Sweeping into the palm-lined drive after a remarkably brief ride from Dubai International Airport, the first thing guests will notice are eight ancient olive trees, evoking a Mediterranean vibe and perhaps hinting at the pleasures of the palate to come. Entering the palatial lobby with its dazzling view of the sea here in one of the world’s most exciting cities, the moment all but says aloud, you have arrived.
Welcome to the new Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach – a green oasis located just minutes from all the pleasures and key business hubs of this open, modern city by the Arabian Gulf. Everything is right here – warm and elegant service, an astonishing array of dining temptations, a truly luxe pool and beach experience, beautiful spaces to do business or celebrate special occasions, an indulgent spa that is a destination unto itself, and the quiet retreat of light, airy guest rooms and suites.
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For those already familiar with Dubai’s over-the-top, often ornate formality, prepare to be surprised says Regional Vice President and General Manager Simon Casson: “Our Resort is an intimately scaled, luxurious enclave of comfort and style. Throughout, guests can expect highly personalized service that is consistent with Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the world.”
At five stories, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is comparatively low rise amid the city’s soaring towers, in keeping with the surrounding coastal community. The prestigious Jumeirah neighbourhood – sometimes compared to Beverly Hills with its mansions and celebrity hotspots – is mostly residential, with cafés, shops and galleries within strolling distance. Flanked by Dubai’s longest stretch of natural beachfront, it’s also just ten minutes from the commercial district on Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai International Finance Centre, and well as Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – and the tourist attractions of Downtown Dubai.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is scheduled to open on November 1, 2014, and is now confirming arrivals from December 1. Guests who book before September 30 can take advantage of special rates with the Introductory Offer or the Introductory Bed and Breakfast Rate for stays between December 1 and February 28, 2015.
Casual elegance and modern style
Envisioned as a welcoming enclave by world-renowned architects WATG, the Resort’s fresh, sophisticated contemporary style is by San Francisco-based interior designers BAMO. Arabic accents highlight Spanish-Mediterranean architecture, with colours and textures influenced by the seaside lifestyle of this 14 acre (5.6 hectare) Resort. For example, the 10-metre (33-foot) lobby is capped by an octagonal dome finished with gold leaf, casting a warm glow on the space’s creamy marble and enhancing the natural light coming through large windows that look across the gardens to the sea. No expense has been spared here – even the handrails in the elevators are made of Murano glass.
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Balconies off each of the 237 guests rooms and suites – some so large as to accommodate both a daybed and a dining table – offer panoramic sea views or the city’s skyline, punctuated by the Burj Khalia. Inside, extra high three metre (9.8 foot) ceilings are accentuated by full height leather headboards in an almost loft-like environment. The bed itself is the new fully customizable Four Seasons Bed. Lavish details include marble flooring in the foyer, bath and dressing room, which includes a wood-paneled walk-in closet. Comfortable seating includes an L-shaped sofa plus a bench at the foot of the bed, and business travellers will appreciate the executive size desk. The baths include ceilings leafed in silver to reflect a flattering hue from the Murano glass light fixture, while a mosaic tile wall is the backdrop for a free-standing tub.
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Thoughtful design elements include recessed entries to pairs of rooms behind a second door to the hallway – the perfect option for families and friends travelling together who wish to connect their rooms and enjoy expanded private space.
Three suites on the Resort’s uppermost fifth floor include the two 510 square metre (5,900 square foot) Presidential Suites, each boasting its own media room, private gym and panoramic sea views from the enormous terrace; and the Royal Suite, with a luxurious 600 square metres (6,458 square feet) including a spa, gym, butler’s room and, at the heart of the space, a grand living room with its own piano, perfect for entertaining.
And, while both of these suites are surely destined to take their place among Dubai’s most coveted accommodations, there is still one more surprise to come: “We will soon unveil a very special freestanding villa hidden in the gardens of the Resort that will rival the very best accommodations in the Middle East, if not the world,” hints Casson.
Luxurious leisure: the beach, pools and super cabanas
Situated on a pristine 270 metre (886 foot) natural beachfront, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is the ideal choice for a getaway with friends, a family holiday, or a business trip that can include both work and play. An on-property watersports centre sets up leisurely hours spent on the calm waters in kayaks, dinghies and catamarans, or atop a paddleboard. In the evening, an inviting firepit is surrounded by seating, right on the beach.
Within the Resort’s gardens are two outdoor, free-form swimming pools, in addition to the indoor pool in the Spa and fitness complex. Set amid lush gardens, both the family-friendly Active Pool and the Quiet Pool shimmer with white and gold mosaic tile beneath towering palms.
With Four Seasons signature service pampering guests on the hour, it’s an easy choice to spend the entire day by the pool – especially if one has reserved one of the Day Villas. These “super cabanas” each include a private sun terrace plus mini bar and flatscreen tv in an air-conditioned interior. As an added luxury, each Day Villa offers private indoor and outdoor showers and a bathroom.
