Grosvenor House Dubai

The Grosvenor House Dubai opened in 2005, in the exclusive district of Dubai Marina. Conveniently located close to both Emirates and Montgomery Golf Clubs, Dubai Media City and Jebel Ali, the 45-storey hotel soars over the Dubai skyline, visible from both land and water. At night, the building is lit with a stunning blue aura. When you reach the entrance, you are immediately welcomed by the liveried team, putting you at ease, guiding you into the entrance lobby and onto your destination within the hotel.

The main hotel lobby is a study in understated opulence. The classic Art Deco lines are prominent, with emphasis on dark woods. Towering marble pillars draw the eye to an onyx ceiling, graceful sofa arrangements and leather club chairs in the hotel’s signature creams, beige and chocolate brown hues warm the space whilst Lobby Lounge provides guests with all-day refreshment. The Arcade with its piazza-style ambiance is located off the lobby area. Here you can shop at leisure in a selection of up-market boutiques as well as a Delicatessen and café, packed with gourmet treats and delicious homemade breads, cakes and patisseries.
Beyond the lobby, high speed elevators take you to to one of the 217 exquisitely comfortable guest rooms and suites situated off plush rosewood-timbered corridors.

Rooms are generous in size, with luxury features such as 24-hour personalised butler service, fresh flowers and state of the art entertainment networks, including DVD/CD player and high-speed internet access. Each guest room, suite and apartment suite, many with private balconies, enjoys breathtaking panoramic views over the Arabian Gulf, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina. The stunning bathrooms are mini spas in themselves with comfortable baths, and a full range of Bvlgari products in the rooms and Waterleau in the apartment suites.
The top 11 floors of the hotel are dedicated to the Grosvenor Club, premium executive accommodation whose guests also have access to the 44th floor dedicated lounge that offers a host of benefits and provides unrivalled views. The Grosvenor House Dubai’s 205 luxurious and well appointed fully furnished apartment suites offer the perfect option for long or short stay.
Other highlights include a stunning outdoor pool, and a state-of-the-art gym.

Rhodes Mezzanine
Rhodes Mezzanine features the modern British cuisine of celebrity chef Gary Rhodes. Set within the confines of a visual masterpiece, Rhodes Mezzanine infuses a multitude of design influences, from modern to Baroque, to create a contemporary work of art. Stark white walls are accented by color bursts of lime green, fiery orange, and retro red. Voted Time Out’s 2010 Restaurant of the Year, Rhodes Mezzanine boasts quintessentially British food, with a bit of French flair. Every meal begins with creative canapés and an amuse bouche, and ends with complimentary scones and Devonshire cream. In between, guests are treated to hearty pleasures such as a slow roast pork belly with smoked bacon hash and poached egg Hollandaise or truffle macaroni and cheese with mushrooms, and a host of delicious English puddings.

Luxos Recommended Menu:
Fillet of John Dory, stir fried shiitake mushrooms, asparagus and scallops
Bread and Butter Pudding

Gary Rhodes – Biography
Gary Rhodes was born in London, England in 1960, and has dedicated his entire life to cuisine. His career includes the Amsterdam Hilton, where he began to experiment with nouvelle cuisine; sous chef at the Reform Club, Pall Mall, and the Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. He became Head Chef at the Castle Hotel in Taunton, Somerset, UK, retaining the hotel's Michelin Star, at just 26 years of age! It was during his time at the Castle Hotel that he developed the passion for British food that was to set the course for a hugely successful career. In 1990, he joined the Greenhouse Restaurant in Mayfair as Head Chef, where he revived great classics such as faggots, fish cakes, and the great British dessert - bread and butter pudding. He earned a Michelin star here, and likewise at his next restaurants, City Rhodes in 1997, Rhodes in the Square in 1998, and, Rhodes Twenty Four in 2003. In 2004 he opened his first overseas restaurant at Calabash Hotel on Grenada. Back in London, Rhodes Brasserie W1 arrived in summer 2005, and Rhodes Restaurant W1 shortly after. Rhodes Mezzanine at Grosvenor House, Dubai opened in September 2007. TV shows have enabled him to become a household name across the world.

