Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah

An elegant option in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.

80/100 | A TIER

See my detailed evaluation here. Learn more about my methodology.

The Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah from its private beach on the Palm Jumeirah.

Introduction

The Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah is located on Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island shaped like a palm tree. The entire island cost $12 billion dollars, took only six years to build, but extended Dubai’s shoreline by 320 miles. I think the Palm Jumeirah is one of the most impressive feats of human engineering. It is home to more than 1500 private residences, 20 hotels and resorts, multiple apartment buildings, a massive mall, and a 52 story observation tower that provides the most spectacular views of the island from 240 meters up. There isn’t anything like it in the world and truly a testament of how far humanity has come. I took so many pictures of the island, from the Palm Tower and from the balcony of my suite. I’ll include more of them at the end of this review. (Click here to see them.)

Pictures of the Palm Jumeirah from the Palm Tower at the base of the island. The Waldorf Astoria is in the first picture.

Click on any picture to enlarge it.

The Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah was the first hotel out of four during my 10 day trip to Dubai. Traveling with me was my dad, who retired in the beginning of the pandemic. I wanted to do something special since this would be our first international trip since we went to Vietnam in January 2020, so I took him along with me to celebrate his retirement. We would spend two nights each in four hotels: this one, the Shangri-La Dubai, the Address Downtown Dubai, and the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai. My idea was to have a resort experience first, the fast-paced city hotels in the middle, and another relaxing place to close out the vacation.

I did not know what to expect, as this was my first time in the Middle East. I’ve got to say this trip was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I discovered the Middle East is one of the most culturally rich, friendly, and of course extravagant places I’ve ever been to. I only went to Dubai on this trip, but it definitely put the surrounding Emirates and countries on the top of my travel bucket list.

Since the Waldorf was the first hotel we’d be experiencing, I thought I’d start the trip off with a bang. I booked the Pearl Club Suite, their highest tier non-specialty suite, to start us off. With my Platinum Card, I had Hilton Gold on top of booking with Impresario benefits. I was hoping to get an upgrade to their Waldorf Astoria Suite, which includes complimentary use of their Bentley house car. Unfortunately, as the Waldorf Astoria Suite is a specialty suite, this would not be possible.

Departure Drama at LAX

This is unrelated to the Waldorf Astoria, but I wanted to vent so I’m putting it here. Skip this if you don’t care.

The process of getting to Dubai was the most stressful, headache-inducing experience for me. My dad was in Seattle right before our trip was scheduled, so he departed from there with no problem. I was in Los Angeles and we planned to meet up at Qatar Airways’ absolutely sublime Al Safwa First Class Lounge in Doha. We were also flying into Abu Dhabi and not Dubai, who are more strict than Dubai when it comes to COVID entry procedures. Their website states that travelers must have a RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before departure. The website does not specify which flight they are talking about- if you are connecting somewhere, is it 72 hours from then, or 72 hours from your very first flight? I had taken my PCR test 36 hours before my first flight, LAX to DOH. The monkeys who are the Qatar ground staff at LAX interpreted this as 72 hours before the flight from Doha to Abu Dhabi. Because of time differences, the 16 hour flight, plus a 10 hour layover in Doha, this meant my test was somehow invalid. To me, this makes zero sense. Even assuming they interpreted the instructions correctly, why factor in the time difference? What was even more frustrating was their attitude. They basically said “we can’t issue your boarding pass, sorry.” When I asked what I can do, they literally shrugged and said “I don’t know.”

I called my dad, who did not have any issue whatsoever in Seattle, and he tried going back to the Qatar ground staff in Seattle. The Seattle ground staff were fantastic. They even called the monkeys working at LAX to try and clarify the policy for them. The LAX ground staff would not budge. Thankfully, after resisting the temptation to just smack the smug face in front of me, I went off to search for rapid testing nearby. I found one in LAX, so I went outside and walked from one side of the airport to the other (the Tom Bradley International Terminal to Terminal 6) in the 85 degree LA heat with approximately 30 pounds of luggage on me, a thick sweater, and two KN95 masks restricting my breathing. Frustratingly, the testing facility ended up not taking walk-ups. After a quick Google search (which should’ve been my first instinct, dammit) I found one off-site, which promised results in under 45 minutes and quickly booked an appointment for $250. I took an Uber to the testing site approximately 20 minutes away and found a massive line spilling into the main road. At this point, I was pissed off, sweating profusely, dehydrated, and had a massive headache.

