Hotel insider: J W Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

The welcome

We take advantage of Marriott’s mobile check-in by downloading the app and using it to inform the hotel when to expect us. When we arrive, the lobby is buzzing and there’s a line for check-in. We announce ourselves at a special, queue-free counter reserved for mobile check-ins. Our room has been assigned and the paperwork is ready for a signature. Since we’re running late for a dinner reservation, we ask to have our bags delivered to our room, where we find them waiting when we turn in for the evening.

The neighbourhood

The hotel is centrally located, adjacent to Business Bay and a few minutes from Dubai Mall.

The room

Walking into the room, it’s immediately clear that the desk is the hero of the space. It’s huge, inviting, well-lit and, unlike many other hotel desks, has room to spread out. In a hotel that caters to business travellers, it makes sense. Our room, in the new Tower B, is on the 53rd floor, with an expansive view of the city, stretching to the Gulf.

The service

The service is warm and friendly. Even in this bustling hotel, we’re made to feel welcome. At the buffet breakfast in Kitchen 6, where more than 1,000 people start their day, the chef at the Indian station strikes up a conversation with my travelling companion about her affinity for Indian breakfast. He later tracks us down at our table to see if we will be there the following morning and if we would like him to prepare anything special.

The scene

This is the tallest hotel in the world. The first rooms in the first tower opened in November 2012. This past March, the second tower began operating, with the final rooms having opened this month. I feared that this mammoth, 1,608-room property – which is now fully operational – would feel empty and impersonal. On the contrary – it creates its own little world. The restaurants (there are now nine to choose from), pool and lobby always seem to be busy, without being frantic. With 3.5 million square feet of space, we clock a lot of footsteps on our Fitbit pedometers as we move around the hotel.

The food

The only real problem with the food in this hotel is deciding where to eat. There are so many choices and they’re all terribly tempting. We loved the comfort of the Italian eatery Positano. The burrata with roasted capsicums (Dh55) was rich and creamy, but it was the gnocchi di ricotta (Dh130) that left us contemplating a return visit. We’re told the mascarpone cheese pasta with wild mushrooms, crispy bresaola and black truffle would melt in our mouths. It did. We also dined in the Middle Eastern restaurant Nawwara, where we sampled the experience menu (Dh180) that offered a tour of mezze, grills and saj. All of it was well prepared, but the sautéed chicken liver with pomegranate sauce was especially delightful.

Loved

The Signature Dead Sea Journey at the Saray Spa, with its salt scrub, mud wrap, saltwater soak and massage.

Hated

The traffic at the hotel’s entrance is manic, especially in the evenings.

The verdict

This hotel is ideal for business travel, but also as a weekend escape or a dining destination.

The bottom line

A sea-view room at the J W Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai (www.marriott.com; 04 414 0000) on Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai, costs from Dh1,300. To use the mobile check-in, download the Marriott International app.

lkoot@thenational.ae

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PROFILE OF INVYGO

Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

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“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”

“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Specs

Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)

Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)

Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)

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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

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UAE currency

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3^rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4^th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

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Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
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