{"id":2530,"date":"2021-04-01T06:39:27","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T06:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?post_type=articles&p=2530"},"modified":"2021-04-27T06:01:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T06:01:06","slug":"isolation-staycations-kempinski-hotel-mall-of-the-emirates","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/isolation-staycations-kempinski-hotel-mall-of-the-emirates\/","title":{"rendered":"Isolation Staycations: Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When we say Dubai staycation, you instantly think of a luxurious, Aspen-inspired ski chalet overlooking snow-covered slopes dotted with skiers and snowball-throwing children, right? You will now. In the heart of Dubai, The Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates is a winter escape among the dunes (well, Sheikh Zayed Road, but you get what we were going for). The award-winning hotel is well-known and well-loved by tourists and residents alike; however, there is a hidden gem that can render even long-term residents speechless.<\/p>\n

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YES, THE HOTEL ROOM HAS A FULL-BLOWN DINING AREA<\/span><\/p>\n

The exclusive Aspen Chalets are nothing short of breath-taking. Our Duplex Ski Chalet had us scrambling to pick our jaws up off the floor as we didn\u2019t want to embarrass ourselves in front of our wonderful butler Meruert, who was assigned to us after we checked in. After Meruert gave us our tour \u2013 yes, it is\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0big \u2013 we closed the front door and instantly entered a child-like state; full of glee and exploring every nook and cranny of our new home (and, obviously, playing with the remote-controlled curtains).<\/p>\n

An homage to Colorado\u2019s famous skiing destination, every detail of the d\u00e9cor from faux-fur throws to the coffee table books was meticulously chosen to evoke feelings of a holiday spent slope-side; only made better by the view. Ah, the view. Rather than your typical skyscraper-lined sky, the Aspen Chalets overlook Mall of the Emirates\u2019 Ski Dubai and offer a view that you won\u2019t find anywhere else in the world. We spent most of our evening \u2013 and the next day – totally captivated by keen skiers slaloming down the man-made slopes. As a long-term resident of the UAE, it was truly an unforgettable experience to watch Ski Dubai by night as the behind-the-scenes upkeep unfolded.<\/p>\n

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THE LIVING AREA OF THE DUPLEX SKI CHALET<\/span><\/p>\n

We paused the oohing and aahing temporarily and headed to Aspen by Kempinski for afternoon tea \u2013 the oohing and aahing soon continued. Freshly made sweet and savoury treats in the form of finger sandwiches (the best we\u2019ve had at any afternoon tea in the city), macarons, flavoured scones (get the berry one!) and tea hand-picked with the help of the in-house tea sommelier gave us a much-needed afternoon pick-me-up. Alexandra, our super-helpful hostess for the afternoon, informed us that we could take-away the treats we couldn\u2019t finish and we quickly obliged \u2013 there is no way we were leaving one of those scones behind.<\/p>\n

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AFTERNOON TEA IN ASPEN BY KEMPINSKI COMES WITH THREE TIERS OF DELICIOUSNESS AND UNLIMITED TEA<\/span><\/p>\n

We returned to our chalet to freshen up \u2013 with Herm\u00e8s amenities, no less –\u00a0 and watch more ski-TV (also known as Ski Dubai) from the sunken living room\u2019s humungous, perfectly nappable sofa and waited for dinner time to arrive. After all, isn\u2019t that what a holiday is all about? While Mall of the Emirates\u2019 proximity offers an abundance of dining options, why leave when you can have five-star cuisine mere steps away from your chalet? We sauntered to Salero Tapas & Bodega for authentic Spanish Tapas and tucked into a ginormous seafood paella as well as \u2013 of course \u2013 an array of tapas. While every dish we had was delicious, the patatas bravas, shrimp with garlic and chilli and grilled octopus with truffle mashed potato were simply divine. After such a huge meal \u2013 you are definitely underestimating the size of the paella \u2013 we happily, and slowly, made our way home for the night.<\/p>\n

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THE ELEGANT BEDROOM AND BATHROOM (COMPLETE WITH GIGANTIC BATHTUB) IS ON THE TOP FLOOR<\/span><\/p>\n

In the morning, after putting a significant dent in Olea\u2019s buffet breakfast spread \u2013 which followed strict COVID-19 precautions\u2013 we took a dip in the pool and realised that it was the first time we\u2019d seen Dubai\u2019s blue skies since the morning before and, TBH, we didn\u2019t miss it.<\/p>\n

Even in a city where five-star hotels are plentiful, you would be hard-pressed to find a more phenomenal staycation than the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates. Not only do the Aspen Chalets offer a unique experience, but its variety of delicious dining options and hospitality that is second-to-none make it a staycation we can\u2019t recommend highly enough. Who\u2019d have thought the best place to escape the city was right in the heart of it?<\/p>\n