Travel news: New St Regis opens in Dubai

Plus: Jumeirah Rotana reopens after refurb and experience the new Al Ain tour of Emirati culture.

The new St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. Courtesy St. Regis Hotels and Resorts
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New St Regis opens in Dubai

The UAE's fourth St Regis hotel opened this week in the shape of the new St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. The hotel is set around four polo fields, and has 136 rooms and suites, 25 villas, six restaurants and a spa, although not all of the facilities are open yet. The hotel is located close to the intersection of Emirates Road and the Dubai-Al Ain Road. Rooms currently cost from Dh1,532 per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com

Jumeirah Rotana reopens after refurb

The Jumeira Rotana in Satwa has re-opened after a full refurbishment. The four-star hotel now has 125 rooms including the 113-square-metre Burj Suite, two restaurants, a gym and spa. Rooms cost from Dh306 per night, including taxes. For more information, visit www.rotana.com

New Al Ain tour of Emirati culture

TCA Abu Dhabi and Al Ain National Museum have organised a free public bus tour for residents and tourists to “experience Emirati culture first-hand”. The first Travel Through Our Traditions tours will run on March 15 and 22. Visitors will be able to spend time with Emirati women and families in their homes and farms, “giving them an insight into the traditions and customs of Emirati life”.

The tours will begin at 10am, departing from Souq Al Jabra, and will pass through the old central market, concluding at the women’s market in Oasis Hospital.

Participants will also get a chance to visit the homes of Emirati women and experience local hospitality, while discussing tales of the past. The hosts will discuss topics of daily life and symbols of Emirati heritage including the traditional burqa and what it represents in Emirati culture; the role of henna art and patterns in Emirati traditions; and a look at traditional Emirati embroidery.

Al Ain is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements and is home to the UAE’s only Unesco World Heritage sites.

For more information, visit www.visitalain.ae or call 03 711 8331.