Luxury staycations are on the rise in the UAE as restless residents seek a change of scene with plans for holidays abroad put on ice by the coronavirus pandemic.
Restrictions on global air travel enforced to combat the spread on Covid-19 have hit the hospitality trade hard as the country misses out on an influx of tourism.
But an executive in the sector said there has been a boom in the numbers of people opting for staycations, especially at high-end properties that offer private pools and Jacuzzis.
It was even suggested that demand was so high that Dubai’s staycation market could prove more profitable than last year’s.
"People have started to take advantage of the lockdown by renting luxury properties with private swimming pools"
That was despite the government urging people to stay at home as they battle to control the spread of Covid-19.
It will be July at the earliest before anyone can even think about going for a holiday outside the UAE, said Vinayak Mahtani, chief executive of holiday home rental business BNB ME.
“People have started to take advantage of the lockdown by renting luxury properties with private swimming pools and Jacuzzis,” he said.
“It’s a new business model that has emerged for us in recent weeks.”
Mr Mahtani said demand was through the roof during the 24-hour lockdown period that lasted for three weeks.
“People were able to apply for a permit to travel to the properties without issue,” he said.
“A member of team would then meet them on arrival at the property.
“The minimum length of booking we have received since the restrictions came into place is seven days.”
Many of the people who had booked properties, through Mr Mahtani’s company, shared frustration at being confined to their apartments during the coronavirus restrictions.
He said the number of people taking staycations would only increase as restrictions on movement were relaxed.
One property that has been selling out of apartments with swimming pools, even throughout the 24-hour lockdown, is the Five Jumeirah Village hotel in Dubai.
“With beaches and swimming pools closed due to Covid-19, our apartments with private swimming pools and Jacuzzis have been a popular choice,” said Aloki Batra, chief executive of Five Hospitality.
“Now the restrictions have eased a little, we have had more enquiries from UAE residents looking for staycations.
“We also expect a pick-up at our sister property, Five Palm Jumeirah.”
He said all 168 one and two-bedroom flats, with private swimming pools and spas, had been fully booked out at the Jumeirah Village hotel for the past three weeks.
Serviced apartments are also been popular with Dubai residents who are unsure about how the short-term future will unfold because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Some residents don’t want to commit or extend their long-term contract due to uncertainty of their job situation,” said Paul Franz, general Manager at the Radisson Blu Residence, Dubai Marina.
“Staying in a serviced apartment combines both advantages of staying flexible with cancellation and payment plans as well as having a feeling of home away from home.”
One person who booked a week-long stay, during Dubai’s 24-hour lockdown, at a five bedroom villa with access to a private beach on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah was Indian homemaker Sneha Harjani.
“We stayed there with our two children and my helper for a week from April 12,” she said.
“The villa was a little on the expensive side, Dh18,000 for the stay, but it was well worth it.”
Residents in Dubai are now allowed to move freely between the hours of 6am and 10pm without a permit after the emirate relaxed safety measures.
Now hotels across the country are trying to make up for lost time by reopening with staycation offers they hope will entice guests back through their doors.
Ms Harjani said the investment paid off as it lifted the mood of her children who were feeling pent up being stuck in the family’s three-bedroom apartment in Dubai Marina.
“We needed a bigger place as my husband, who works as a financial trader, had an important project to work on and the children were frustrated because we were reluctant to let them play on our balcony,” she said.
“It made a huge difference because we had much more space and the weather was good. It was a refreshing change.”
Ms Harjani said the family was able to apply for a moving permit during the lockdown and did not have to leave the flat for the entire week.
When Indian businessman Rajesh Doshi, 51, found it difficult to concentrate on work at home he decided to take the whole family for a four-day stay at a penthouse in Downtown Dubai.
“I found we were all getting fed up staying indoors in the house and needed a change,” the tech firm owner said.
“It was much easier to work with the extra room as it was more peaceful without everyone feeling they were on top of one another.
“The penthouse cost Dh6,000 for the stay but I found it was value for money and I would definitely do it again.”
Mr Doshi took his wife and three sons, aged 15, 16 and 25, as well as their maid, to the five-bedroom penthouse.
“It was great to change up the routine and have a minibreak,” he said.
“Most of the time we didn’t cook and just ordered Deliveroo to the penthouse.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The%20specs
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Sweet%20Tooth
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