I stepped out of the Uber and basically cut the line to where a mob of angry people were yelling at two college-aged students about how they had an appointment for hours ago and have been waiting for so long and they had a flight to catch blah blah blah… In a desperate attempt, I approached the two people working the clinic and calmly talked to the overwhelmed girls frustratedly dealing with the mob before them. Maybe they saw me and thought, “oh a friendly familiar face,” or maybe they just wanted to spite all the people yelling at them. Either way, they served me five minutes later and I was on an Uber back to TBIT 10 minutes after I got there. (The people yelling at the girls switched their attention to me and cussed me out. I was just too tired with the events of the day so far so I ignored them and left.)

Back at the terminal, the flight was literally boarding already. I anxiously waited right next to the Qatar check-in counters for the results to come in my email. Ten minutes later, they came… and I was COVID negative. Thank God. The smug monkey who was helping me was gone, so I was helped by a younger man who was much better. He was so close to printing my boarding pass… then he asked for my health insurance. It doesn’t say anywhere on the COVID website about requiring proof of insurance. What’s more frustrating was that I had taken out my insurance card, which I usually keep in my wallet, that morning thinking I didn’t need it. Thankfully, the man helping me was so much more helpful and allowed me to email him a scanned copy of it. He printed out my boarding pass and I sprinted to security. At the gate, the last of Economy class was boarding.

Right at the entrance to the aircraft, I saw the smug monkey who had refused to print my boarding pass earlier. I waved my boarding pass at him and said “hey look I made it!” He did not say anything.

The rest of the Qatar experience was top-notch. I am admittedly biased towards my childhood airline Singapore Airlines, but I concede- Qatar is definitely the best airline in the world right now.

Arrival

My actual arrival into Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Waldorf Astoria was fantastic. The ground staff in Abu Dhabi are very friendly and efficient. We were administered a COVID test and let go. Only 45 minutes elapsed from aircraft landing to our first steps outside of the terminal. LAX should definitely learn from the wonderful people in Abu Dhabi.

The ride from Abu Dhabi International Airport to the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah took approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. It was around 5 am then, but we were well rested thanks to sleeping in Qatar’s wonderful Qsuites and the private sleeping rooms at the Al Safwa First Lounge. I was so incredibly excited about visiting the legendary United Arab Emirates, since it was my first time. My jaw regularly hit the floor as I caught glimpses of buildings I had previously only seen in pictures. When we reached the Palm Jumeirah, my jaw was just stuck on the ground. There’s no feeling like the experience of visiting a new country!

I was really hoping we could check in early. I knew it was a long shot though, since we pulled up to the entrance of the hotel at 6:30 am. Thankfully, we were greeted by friendly staff and welcomed into the hotel. The man checking us in left a fabulous first impression of Arabic hospitality. While he was checking us in, my dad was chillin’ in one of the couches in the empty lobby. We were making some small talk, when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and said “oh my goodness, forgive my rudeness” and walked to my dad who was on his phone. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but my dad told me later he apologized for not “acknowledging him earlier” and wished him a warm welcome and happy retirement. Incredible.

He then returned to me and continued to explain our benefits as a Pearl Club guest. Although we weren’t entitled to it, he generously offered for us to go to the Pearl Club immediately to enjoy breakfast after settling in in our suite. He also explained the hotel facilities to us, and pointed out the hotel’s main breakfast restaurant, Mezzarie, should we choose to have it there instead of the Pearl Club. We were also served some iced tea during this process.

We were given the option to choose between a Burj al Arab view or a Palm Jumeirah view. I chose the Palm Jumeirah view, but I would’ve been happy either way. Soon enough, I was given keys to my Pearl Club Suite. The man checking me in waved and like magic, someone came out of a little room to escort us to our Suite.

Pearl Club Suite

Unfortunately, I was too excited to take a video of our suite while it was still fresh. I did take this brief video right before our departure, though.

As I alluded to earlier, the Pearl Club Suite includes access to the Pearl Club, located on the fifth floor. The Pearl Club serves an à la carte and buffet breakfast, evening canapés and drinks, and has a private concierge ready to assist you at any time. I’ll expand on this more with its own section.