Buddha Bar
The world-famous Buddha Bar, the anchor venue of the Grosvenor House Dubai, offers guests an evening of pure theatre from the moment they cross its velvet-roped threshold. A wealth of sensory experiences awaits – colours, textures, taste, and of course, the unmistakable chill-out lounge music that owes its roots to the original Buddha Bar in Paris.
The awesome spectacle of the main bar and dining room, with its soaring vaulted ceiling and burnished gold walls, stops many first-time visitors in their tracks. The room is dominated by two main features. The first is a four-metre high gold statue, specially commissioned in Thailand for Buddha Bar Dubai. The second, a 20-metre floor-to-ceiling glass window - covering one whole length of the room - dressed with swooping, velvet theatre-style drapes.
Sparkling ruby chandeliers simply add to the drama as do the details that give the bar its Oriental soul - Tibetan prayer rolls and lanterns adorn the walls, embroidered dragons run riot on the dramatic dining chairs, hot colours make striking impact against ebony wood. (continued on next page)

The restaurant’s menu blends the culinary essence of Thailand, China and Japan together with fresh, seasonal ingredients of Arabia to create its light, flavoursome cuisine. Dishes are served platter-style, and perfect for groups to share.
The main bar area is also within the dining room and as the evening wears on and Buddha Bar pulsates with Dubai’s ultra-stylish party crowd, people-watching becomes yet another part of the captivating experience.
Behind the main dining room, more private seating offers truly Oriental dining, whilst throughout the whole space, intimate seating areas, lit by lanterns and decorated with Asian curios and artefacts, allows guests to seclude themselves to soak up the unique ambiance.
A dramatic staircase leads to the mezzanine floor and the Zen lounge where Mao-suited service assistants offers a full bar menu and a range of light snacks. It’s the perfect vantage point to see Buddha Bar in full flow – and come the weekends, the hottest tables in town.

Luxos recommended menu:
Thai green chicken curry

Bar 44
The focal point of this glamorous cocktail venue is the bar itself. An almost circular bar in dark polished wood with hundreds of fine crystal glasses suspended above it draws crowds like a magnet. If you want a seat at the bar – arrive early! You'll see a lot of chic people, as chic as the bar itself, and in addition, there are the spectacular views over Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah from the floor to ceiling windows.
Lounge areas are filled with cosy nooks in which to soak up the heady atmosphere. It’s here that guests will discover the painstaking attention to detail that sets Bar 44 apart. Design quirks such as the cool ponyskin chairs and cushions intermingled with plush sofas sporting high, velvet panelled backs. Cream leather arm chairs and dark wood panelled walls lend the feel of a private members club.
Lovers of Champagne are well served at Bar 44; with choices available by the glass, in bottles as well as impressive magnums, jeroboam, and the colossal nabuchodonosor – equivalent to 20 regular bottles. In addition, there is an impressive wine list, and, if the night’s still young, let Bar 44s talented barmen mix your favourite cocktail and let the party really begin.

Deli Café
The Deli Café is in the Arcade on hotel's lobby level, amongst European-style boutiques and delicatessen. Its almost circular burnished steel bar lit by pendulum lamps serves as the café’s centrepiece. Around this, solo diners can sit on cushioned bar tools and enjoy a swift Turkish coffee with the morning’s newspapers or a more leisurely cappuccino with a pastry from the freshly baked selection at the bar. At the front of the café, circular tables with leather chairs are perfect for small groups for breakfast or lunch.
The air around the café is fragrant with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans creating a welcoming ambiance. The Deli Café offers a tasty but uncomplicated menu that includes a hot deli dish of the day, as well as a selection of sandwiches, salads, ices and delicious patisserie items. In true European fashion, a selection of refreshing wines and Champagne are also available to be enjoyed with a light meal or aperitif.
Adjacent to the café, the Deli store is like a colourful market stall with displays of preserves, pasta, sauces, gourmet sandwiches and salads as well as pastas, quiches and soups.

