For a relatively new hotel, the Sheraton Grand Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai has positioned itself comfortably as both a business and a leisure hotel.
First opening in November 2014, the Starwood-owned property has 474 rooms and 180 serviced apartments. I stayed in one of its executive suites, larger than the average-sized Dubai apartment with a big bedroom, separate lounge area and guest bathroom.
The lounge contains a coffee table and a dining table strategically placed close to a hub of plugs so that it can double up as a small desk. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, reaching pretty impressive speeds, with no buffering when I played any video.
The bedroom is separated by sliding doors to offer privacy if you choose to hold a meeting in your room.
Business guests or those staying in suites have access to the executive lounge, open 24 hours, where light meals and snacks are served throughout the day. Located on the 39th floor, the lounge is one of the biggest I’ve come across in Sheraton hotels and offers great views of the city (when there isn’t a sandstorm or fog).
Despite its size, the lounge has been sectioned off to create more intimate spaces. If you fancy spreading out your paperwork with access to plugs, there is a big table close to the bar; if, however, you want a client meeting with nibbles, then smaller tables offer more privacy.
Back in the room, the king-size bed was comfortable, however, the goose-down duvet was too heavy for the Dubai climate. The Nespresso machine was handy for that early morning coffee.
The Sheraton has nailed the room service; meals arrive within half an hour — ideal when you need a proper hot meal rather than just a sandwich after a long working day.
The hotel also has a small cafe downstairs and two other restaurants. Plus for those impromptu meetings, a business lunch is available at Feast — a western, Middle East and Asian buffet restaurant — for just Dh49 from Sunday to Thursday.
q&a all the crossroads you’ll need
Carmen Ortiz, director of marketing at Sheraton Grand Hotel, tells Triska Hamid more about the hotel:
Where does the Sheraton place itself in the competitive Dubai hotel market?
We have positioned ourselves as offering a crossroads to Dubai. First of all we’re in the middle of the city and we are very accessible to the old and new parts of Dubai. We have the metro station and we can target the corporate traveller since we are in front of the DIFC and you can walk to the World Trade Centre and the many offices nearby. We also target and are attractive to the leisure traveller not looking for the beach, but someone who wants to be close to everything that happens here. In 10 minutes you can get to the old souqs, or Dubai Mall and with the metro you can go to the marina or JBR or any other mall in the city.
Who stays here?
We have an inventory of 654 rooms, suites and apartments. We have 180 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, which makes us very appealing to GCC families and guests who are looking to stay for one or two months or a year.
How do you cater to business guests?
For Sheraton, connectivity is key. Usually business centres are hidden, but here, we want people to be on the computer and socialise at the same time or have a drink and croissant. We have a media hub in the lobby with the plugs and everything you need to work. Our concierge also has a WhatsApp account; make all the requests you want.
business@thenational.ae
* The writer was a guest of the hotel
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