The welcome
Finding the recently renovated Hues Boutique Hotel is rather a mission, but once at its on-street entrance, the valet is fast and jovial. The same can’t be said of the somewhat sour-faced receptionist. We’re told that it will take 15 minutes to “check with housekeeping” that our room is ready. We end up spending 30 minutes kicking our heels, before we’re taken upstairs in a funky, open-sided glass lift. A waiter brings complimentary fresh juice, which is a nice compensatory gesture.
The neighbourhood
Compared to its down-and-dirty surrounds, the Hues looks like a spaceship that’s landed in Deira. There’s a plethora of shops, eateries and entertainment within walking distance, although they’re a cultural world apart from the hotel. There are a few malls within a short drive, including the underrated Al Ghurair Centre. Most taxi drivers don’t know the hotel, so snaffling one of the Hues’s handy business-card-sized maps proves a smart move.
The room
Our fourth-floor “Fresh” room is plush and brightly coloured, with a king bed, Gulf views, bold contemporary artwork, mirrors aplenty and an eccentrically designed grey-and-yellow bathroom. There are a couple of inexplicable design quirks: the bathroom sink’s tap is at the side of the basin and the lighting is controlled from a central panel next to the bed, excluding two lamps that you need to get up to switch off individually. That’s generally outweighed by welcome embellishments, such as the electronic window blinds and fragrant handmade soaps. The soundproofing is another matter, in this busy area of town – street noise is barely dulled throughout the day and (problematically) night.
The service
Apart from the check-in blips, there’s little to be faulted, and several staff break character from stiff servility – including a barman in the new, curiously named sports bar Mistakes, who has us chuckling by cheekily offering a calculator to aid our faltering maths while playing darts.
The scene
The hotel is certainly geared up as a nightlife spot. Mistakes, is rather quiet, but the facilities can’t be faulted – a pool table, darts board, fussball table and TVs showing live sport make it worth a stand-alone visit. The revamped Aurora Lounge & Terrace has an expansive bar, DJ decks and outdoor seating, from where you can see the sun come up, as it’s open until 6am. Unless you want the all-night sensation of being next door to an Ibiza club, though, don’t repeat our experience of being one floor below Aurora – for all but the hardiest partiers or narcoleptics, sleep is all but impossible. There’s also a rooftop pool and a spa.
The food
The all-day-dining space Metro is the hotel’s only dedicated restaurant, but it’s a cut above the usual lukewarm buffets, with a well-judged mix of cuisines. The salmon seafood spaghetti is a highlight at dinner.
Loved
The design charisma, Mistakes and the above-average food.
Hated
The check-in bloopers and the blaring music from Aurora.
The verdict
As an affordable anomaly in the old end of Dubai that trumps most grubby alternatives, the Hues is lively, fun and hip, with nightlong entertainment. Don’t expect much sleep, though.
The bottom line
Rooms start from Dh550, including taxes, breakfast and Wi-Fi. Hues Boutique Hotel, Corniche, Deira, Dubai (www.huesboutiquehotel.com; 04 236 5566).
aworkman@thenational.ae
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
