Dubai’s world-class One&Only Royal Mirage is actually three properties in one, The Palace, located beachfront, the Arabian Court and The Residence & Spa. We were fortunate to spend most of an afternoon touring this lush and elegant property. It truly is worth a look.
Unfortunately, due to a scheduling change, we did not have the opportunity to sample what is no doubt the spa highlight, the resort’s authentic Oriental Hammam. A hammam is the Middle Eastern equivalent of a Turkish steam bath. Located on the lower floor of the Givenchy Spa, the Hammam has received outstanding reviews. It features a heated marble massage table, two steam rooms, two Jacuzzis, two private massage rooms, jet shower and whirlpool plus quiet relaxation area.
Upstairs at The Residence & Spa is the Givenchy Spa, the only one of its kind in all of the Middle East.
Unfortunately, the day of our our visit, the spa staff seemed harried, and check-in a bit confusing. The reception area is quite small, too, meaning several guests must congregate around the desk and few available seats.
Once we were taken back - Kathy for a facial; Fletcher for a massage - everything was adequate, but we expected spectacular after doing some research in advance of our trip.
In fact, the esthetician for the facial seemed to merely be going through the motions. She never turned on any music, never dimmed the lights and failed to describe what products she was applying. That’s a real shame considering these Givenchy products are considered top-of-the-line. Again, it was a good facial, but the experience itself fell flat.
Fletcher had a similar reaction to his spa treatment. Perfectly adequate but he’d hoped for so much more.
We’ll chalk this one up to perhaps having popped in on them during an especially busy time.
Still, the property is truly stunning, and other guests assured us the Oriental Hammam is outstanding.
