Walking into the lobby of Dubai’s Hyatt Place in the city’s Deira district, there’s a comfort level that instantly warms the heart of the travelling Indian. Amongst those manning the property, at all levels, are many of one’s fellowmen…The second reason, of course, is that there’s a heartening flow of traffic through those swing doors… so there’s a nice buzz that gets your adrenaline flowing, as you know that, the minute your check-in is through, you can rightly hang around its spacious public spaces with the swagger of its much-fussed-over residents.
But thankfully that fussing-over is never intrusive…The Hyatt Place’s DNA is all about warmth and hospitality…but it also leaves you alone to pursue your own stuff and do your own exploring, if you so wish, of Dubai— the new razzle-dazzle hot-spot for Indian honeymooners, without falling over them all over the place in the hotel. They are there but not there…
As I soak in the smart-casual atmospherics, I’m told by the warmly smiling GM, Vishal Mishra, that his guests find this one of the most attractive aspects of Hyatt Place’s hospitality code. The other thing is that though the Hyatt Place hotels may not have add-ons like a spa and big ballroom, de rigueur for a full-service hotel, the brand dishes out the full measure of the same comfort and service.
For most of us embarking upon the discovery of a new holiday spot, the hotel we choose may not see much of us through the day (or the night for that matter), but when we are there we want all the bells and whistles. We aren’t looking for a home away from home (we just came from there for God’s sake)—we want the cosseting and we want the luxury.
What I really appreciated at the Hyatt Place properties, both in Dubai and Gurgaon (where we spent a night before flying out) was that the service staff were really warm and friendly…not stuck-up, stiff-necked stick-men in suit-boot. The other thing I noticed was that even the GM was ready to pitch in when needed in the multi-tasking agenda that is the staff code, as it reflects the needs of “multi-tasking business travellers and families seeking maximum comfort and productivity in an environment that is more relaxed and casual.”
My room in Deira was a poem of serenity and a pool of warm silences…not a cheep from the room next door, or the traffic whizzing past on the street below. The plush king-sized bed urged you to just dive in and sleep off the morning-after-the-night-before…no hair-of-the-dog needed. Instead, the power shower washed away all sins and had us ready for more…At some point on a late-ish evening my colleague came and tucked herself up on a Cozy Corner sofa sleeper and together having checked out our email on the free (and quick) wi-fi, we sent off to Mumbai her documents on their secure remote printer. Having found a favorite movie on the 42-inch TV, she decided to just crash for the night on the sofa sleeper. Next morning she was up and about…totally amazed how comfy she’d been!
Meals are a big deal for me when I’m on holiday, as it is for many…but there’s also that inconvenient moment when in rushing excitedly around one forgets to grab a bite. One day I found myself in exactly such a spot. Remembering that the hotel had introduced a very inventive way to address just this sort of thing, I wandered down to check out the menu at the Guest Kitchen, where I discovered, as promised, freshly prepared menu items, which I could choose to buy—I liked the range of options which included stuff for breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches, light entrées and pizza. I just tapped my order on the touchscreen menu (you can do that at Gallery Host as well), and just tucked in.
The information
Location: Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga stands at the heart of Dubai’s historic Deira district, east of the Dubai Creek
Accommodation: 210 guest rooms, 84 apartment units (55 sq m-140 sq m); studios 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom
Tariff: AED 330–600 per night
Contact: +971-46081234, dubaialrigga.place.hyatt.com