Wlcome: 9/10
The entrance is something special. There is an immediate air about the property and everything is impeccable — from the calm industriousness of the staff as they glide around in their striking uniforms — to the gold covered ceilings and pristine marble floors. I checked in at 6am and the reception staff still managed to find a vacant room for me within a couple of minutes of keyboard tapping.
Accommodation: 8/10
In all there are 300 odd rooms, plus another 90 odd suites. The rooms are 55 square metres, feature the biggest plasma TVs you could imagine as well as faultless fittings and furnishings. Normally if you look hard enough it’s possible to find a scratched desktop or scuffed skirting board, but not here, everything is perfect. The only negative is that the sheer scale of the hotel means you regularly find yourself lost en-route to breakfast and the distance between rooms and restaurants can be tiring. There is, of course, a butler and a golf buggy on hand to solve this problem.
Ambience: 8/10
Showcasing lavish luxury; this hotel likes to proclaim itself as seven-star. That puts it in the same league as Dubai’s Burj Al Arab and Brunei’s Empire Hotel and Country Club. Gold, gold and more gold sets the standard, but fortunately the service and product lives up to the billing. For some though, it will be a little stuffy and there is a dress code for the restaurants.
Facilities: 9/10
Of course there are all the usual things like two swimming pools, spa and fitness centre, but there are also no less than 13 restaurants, 1300 metres of private beach and an auditorium that can accommodate 1100 people. It has also hosted the world’s biggest music performers including Coldplay and Elton John. The facilities would make a MICE co-ordinator go weak at the knees.
Service: 8/10
My usual trick is to ask for a mobile phone charger and time how long it takes to arrive. Since there was already one in the room that test had to be negated. A new room key was delivered within 10 minutes (not bad) but my bag took too long to reach my room after check in (15 minutes). Service at the restaurants and especially front of desk is top notch though.
Overall: 86%
Little can be said to put into perspective the grandeur of this hotel ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.................
