty services.

The Spa also features a fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and personal trainers. The Spa menu from the Ixir restaurant offers specially prepared teas, fresh juices, vitamin cocktails and light cuisine.

Check-Out: Our request for a bellman to retrieve our bags was fulfilled and we were at the reception desk minutes later. As we were leaving, there was a harp player playing and the music just echoed through the lobby, simply gorgeous.

Check out was quick and the bill, other than an erroneous telephone charge, was accurate (something that actually happens all too infrequently at luxury resorts). Our car transfer, which we had organized in advance, was on-time and ready for our 6PM departure as planned.

Overall Impression:Our stay at the Zabeel Saray was almost flawless. And for a large resort like this, it sure means a lot to me. When a company gets its hundreds of employees to work in unison to create such a special experience at a huge place like this, it definitely says a lot.

If I were heading to Dubai and looking for a relaxing place to stay, this resort would be at the top of my list. Overall, our review of Zabeel Saray gives it a Bombastic rating.

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