Indego by Vineet
Indego by Vineet is an exquisite contemporary Indian restaurant popular both with in-house guests and Dubai residents. It is headed by chef-patron Vineet Bhatia, owner of Rasoi and Urban Turban in London and the first Indian chef to receive a globally-acclaimed Michelin star. Indego has become renowned for its legendary combination of traditional spices coupled with fine-dining presentation, without a balti dish in sight. It blends a multitude of flavours, authentic spices and the colours of Indian culture within luxurious modern surroundings, offering a sophisticated yet intimate dining experience.
In the main dining area, you experience the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, with each section partitioned by mahogany latticing. Four beautiful antique bronze statues symbolize the traditions of Indian culture. At the table, you will enjoy finest modern Indian cuisine. Signature dishes include Tandori salmon, succulent morsels of home-smoked fresh salmon, and delicious prawns poached in coconut with chilli masala.
Open 7 days a week from 7 p.m. to midnight. Open until 1 a.m. on Thursdays.

Leaves
Leaves tea lounge, on the mezzanine floor, reminds you that taking tea is a true celebration where East meets West. As you walk in, the first impression is distinctly Oriental, with a modern touch. Waitresses wear exquisitely embroidered traditional gowns, and collectors' items are displayed in Oriental-style cabinets. The handsomely carved Samovar is the heart of Leaves, where its 26 varieties of teas are brewed and light lunches or delicate pastry selections are served.
The inviting lounge, with its intimate sofa settings in warm terracotta and chocolate tones, is the ideal spot for a light breakfast or lunch, and of course for a sumptuous afternoon tea. The latter is available in two types. The “Grosvenor House” is a traditional English Tiffin, with delicate sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and pastries. The “Victorian” is a grand affair complete with traditional high tea items as well as a selection of tasty hot savouries. This sumptuous feast is accompanied by a glass of Champagne and, of course, the finest teas.
In the cooler months, the doors open to the outdoor terrace which becomes a popular venue to enjoy the unhurried tranquility of Leaves in an al fresco setting.

Ottomans
As soon as you enter Ottomans, you will be intrigued by the dramatic waterfall cascading over a wall of black marble, flanked by a double staircase. Crevices in the burnished gold walls are lit with candles inviting you up into an intimate bar area – one of the hotel’s best kept secrets. You recline on velvet, jewel-coloured cushions, with discreet and attentive service by costumed waiting staff. Enjoy the finest modern Turkish cuisine, reflecting a combination of many Turkish flavours, creating an eclectic fusion of mouth watering contemporary dishes. During dinner, live musicians play traditional Turkish instruments on the raised dais in the centre of the restaurant, adding to the sensual ambience created by subtle lighting, teardrop chandeliers and rich hues of purple and gold velvet. Candles are set around the dining room and from ornate Moroccan lamps. Customised show plates and crystal glasses sparkle on the tables, awaiting a feast fit for a king.
Opening hours – Tuesday to Sunday from 8pm to 1am. Sheesha lounge open from 7.30pm to 1am.

Retreat Health & Spa
Enjoy a setting of insouciant luxury at the Retreat Health & Spa on the 4th floor of Grosvenor House Dubai. The air is filled with subtle scents and calming visual images. Carved pedestal candle holders, artfully decorated with palm leaves and wild flowers provide subtle lighting, while soothing music instills inner calm.
Your entrance into the spa environment is accompanied by complimentary mineral water, fresh fruit skewers and a facial spray. Seven treatment rooms offer a full range of facial and body treatments using exclusive Phytomer products. Five of the rooms named after flowers, and they are filled daily with the corresponding fresh blooms. The Cleopatra Room offers a luxurious Hydro bath - an intense treatment that includes underwater massage to increase blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles and joints. The opulent Rasul Room authentically combines ancient Turkish mud treatments with the comforts of modern technology.

In The Retreat’s inner sanctum, a wet area includes a Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna to soothe away lingering tension and stress. Great effort has been made to ensure optimum levels of comfort with ergonomically-designed beds of green mosaic, warmed to body temperature. Throughout the area, fragrant tea lights offer The Retreat includes N-Bar, the Middle East’s leading nail boutique, and Jet Set, a unique ‘wash, blow and go’ express hair dressing service. For gentlemen, 1847, an exclusive grooming lounge offer traditional shaves as well as a range of facial and body treatments.
The Retreat Terrace and Health Bar is also located on the fourth floor. The restaurant serves a rejuvenating selection of healthy juices, smoothies, sports drinks as well as a tasty, health-conscious menu of salads and light dishes.
Retreat Spa is open from 9.15 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
Steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi are open 6.15 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.

H.N., 18.7.11