Heathrow T3 is just about my all-time loathed terminal in the world - (my favourite's Helsinki in case anyone is interested) I'm sure I”m not alone in that - so it was with a sense of intrigue that I took up Virgin Atlantic”s invitation to try out its new Upper Class Wing.
Now Virgin's a canny operator and, finding itself marooned in T3”s sheer awfulness, has taken the bull by the horns and created its new Wing to speed passengers through.
So does it work? Well, for once, the reality does echo the glitzy ad currently running on television; a limo glides up a curved ramp with the driver having already taken my check-in details and I was ushered into a plush wood and glass lobby and invited to sit and wait for all the formalities to take place.
Seconds later, I had processed through the dedicated security lane and emerged blinking into the neon light- strewn, blaring cacophony of noise and retail nightmare of the main lounge. Normally, I”m in the thick of that cacophony but instead happily made my way to Virgin”s glorious Clubhouse, a haven of class and fun that long ago set the last word in lounge design.
My destination was Dubai ” a seven-hour overnight flight ” but as an indication of just how busy that airport has become, transfer on landing was by the dreaded remote bus, as it is for so many arriving flights.
Happily, The Monarch Hotel where I was accommodated has complimentary airport pick-up to Rolls-Royce Phantom level, dependent on guest status and a helpful lady took my passport and let me wait in a well-appointed ” and air-conditioned - room while all the admin was sorted.
A ten-minute dash later and I was walking through the lobby of Dubai”s newest hotel at the rather handy address of One Sheikh Zayed Road. First impressions were of two extraordinarily tall doormen ” a deliberate touch it transpired, to inspire confidence ” and a lobby that although not on the vast height of some other Dubai properties exuded calm and cool efficiency.
The Monarch knows it”s up against dozens of other Five Star behemoths in town, so it goes all out to impress with service. There are 3.5 staff to every guest and as well as the personal butler, it is the staff who set this place apart from the herd.
Featuring a surprising number of Germans, whose country”s renowned hospitality training leads many to the Emirates, every traveller”s needs are exhaustively looked after.
If perhaps there is one observation, it”s that at times this can be a little invasive ” sometimes travellers, especially those on business, just want to breeze in and out without squadrons of staff on hand ” but it”s a nice problem to have nonetheless.
The Monarch ” in a city whose byword is first class ” specialises in sumptuous luxury. From the enormous rooms and suites, to a breakfast offering that would leave most people not requiring anything else to eat for days, this property is the real deal.
The hotel features 236 rooms, suites and serviced residences, as well as the breathtaking Monarch Suite on the 32nd AND 33rd floors. Measuring a cool 1,130 sq m, it comes replete with three en-suite bedrooms, dining room and ” the bit I really liked ” a cinema. And $10,000 a night also buys the Monarch Suite guest an outdoor private terrace with panoramic views over Dubai, a pool, steam room and sauna.
There are 53 studio, one, two and three-bedroomed serviced residences with access to all hotel facilities including offices. Equally, the dedicated Conferences and Events floor has 13 meeting rooms and two boardrooms, an open-plan business centre, offices and conference butlers. No Five Star would be complete without a ballroom and The Monarch can accommodate 500 guests who arrive by a winding marble staircase.
This is some hotel and in a city of superlatives, it will easily stand out. One tiny detail that emphasises the service. For guests relaxing by the pool ” small by Dubai standards ” a member of staff will come and offer to clean your sunglasses. That”s what I call service.
So what of Dubai itself? I hadn”t been for four years and was interested to see if the development really was as spectacular as some suggest.
Well, it”s bonkers. Everywhere you go, there is the background orchestra of crane, pneumatic drill, lorries and concrete piledrivers. And looking down from a 20th storey hotel window, there appear to be thousands and thousands of ant-like workers scurrying to and fro, supplying the hard labour that create all those gleaming edifices.
The status of these workers ” overwhelmingly labour from south Asia ” is intriguing. Newspapers regularly carry reports of accidents or worse, involving the workforce that is creating an entire new city rising from the desert and it is hard not to feel for them working in shifts around the clock in road-melting heat of up to 50C in high summer.
And if the wind blows from nearby Saudi Arabia, the city can be enveloped in a duststorm that can reach pretty high speeds, halting traffic and pebbledashing everything in reach. Winter fog can also reduce the super-highways to a crawl, but in general this is a place where the sun shines just about all day every day.
That traffic though. It”s one of the major changes since I was in Dubai last. Travelling from the super impressive Madinat ” just about the best place in Dubai to enjoy a sundowner - to Sheikh Zayed Road should take around 15 minutes. But in bumper to bumper congestion, it took almost an hour longer than that. Avoid travelling if possible between 4pm and 7pm until the new rail system is up and running.
Dubai”s not all businesses of course. The fabulous weather makes myriad outdoor activities eminently possible, from scuba diving, to horse (or camel) racing, creek boat trips and swimming. Horses clearly play an important role in the Emirate, with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai having a key role in the development of the sport both at home and abroad. There”s also a million pound race or two to enjoy ” and it”s not quite the 2:30 at Newmarket either.
A touristy but nonetheless hugely enjoyable day out in the desert can be had with Arabian Adventures. Picked up at the hotel in a 5 litre Chevrolet, these monster cars cruise out on the arrow-straight desert roads before letting their tyres down to dune bash with a vengeance.
Using a skilled driver ” Ali was a master and made the excursion hugely enjoyable (he also shared my keen interest in cricket) ” the convoy of Chevrolets arrives at a desert camp for an evening of camel riding, belly dancing and watching the sun go down in a blaze of sandy glory. It really is in the middle of nowhere and just for a few hours, the sense of splendid isolation is spine tingling set against infinite desert and inky black sky.
Dubai is brash, confident and booming. It might not be to everyone”s taste but the numbers don”t lie. Emirates Airline is one of the greatest success stories of recent times - a six runway airport is being built in the sand ” and as a conference and incentives destination, it”s hard to beat. This is a favourite R&R watering hole that”s world class. Just get there before the Beckhams.
www.virgin-atlantic.com
www.arabian-adventures.com
www.themonarchdubai.com Tel: + 971 4 329 8888