The Pearl Club Suite itself is a very spacious 1058 square feet, with a separate bedroom and living room. The bathroom is opulent, with glass doors serving as the wall to the soaking tub which provides you views of the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah in the distance. It’s got a TV mounted in the wall, a separate room for the toilet, and two sinks. Amenities are the brand standard across Waldorf Astoria properties, Tuscan Soul by Salvatore Ferragamo. Personally, I’m not a fan of the scent, but it is good quality. Perhaps the most unique feature of this room is the shower room, with two separate shower heads and two separate controls. Essentially, it’s two showers combined in one room. It’s a great idea for couples!

The living room provides ample seating options, with a nicely sized smart TV. The living room also contains a dining table which can convert into a desk to get some work done. A convenient half bathroom is also located by the entrance. The best part, however, of the room has to be the massive balcony which spans the entire suite. I really wish they used this space by filling it with more comfortable seating, like an oversized couch or hammock. They instead used the standard furnishings on all the other balconies I could see in the hotel. The views, however, were incredible. You could see the fronds extending out from the base of the Palm Jumeirah. Better yet were the views of the Atlantis and its sister property (under construction) the Royal Atlantis. Dubai’s buildings are consistently some of the most visually stunning in the world.

I liked this suite a lot.

I also wanted to mention what we were presented in a few hours after check-in. Usually, when a property offers a complimentary celebratory amenity, it’s already in the room. We were presented with a freshly baked cake a few hours after our 6am check-in. I think the chocolate cake on the left is the biggest welcome amenity I’ve ever received from a hotel, and definitely appreciated. At dinner time that same day, we also received a Happy Birthday cake. Cute!

Breakfast at Mezzerie

A typical breakfast for me is some fruit to start, juice, and a plate of meat, eggs, and hash browns.

We had breakfast here most mornings. While we had the option of having breakfast at the Pearl Club, I’m honestly not the biggest fan of Club Lounge breakfasts in general. Usually, I find the variety at the buffets lacking compared to what is on offer at the hotel’s main breakfast restaurant. I also like the more energetic ambiance that is usually not found at club lounges. That being said, the quality of food at the Club Lounge was noticeably superior than what we found at Mezzarie.

As this was the Middle East, I was not comfortable making others uncomfortable with cameras so I do not have a picture of the buffet. I can say though the spread was decent. In terms of quantity, it is somewhere between American and Asian breakfast buffets. The buffet unfortunately did not have an Asian section, although I guess you can’t really expect that in the Middle East. It did have a nice Middle Eastern section which was my first foray into Middle Eastern cuisine on this trip. The quality of the food here was decent, but nothing spectacular.

Like the other hotels we went to on this trip, the Waldorf Astoria required guests to indicate what they want to servers standing by. You aren’t allowed to serve yourself, due to COVID. This means you have to depend on staff more than usual, which is no problem here as servers have a good attitude and are readily available to assist you. They are also attentive, consistently coming to check if we needed anything.

Dinner at Lao

Click on any picture to expand.

We ate at the hotel’s Asian restaurant Lao on our first night. A complimentary appetizer of chips was served as we sat down. The menu at Lao is interesting: it is divided by Asian cuisines, ranging from Chinese to Indonesian. The food here was acceptable. Nothing particularly offensive, it just tasted like an average Asian restaurant which doesn’t really specialize in any area. It definitely wasn’t worth the price of around $130 for two people.

The bulk of the $130 price tag is the premium you pay to dine by entrance to the pool area. Since the restaurant is mainly open at dinnertime, however, it’s a little pointless since you can’t really see anything. If you go at sunset, I’d imagine the views would be nice to see the pool and the ocean in the distance.

Service at Lao, like in the entire hotel, was great. Our server engaged in small talk, but knew when to disappear when he had to. He also checked in regularly for any requests.

Pearl Club Lounge

Out of the 4 hotels I visited on this trip, I booked a Club room at 3 out of 4. They were all great, but because of my jet lag I didn’t really use the Club Lounge much. My dad informed me that they had a good selection of free-flowing alcohol and some tasty canapés to go along with it at night. I wish he took some pictures for me, but he didn’t. I do, however, have a very shaky video of the breakfast buffet at the Pearl Club. I rushed this recording to avoid filming people.

