Business Bay is fast-becoming a leisure hub to rival any other in Dubai, with a number of new hotels springing up to make it a contender for a staycation.
From blowout to budget options, the locality has something for every traveller, including the recently opened Revier Dubai.
This 230-room, four-star hotel combines famed Swiss efficiency with a homely setting that's largely geared towards bleisure travellers — that is travellers combining business with leisure. The National went along to find out what stays at this hotel are all about.
The neighbourhood
Located on Al Asayel Street in Business Bay, the hotel is easily accessible from Sheikh Zayed and Al Khail roads. Nestled between residential towers, it's in a rather quiet neighbourhood, which is ideal if you’re looking for a serene weekend getaway or a productive day in the co-working lounge. It's also a short walk from the Dubai Water Canal and only about six kilometres from Downtown Dubai, The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
The welcome
We arrive a little later in the evening, and the lobby is empty and check-in a breeze. The area is spacious and set up to replicate a comfortable living room in a Swiss chalet. Low-key sofas and chairs are nestled around a wood-panelled wall that holds logs, books, knick-knacks and a TV set, topped off by overhead lights in the shape of Swiss cowbells. It's entirely homely and I half expect to see a fire blazing in the corner somewhere or the lilting sound of jangling bells in the distance.
Over on the other side of the lobby are the Bern and Lucerne meeting rooms (which can be combined to make a larger one) and the Lounge sitting area with a co-working space featuring a large central table and a handy Grab & Go food and coffee outlet next to it. Adding a quirky touch is a giant cow sculpture in colourful Swiss attire, holding an alpine horn and perched on a chair-lift, offering guests a very Swiss welcome.
The safety measures
The hotel has standard Covid-19 safety measures in place, in line with Dubai's regulations. Masks are required to be worn at all times in public areas except when dining, in the bar, at the shisha terrace and poolside. Hand sanitiser dispensers are prominently placed on black stands throughout the hotel. In Alphorn Restaurant, a sign also asks guests to wear face masks and gloves — which are available right next to it — while serving themselves food, and to maintain social distancing.
The room
Our Junior Suite up on the 18th floor is impressive and in keeping with the hotel's overarching chalet theme, visible in even the smallest of details. The drawer handles are leather straps, and the same feature is found on the lamps, headboard and bed-base corners. The main lighting feature has a pulley design and the different tones of wood and copper finishings match the muted furnishings in neutral greys, blues and browns — a design nod to the famous Swiss neutrality, perhaps? Wooden skis adorn one wall, while artworks depict alpine mountains with only the big print over the bed featuring a camel as a nod to the property's Dubai location.
The room has keyless and remote entry options, double-paned glass and a super-comfy mattress with a memory foam topper that ensures we get one of the best sleeps ever in a hotel. To litmus-test the hotel's bleisure credentials, we also monitor the Wi-Fi strength and charging points and are happy to report it passes with flying colours with a strong signal and plenty of USB plug points.
The theme deftly spills over into the rest of the hotel. A wall made up of a series of log rounds greeting guests as they exit the lifts is a cool touch, cowbell lights are everywhere and carpets feature a print of topographic map lines echoing the Swiss mountains.
The service
All the staff, from the lobby to housekeeping, were attentive and checked if we needed anything but without being intrusive at any time. The restaurant manager and waiting staff in particular captured what we believe to be true Swiss hospitality, taking us through all the menu offerings, having excellent knowledge of what was on offer and recommending the right dishes.
The scene
For a hotel that has a home-from-home vibe, Revier Dubai packs the right amount of food and recreational offerings. The third floor is known as the Leisure Floor, with the Alphorn Restaurant and Allegra Shisha & Bar, overlooking a 30-metre-long outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery and high-rises. The health club on the fourth floor is compact, but well-equipped for cardio, weights, postural and yoga workouts.
The food
While Alphorn’s a la carte menu highlights Swiss-German dishes, there are also pizzas, Asian and Indian offerings, and themed nights where you can indulge in everything from cheese fondue (Thursdays), to steak night on Tuesdays. The hotel serves pork, which is cooked in a separate kitchen and served in a special non-halal section.
For dinner, we decide to stay in tune with Revier’s origins and tuck into a Wiener schnitzel (Dh120) at Alphorn, which was a tender portion of veal Milanese served with roast potato, lemon and cranberries, that was as wholesome as expected. The kasespatzli (Dh52), the Swiss-German version of mac and cheese, came with a generous topping of roasted onions and chives, in the manner it is traditionally made. My hungry friend goes for the rib-eye steak (Dh250), which looks a tad small, but is grilled to medium-rare perfection and comes with a side of hand-cut fries and asparagus.
Although the menu is heavily skewed towards meat, with a mushroom risotto seeming to be the only vegetarian option, staff will cater to individual tastes and customise dishes for plant-based diners. For dessert, the apple strudel with vanilla Anglaise and walnut ice cream (Dh35), and mousse au chocolat with an interesting mango chilli chutney (Dh40) addition are must-tries.
As the weather was still pleasant during our stay, we have breakfast by the poolside. The buffet is on the smaller side, but has all the usual options of croissants, pastries, cereal, breads, eggs and fruits, as well as smoked salmon and deli meats.
Highs and lows
This is a compact but efficient property where the staff go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable and fulfil your every need. All the rooms are impeccably fitted out, the epitome of comfort and, as mentioned above, we had one of our best night's sleep away from home. Although, guests need to pay for premium coffee at breakfast.
The insider tip
If you’re working during your stay, the hotel will provide adaptors suited to your electronic devices. Additionally, a free shuttle service is available from the hotel to La Mer and The Dubai Mall, so guests can take advantage of their time in Dubai and explore the city with ease.
The verdict
Primarily, the Swiss hospitality and travel thread running through this hotel make it a one-of-a-kind stay among Dubai’s hotel offerings. It's accessibility and focus on being a digital nomad-friendly space ensure that it is more than ideal for combining work and play, or for a quick weekend getaway.
The bottom line
Stays start from Dh450 per night, excluding taxes. Stay-and-dine half-board packages are also available. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at noon.
Revier Dubai; dubai.revierhotels.com
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel during the global coronavirus pandemic. It reflects hotel standards during the time, services may change in the future
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
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Gulf for Good
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Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
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