As you will have either seen for yourself or heard about, Dubai is largely one big building site. There’s no point dwelling on this when you’re there, and once you accept the fact, it becomes rather interesting.

The taxi drivers love to talk about what’s going up and how big each building will be, and most just defy belief. You soon get into the construction vibe and begin scanning the newspapers to see what else is planned and how grand or large it will be.
Al Burj is expected to have between 180 and 200 floors but the Burj Dubai is tipped to be the world’s largest, and is already powering ahead adding a floor a week. Bizarrely the final height is a closely guarded secret.

Dubai airport is another jaw dropper. It’s just so huge and the bus journey from aeroplane to terminal is a camel hike in itself. Our driver from the hotel greeted us at the entrance and told us he would meet us through the other side which we stupidly thought would be in about five minute’s time. Then we got to passport control and realised it would be considerably longer than that. A room the size of a football pitch with line after line of queuing souls shuffling slowly forward. It’s not without organisation; it’s just the sheer number of people to organise. But why a service-orientated country like the UAE makes young and old alike stand for over an hour is a little strange. If any airport planners are reading this why can’t we at least have those standing benches to lean our backsides against?

Anyway that was the only thing to moan about as after this it got better and better. Our driver even ensured we had chilled water to refresh us as he whizzed off to The Grosvenor House Hotel. Arriving at 3am on a Saturday morning, there was still a legion of smiling staff to take care of everything once we stepped out of the car.

The level of service and attention to detail is probably the stand out factor for Dubai and this is what sets it apart from elsewhere - including the so called great service standards of the States. And nowhere was this more evident than in this hotel.

When checking in we were ushered to comfortable sofas whilst others took care of the necessary details (hmmm, if only airports would do this!). It gave us chance to soak up the ornate but tasteful surroundings as it’s a pretty special place. The huge public area, all perfect marble floors punctuated with ostentatious sculptures and artwork, gives a suitably grand and upmarket feel. Our room did not disappoint either. Setting the scene was a lit candle next to the large Jacuzzi bath overlooking the city skyline.

To say the room had a balcony was an understatement – it was simply enormous and as it sat on two sides of the building, with views of both the sea and the city. Just perfect. Well nearly. You’re never far from a building site in Dubai so unsurprisingly it was fairly noisy and dusty, but fascinating also. The workers are like ants, they just never stop. Workers at each site wear different coloured boiler suits which make the whole operation look even more efficient and orderly. You don’t see anyone reading a paper or leaning on their spade; it’s a hive of constant activity. It does make you feel terribly guilty though. Sitting there sipping a glass of fizz with your feet up on a five-star hotel balcony watching folk working so hard in the searing heat. Apparently the workers are largely from the Indian sub-Continent and it’s obvious you would need to be from a hot climate to work in these conditions. I doubt I would last the morning.

The city is certainly hot at around 40 degrees, but there is a cooling breeze around the coast to help, and as everywhere inside, including most taxis, have air conditioning it’s not an awful problem. Le Royal Meridian hotel – Grosvenor House’s sister hotel - is situated on the beach and you can zip between the two hotels to use the facilities of each via a quick and continual shuttle service. This is a perfectly pleasant beach. No fighting for sun loungers here and it boasts a reassuringly attentive waiter drinks service. Very civilised. When facing the sea you could be on a beach anywhere, but a glance behind you and you’re suddenly taken aback by the sheer scale of the cityscape. The oversized buildings make the skyline reminiscent of Hong Kong. It does take some getting used to. As does the “it’s so warm it’s almost hot” sea.

Le Royal Meridian hotel guests appeared to prefer the pool option. There are a few pools at this hotel (and one at Grosvenor House) and the main one is certainly popular. It was a mixed crowd and whilst there were a good number of evidently well heeled guests, there was a sprinkling of rough diamonds too. Large, lobster pink and extensively tattooed, smoking furiously and drinking pints of lager at the swim up bar at 11am. And that was just the women. I’m not saying for a second that Dubai is the new Benidorm, but its increased accessibility is evident.

This hotel is also home to Maya, a stunning Mexican restaurant which we thankfully experienced at first hand. It was reasonably quiet it has to be said, but that was the only possible downside. From the warmest of welcomes to the polite and un-intrusive attention throughout, the service and food were first-class. Our personal server discussed the menu, asked for input on likes and dislikes, talked through options with great knowledge, but was still casual enough to chat with informally. Maya’s Mexican musicians played guitars and the Paraguayan Harp to transport us a long way away from Dubai.

The following evening back at Grosvenor House we checked out the Buddha Bar which is “the” place to go according to everyone that has returned from Dubai in the past year. It was a bonus that it was actually in our hotel as we could let our hair down with the great cocktail list. It’s a magnificent space with a huge high ceiling dominated by an enormous gold statue of Buddha. It’s a feast for the eyes, has a tremendous buzz and according to those in the know, is still the place to be seen at. No point whispering sweet nothings in someone’s ear though, the background chatter is way too high for that!

Grosvenor House Hotel is a social destination in itself with a choice of 10 restaurants and bars (which include celebrity and Michelin starred chefs). Needless to say I thought it only right to check out the Spa facilities and was happy that I did. Faultless attention to detail and an out of this world massage experience.

Our time was limited so we didn’t get to pursue many of the possible delights that await visitors in Dubai such as desert safaris, dune bashing in 4x4’s, visits to the souks, cruising down Dubai creek, tours of the man made islands, etc. We did manage a visit to the Emirates Mall with its upmarket stores and tax free shopping. Nothing is too much trouble for the smiling assistants, which is another clear reminder that you are not in the UK. The mall is also home to the indoor ski centre containing ‘real’ snow but watching the skiers dressed in full ski wear when outside lies a burning hot desert is quite surreal.

It was sad to leave Grosvenor House at the end of the trip. It’s a fine hotel with a relaxing but stately feel. Despite having to travel over to Le Royal Meridian for the beach, I’d still opt for the Grosvenor House experience every time. My parting advice would be to ensure that you’re in the hotel around rush hours – the Dubai traffic is so bad it’s really not worth venturing outside.