The Pearl Club staff were exceptional, by the way. They greeted us by name and asked us about plans each time we were there. With this information, they’d offer to arrange certain transportation, and check-in with us later in the day or the next morning. Personalized service is a hallmark of a luxury hotel stay, and the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah delivers.

Wellness Facilities

Because the Waldorf Astoria looks towards the fronds from the edge of the Palm Jumeirah, the water here is very calm. You can see in the video above that it doesn’t move at all. However, because of the scorching desert heat the water is quite warm too. Don’t expect to cool down here. Instead, you’re going to want to make your way to the pool area, where cabanas are aplenty and attendants are ready to serve you drinks and food.

The pool area is a wonderful respite from the insane heat. I definitely enjoyed my time here. The cabanas are free to use for all guests, and are available on a first come, first served basis. While lounging around in the cabanas, attendants will bring you water and a complimentary cold treat. You can also order food from the poolside restaurant if you so desire. I really liked the vibe, especially since you could still see basically the same view as you would from the beach area.

Conclusion

I wanted to start off this trip with a bang for numerous reasons. It had been more than 600 days since I had traveled internationally. It was my first time taking my dad out for a father-son trip. It was also my first time in the Middle East. Safe to say, the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah left a fantastic first impression of what was to come in the next week. I thought its location on the Palm was perfect. You can see the iconic Burj al Arab hotel from just outside the property. You can take fantastic morning walks alongside a boardwalk down the Palm. The service here was also spectacular, with a hard product that was great as well.

For those who want a more quiet, but definitely still Dubai place to relax in before heading into the more action-packed areas of the Emirate, the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah is your best bet!

The next time I visit the Palm Jumeirah I’d like to visit the Raffles Palm Jumeirah. I think the Waldorf is probably top 3 in the Palm (One&Only/Raffles look better at first glance), but definitely #1 in terms of value proposition (those other properties are more than 2-3x the price of the Waldorf.)

Final Rating

Service: 23/30

Standards: 14/20
- Arrival
  - ✓ Greeted at entrance
  - ✓ Doors opened
  - ✓ Bags taken
  - ✓ Refreshments offered
  - ✓ Introduced to hotel facilities and room/suite
- Intimacy
  - After interaction with staff, do they remember your preferences?
  - ✓ After interaction with staff, do they remember and address you by name?
- Housekeeping
  - Turndown service
  - Aware of whether or not you’re in the room
- ✓ Concierge
Attitude: 9/10

Rooms: 21/25
- Quality 4/5
- Views 4/5
- Cleanliness 4/5
- Standards 9/10
  - ✓ Entry room larger than 500 square feet
  - Electronic controls for room functionality
  - ✓ Separate bathtub
  - ✓ Rainfall shower head
  - ✓ Reputable brand of amenities: Tuscan Soul by Salvatore Ferragamo
  - ✓ Pillow menu
  - ✓ Nespresso or equivalent coffee machine
  - ✓ Balcony
  - ✓ Welcome amenity
  - ✓ Multiple welcome amenities
Facilities 16.5/20
- Public space design
  - Lobby 4/5
  - Pool 4.5/5
  - Other Areas 4/5
- Quality and Cleanliness 4/5
Food 11.5/15
- Standards 4/5
  - ✓ Multiple restaurants
  - ✓ One prestigious chef owned restaurant
  - ✓ Breakfast buffet
  - ✓ a la carte option with breakfast (at the Pearl Club)
  - Asian, Local, Juice, Pastry, and Western sections in buffet
- Quality 7.5/10
Location 9/10
- Standards for Remote Resorts (3 points possible, 1 point each)
  - ✓ Beachfront
  - ✓ Private beach OR no other resorts within 0.5 miles of resort
  - Complimentary shuttle to nearby points of interests
- Safety 3/3
- Walkability of surrounding area: Incredible walks down the quiet Palm Jumeirah. 4/4

Total Score: 81/100

Additional Photos

The Palm Jumeirah is undoubtedly one of the most incredible places I have ever been to. Here are pictures I took of the artificial island from various places throughout the Waldorf Astoria, the area right outside the property, and the top of the Palm Tower.