Relaxed and energized: spa, fitness and recreation
In a city known for its spas, The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is set to become a destination unto itself.
“Our Spa has been designed as a Four Seasons showpiece on a global scale,” says Spa Director Hayley Bluett. “A full menu of traditional healing rituals and cutting-edge therapies will be highlighted by a deluxe aqua-thermal experience that includes rain tunnel, scrub bar, chill zone, steam and whirlpool. Each of our treatment rooms opens to a discreet outdoor space and has its own foot ritual bath. The Royal Spa Suite includes wet and dry suites within, along with a secluded outdoor terrace, relaxation lounge and bathtub for two. We’ll also offer rasul mud treatments for couples in this very private, exclusive space.”
In all, 706 square metres (7,600 square feet) will encompass ten treatment rooms, the U-shaped aqua thermal area, a juice bar and boutique, and complete changing and relaxation facilities. A salon by En Vogue as well as a men’s grooming lounge will offer hair, nail and beauty services.
A stunning indoor pool is at the heart of the complex, framed by classically-inspired columns and bathed in natural light from above.
The adjacent 748 square metre (8,050 square foot) 24/7 fitness centre will be the best in Dubai. Harnessing the natural energy of the sun, the gym features floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the gardens and pools. Certified personal trainers are available to provide expert guidance on equipment that includes free weights and cardio machines, and guests can take complimentary spinning, yoga and pilates classes in the movement studio. Runners can follow routes through the garden and along the beach, and tennis players will find two on-site courts at the Resort.
On the menu: ten unique dining and lounge options
On the beach or by the pool, on a pulsing dance floor or settled into a cozy club chair, out in the garden or up on the roof, there will be many options to dine, drink and meet with colleagues or friends (or like-minded strangers!) at Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Beach. Choices include five restaurants and lounges managed by Four Seasons, and an additional five independent, on-site venues:
Suq is conceived as a lively, market-style restaurant with three open kitchens featuring eclectic international cuisine, while the casual beach and pool grill Sea Fu will transform into an open air fine seafood restaurant each evening. The Shai Salon – meaning “tea” in Arabic – is the ideal meeting place for friends or colleagues to social over tea and light fare, right by the main entrance and opening into the gardens. Further in, the Hendricks Bar is fashioned as a traditional club, with leather-panelled oak walls, deep chairs and a cigar room.
The fifth venue is one that locals and ex-pats are already buzzing about: guests will be whisked past the velvet ropes and up to sixth floor rooftop, where the Mercury Lounge sets the stage for seeing and being seen in an intimate club setting. Private majlises with exclusive alcove seating are surrounded by views of the Burj Khalifa and glittering urban skyline on one side, and the Burj Al Arab and sea on the other, with a large glass sphere inspired by the bulb of a mercury thermometer as a dramatic central focal point.
Executive Chef Gilles Arzur, a French native who comes to Dubai straight from the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel) in California, is already sourcing the very best ingredients from far and wide, as well as those close at hand – he’s been seen eying the Resort’s palms and the ancient olive trees with an aim to incorporate their bounty on his menus, both on the plate and in the glass.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach will also be home to five independent venues in a stand-alone building, easily identified by its unusual curved structure and façade of greenery. Within, guests and locals will find two concepts by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, two additional venues by Zuma restaurants, and the Provocateur Night Club, a small and exclusive lounge featuring top international DJs.
Meet me at Four Seasons: The city’s premier address for business and social functions
Already the choice of top meeting planners, galas hosts and wedding couples internationally, the impeccable service and attention to detail for which Four Seasons is known is now coming to Dubai. A total of 1,199 square metres (12,900 square feet) of event space is designed to smoothly shift from high tech meetings to society galas and beachfront weddings at the whim of each host and planner. Specializing in outdoor events on the ballroom terrace and beachfront lawns with sophisticated urban style, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach features the Dana Ballroom for up to 360 seated guests, as well as four smaller rooms accommodating 12 to 100. A separate arrival area takes guests directly to the function rooms without having to go through the main lobby, and all rooms open to the Resort’s gardens and pools.
Beyond the resort
While the temptation may be to never leave the Resort, Four Seasons recommends experiencing the myriad attractions of the ever changing city of Dubai. Business travellers will find that they are minutes from the key commercial centres, while time to relax, explore and have fun includes options from traditional gold and spice souks to international designer label shopping, world class golf to skydiving, sailing and even indoor skiing. Families will love the Atlantis Dolphin and Water Park, and everyone will enjoy the spectacle of Dubai’s famous fountain shows. Just outside the gates, the Resort’s charming neighbourhood invites a casual day of shopping and gallery hopping, while the more adventurous may wish to head out for a sand dune safari in the desert.
Four Seasons in the Gulf
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the new Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, also set to open later this year, join Four Seasons Hotel Doha in Qatar as the brand’s collection of Arabian Gulf properties continues to expand. Future developments have also been announced in Oman and Kuwait, as well a second UAE property in Abu Dhabi and a second location in Doha, with more to come.
