A great staycation in Dubai at Al Ghurair Rayhaan Rotana

A view of the Dubai Creek and the Burj Khalifa on a hazy midday silhouette welcomed us in our spacious deluxe suite in Al Ghurair Rayhaan Rotana.

It's another family staycation and we're happy to be spending it in the middle of the busy Deira district. It is the familiar hotel attached to Al Ghurair Mall.

The elegance can be felt by the aura of the well decorated hotel the moment you step out of the lift. We arrived way ahead of the check-in time but we're accommodated pleasantly and told that the suite is already being prepared.

While waiting, we had to go to Carrefour supermarket which is just few meters from the hotel doors to buy a kiddie toothpaste (because we left hers at home). The hotel being attached to a mall gives a lot of convenience. Imagine if you forget to bring a swimsuit or a sunscreen, you can buy. If you want to treat the kids to arcade or play areas, you can do it. Or if you want to try other flavors, you can check out more restaurants.

The suite is ready when we returned to the reception.

We love our luxurious king deluxe suite at the 10th floor. It is a 1-bedroom 111.6 sqm. space with a comfy king-size bed, a dining table for three, a big living room with classic sofas, working desk and arm chair. There's also a separate area for the closet.

The creek view and Burj Khalifa silhouette can be seen from the living room. The bedroom gives a view of the old Deira and the swimming pool.

The minibar has chocolates, crackers and soft drinks. Did I say it's non-alcoholic? Yes, all Rayhaan hotels by Rotana are not serving alcohol.

Rayhaan respects the beliefs and culture of the guests whilst fostering the image of a new Arabia in today’s world. In Arabic, the word ‘rayhaan’ describes an aromatic plant which is mentioned in the sayings of prophets within the Holy Quran.

The suite has 2 smart TVs and has multilingual channels as well. High-speed internet access can be requested upon check-in or directly by connecting to wifi.

The bathroom is shining clean. All toiletries and dental supplies are arranged on the dish and canisters. The bath tub in the middle is so inviting. There's also a separate shower cubicle. I don't usually describe the bathroom much but this one just exudes elegance. The wife even wanted to just stay there.

Before we go out, we did our traditional hotel room photo shoot.

It's swimming time

When my 3 year old Aya saw the pool from our bedroom she wanted to plunge at that very moment. It's not a huge pool but a simple beautiful one.

We went down around 4pm. It was about 42°C but the area was already shaded. It's a bit busy - the weather's calling it anyway. We tried the kiddie pool first though it was too shallow already for Aya's height. So after just few minutes of splashing and playing with other kids, we moved to the main pool.

It has a leveled 4ft. depth and the water temperature is controlled. We love the effect on the body of the mini waterfalls by the side.

It's definitely the little one's playground but after almost 3 hours, we had to take a break and return to our room. Good thing, the pool is open until 11pm we planned a return after dinner (depending on our energy).

Dinner at Liwan

It wasn't a busy buffet at Liwan restaurant. The night's fare includes salads, mezzes, traditional Arabic main courses, Indian favorites, Asian selections and sushi & rolls among the international cuisine spread, and a mix of fruits, cakes, jellies and mousse for desserts.

There were live cooking stations for pasta and noodles preferences. We enjoyed our kebabs from the flame grill station too.

The roast beef is the star of the dinner

Our daughter indulged in pasta and pizza. She had fun eating especially after the waiter gave her fancy kiddie plates, glass and utensils.

The passion fruit iced tea is a winner! Never miss a glass (or more) when you're at Liwan. They only use the freshest passion fruit. The mix of raspberries and mint leaves makes it extra soothing.

I finished my dinner with a hot plate of Umm Ali.

After dinner, and a little playtime, Aya fell asleep. The planned night swimming didn't happen but I went down the pool area just to check it and take some night snaps.

Our activities on the first day and the sumptuous dinner enabled us to have a very good sleep.

Breakfast

All love for the breakfast spread. I had yogurt, fruit juice and coffee. My first plate is for hard boiled egg, bread and butter.

My second plate found sausages, ham slices, prawn crackers, veal bacon, baked beans and fried eggs. Then I had the fluffy-licious waffles and blueberry pancakes for my third plate. I had danish pastries for sweets. Yes I am a heavy breakfast guy.

We requested a cheese and mushroom omelette for Aya at the live cooking station.

Pool at Arjaan

After the hearty breakfast, we hit the pool again. This time the one in Arjaan side. Yes, guests in Rayhaan can hop over there to use the bigger pool.

The mighty sun is brightly shining through. There's no crowd at that hot and humid morning. Thanks to a little shade we somehow managed the weather.

Aya wanted to stay longer but the heat is becoming unbearable. She continued her bath at the tub and she enjoyed every bit of it with the mom.

Fun-filled, fulfilled

It was truly a relaxing and enjoyable stay. It may just be within the city but it allowed us to experience being away.

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