Honest review
Dubai where design matters more than gold: Mandarin Oriental Jumeira looks out on the azure of the Persian Gulf on one side and the city's glittering skyline with the Burj Khalifa on the other.
The interiors are by the award-winning designer Jeffrey A. Wilkes, and every decision here carries an idea. In the lobby you are met by a 'forest of light' — 14 trees, each shining with 900 lights; white marble floors lead you away from the desert heat into coolness.
The spa is an artistic statement of its own: the curved, layered ceiling echoes sand dunes, the blue floor recalls the waters of the Gulf. After the treatments — quiet relaxation capsules.
Every room has a balcony with a panoramic view; the bathrooms are finished in Statuario marble, the palette is calm, the light plentiful.
The restaurants and bars span Japanese, Portuguese and international cooking; many were opened by world-famous chefs.
A resort for aesthetes: people come here for the atmosphere and the details, not only for the beach.
