Okay so this was the final stage in a trip from Korea, japan and then onto dubai for 7 nights.

We arrived at 6am! we knew the check in was going to be 2pm (the hotel is pretty much full at this time of year!), the heat hit us like a spade at the airport! The transfer time took about 25mins (white lexus! nice!), and we arrived at the Al Qasar main entrance, the first thing that hits you is the sheer scale and opulence of it all, we were shown to a side reception room and checked in, told our room was not ready and we would be offered a lounge, refreshments and a shower whilst we waited, we were also able to use any of the resorts facilities until the rooms was ready.
We had a few oj's and some water and the room we sat in is basically a lounge area with reclinig chairs , its airconned to the max, they offer blankets etc massage all very nice!

We went for a look around (despite the searing heat!) had a few coffees a snooze and few smokes etc and eventually at about midday our villa (No 27 at the Dar Al Masyaf) was ready, we were shown to a golf buggy and taken through the grounds.

Am going to cut a long story shory here because this is the one place that lives up to and exceeds the brochures (in most ways), the villas are in a word, stunning, loads of room, ours overlooked the waterways with fishes, crabs, cuttlefish (sometimes!) etc, you have your own butler ours varied between Anton (whos grasp of english was poor (nearly as bad as my serbian) and had the sense of humour of a moth and a charisma bypass! (sorry mate but wet fish springs to mind!) and Caroline and Emo (sorry bad spelling) who couldnt do enough to help ( the only thing we ever really requested was to change some travellers cheques!!)

The whole complex is stunning, the weather was very kind to us, the sea was very choppy on a few days, price wise, we were half board and the buffet (although a maginificient selection) didnt get changed in the 7 nights we were there which was a bit boring to be honest( though there arer plenty of fabulous eateries on the resort including a fabulous costa coffee! (a must whilst waiting for your room to be ready!), plus the kids running about and people in beachwear and pushing prams etc tended to subtract from the ambience plus the charge of £5 for a bottle of evian with the meal was taking the michael a bit!

Breakfast was great, superb choice, we went to shimmers on the beach and also the Thai restaraunt for my birthday (had choc cake and red roses in room from villa staff!!!) which although fairly expensive (about £50 a head without drinks) was indeed a superb all round experience.

We ventured into the Mina A Salam and it to be honest was not our thing, felt more Menorca then Middle east and more Lanzarote than luxurious, it really needs a polish as its brining the other two properties down a bit! but again thats my own opinion!

So all in all............rooms great. expect to pay but then you pay for what you get, some prices are well over inflated (we have stayed in the shangri-la in borneo where they charged £4 for a water!) by anyones standards, service superb at times and very occasioanally a let down!

Attention to detail exceptional. Clientele variable!!!...............from D&G, to Leeds Chest Tatoos!

Have fun!

We did!

And yes we would go back!

Cj
x

Dubai was the second part of our honeymoon having flown from the Maldives. When we arrived at the resort entrance I was gob smacked, it is so grand with beautiful fountains! We were picked up by a buggy that drove us around the resort and to our summer house! We were upgraded to an ocean view summer suite! It was the most amazing accomodation you could wish for! You enter the main private courtyard and then you enter your luxurious summer house. It had the biggest bathroom you can imagine, a huge bedroom, dining room and kitchen area. The toiletries were amazing and they had seperate ones for men and women! We took so many back home as they replaced it twice daily! We had sparkling wine, chocolates & strawberries to greet us which was lovely! They leave gifts every night on your pillow, anything from massage oil to lip balm, chocolates etc
What can I say about the resort! It is incredible, it is like a mini Venice with gondolas to take you to each part or you can get a buggy to take you around. The Dar Al Maysaf is ment to be the nicest out of the 3 options in Madinat Jumeirah but to be fair they all looked amazing. The pool area is massive and there are so many sun loungers-we had 4 loungers, 2 in the sun and 2 under a beautiful shaded area. They come round and spray your face with Evian, give you ice lollies, cold flannels etc etc The service is second to none! Your butler cannot do enough for you and will book restaurants etc for you. Breakfast is buffet style and there are so many options it's silly! It filled us up until dinner time. We ate most nights in the complex as there are so many restaurants to choose from. The best place was the Pai Thai restaurant, it was expensive but well worth it and sit outside so you can see the abras going around! The Souk within the resort is really nice, with some lovely shops. You can negociate in some shops but not all. The beach is lovely but you may need to get up early to get sun loungers in a good position or the huge day beds on the beach. The sea is like a warm bath and beautiful for swimming in.
You can go into the Burj Al Arab and they provide a free buggy service to it but we didn't get around to going. Sun set looks amazing especially if the Burj and the background!
I compare every hotel to the Dar Al Maysaf and nothing has come close even if they are 5* luxury hotels, I will be returning for sure!!

The Villas at Dar Al Masyaf, Madinat Jumeirah were, as expected, opulent and luxurious. I was only there for 2 nights for work and would have much preferred to be enjoying this villa with my girlfriend but who is one to complain.

The minute I arrived I knew I was going to enjoy it. Off the plan at 6am in the sunshine after leaving rainy cold London the night before it was just what the doctor ordered.

After arriving a reception a gondola soon transported me to my villa along the Venice style canals. The room was beautiful and the check in was effortless... The gentleman who checked me in was Thai so I think kind service is in his blood. This would be a great place to take a family if you could afford it as there was a young kid hanging around who had obviously bonded with the villa butler who was entertaining him.

The bed was amazingly comfortable and the bathroom huge. The shower had his and her products... I didn't realise I I needed different soap, shampoo, conditioner etc but I guess there is a difference.

Anyway room service was quick, anything I wanted the butler would deliver or find for me...

It was a great place to stay, even for work...

My husband and I stayed at this hotel last December for the Dubai Film Festival. We stayed in Villa 13. The butler staff were great- especially Pasha who took very good care of us! We loved the quiet peace of the complex. Riding on the little boats from place to place was terrific, but my favorite was just walking through the resort. My favorite time of day there was just around sunrise. I walked to the beach and pretty much had the place to myself. Great place to find small seashells- it was very relaxing.

I also loved watching the changing colours of the Burj at night!
As we were there for the film fest, it was very busy with very little quiet time, but we found the private pools to be very relaxing. The temperature was pleasant, but the mornings were a little foggy, typical for that time of year, but made eating in the outdoor buffet for breakfast a little cool without a sweater.

The pool was sensational. The steakhouse at the Al Qassar (can't remember the name!) was very good. the other steakhouse in the market place was quite good, as well.

We had room service one evening when our jetlag got the better of us, and the quality and quantity were very good. We shared one meal! Simple comfort food- spaghetti bolognese with a side salad! Delicious!
We took a day trip to go snorkeling over in Oman and it was very good as well. I would have packed some snacks and food, though, as they did not provide anything substantial. That was our fault, though, not the dive expedition. The waters weren't as clear as we'd hoped, but we did see a few new fish we had never seen before-cuttle fish- many good sightings of turtles. We had 2 stops.

Altogether, it was a very long day-about 12 hours from pick up to drop off. We were happy to do it, but the trip was very long and decided once was enough.

I would recommend this hotel for people who really want an escape and stay in a self-contained resort. The giant Mall of the Emirates is very close by, and that was a nice diversion as well.

If you get an opportunity to go inside the iconic Burj Al Arab- do so! it really defies description!