The Dubai-based Jumeirah Group was appointed by Zabeel Properties in July to manage the Zabeel Saray. This new, luxury hotel – with its 405 bedrooms and 38 residences – is a tribute to the ornate palaces of the Ottoman empire and features hand-painted finishings and Turkish artworks and murals. It has been built on the beach and around a lagoon pool.

At the heart of the property lies the Talise Ottoman Spa which covers 8,000sq m (86,111sq ft) and boasts 42 treatment rooms and four VIP suites – making it one of the biggest in the Middle East. And only six months after opening, it has been crowned UAE’s Leading Spa Resort in the 2011 World Travel Awards.

Jumeirah first launched its Talise spa brand in 2007 (see sb07/2 p24) and there are now seven in operation. Overall, the group oversees 12 hotels worldwide and has 18 more in development.

The visit

The offer
The spa is spread over two floors – one for men and one for women – each featuring thalassotherapy pools, various heat experiences by Thermarium, plus snow rooms, floatation tanks and hydrotherapy rooms. There are also three Turkish hammams. A fully equipped fitness centre and personal trainers complete the offer.

In December, a Talise Couples Spa was added to the mix. Built on a mezzanine level with a private entrance, the section is dedicated to couples and includes a hammam, sauna, whirlpool and steamroom, as well as two couples suites with saunas, whirlpools, showers and majlis (lounge areas).

The spa menu had facials, massages, wraps and rituals, but these weren’t incredibly innovative and there was no recognition of product houses (Aromatherapy Associates and Kerstin Florian). The main signature treatments were the hammam experiences and my friend and I went for the 60-minute Royal Ottoman, which was acceptably priced at aed485 (us$132, €101, £85).

The booking
Booking was a challenge as you can’t do it online and the phone kept ringing out. After three days, I spoke to a very helpful spa assistant, Ahmad, who booked me in for that afternoon. Occasionally in Dubai, certain hotel spas cannot accommodate outside guests if occupancy is high, but with the spa being so large this wasn’t an issue.

Location and access
There’s no mistaking this stunning property that’s situated on the western crescent of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. The spa was also initially easy to find and the entrance, a regal corridor leading to huge wooden doors, was truly dramatic. Yet it was a long walk and one of trepidation as I wasn’t entirely sure I was on the right path. The hammam and treatment rooms can be used by clients with disabilities, but I would imagine that the wet areas would be difficult to access.

Design
The spa is an architectural and interior décor delight and it’s easy to see why the marketing material looks so good. It’s stunning in all areas and the hammam is particularly amazing. But the long walk to reception and feeling of being slightly lost is a recurring theme. A map (or a compass!) would be handy as signage is poor and instructions on how to best use the facility, especially the thermal area, would be useful.

The biggest shock was the design of the changing rooms because there weren’t any private cubicles. The UAE has a strict no-nudity policy and changing rooms are no exception to this. Two other ladies were also discussing this issue – both with us and between themselves – and without even a small space to discreetly hide away in, our only option was to change in the toilet.

Cleanliness
Overall the spa was clean and well-maintained and was only untidy in areas like the wet area where there were no linen hooks.

The staff
The receptionist we first met, who was wonderfully dressed and very attentive, left the front desk and stayed with us until we met our therapists. Although it was nice to be guided the whole way, this indicated to me that there was a lack of spa attendants and during the whole three hours, I only saw two other attendants. Considering the size of the facility I would have anticipated no less than three – more likely five – to be on hand to help guests.

The experience
The treatment consultation was brief – fill it the form if you have a problem, otherwise just sign. The changing rooms had ample lockers, so catering for large numbers of people won’t be a problem, but sadly none of them had a big enough robe. Admittedly this is a consistent complaint I have – only slim, model-types go to spas do they? – and the slippers were also for petite feet, which I don’t possess either. But, phew, the hammam wraps were OK! As the changing rooms were quite dark, punching in the combination for the lockers proved tricky.

A quick five-minute session was enjoyed in the steamroom before being led to the spectacular inner sanctum of the hammam where we were laid out on a massive central heated plinth. Fatima, my therapist, was obviously very experienced and happily initiated her task, starting with a facial scrub and then removing the rest of the dirty skin from my body in slow, rhythmic strokes that were most soporific and never rushed – I just lay back and admired the most amazing hand-painted ceiling above me.

I love hammam treatments and compared with others, I felt the room was a bit too large and high and as the doors were constantly kept open the heat escaped. Another side effect was that everyone passing by outside could watch me naked on the plinth – upselling to some degree I suppose!

My favourite aspect was the soap massage, where soap is rubbed inside a pillowcase to create masses of suds that are squeezed out all over the body [and massaged in]. It’s a truly wonderful feeling and this experience didn’t disappoint. There are many parts of this stunning ritual, but Fatima completed them without informing me unless asked. In comparison, my friend was guided throughout and was given a towel to cover up with, unlike myself.

The end of the treatment was limited. I was expecting a sweet mint tea and warm blankets to help my body restore its temperature naturally. Instead, I was given iced water and the option to lay down.

Next, we decided to explore the wet area – a beautiful part of the spa that is an Aladdin’s cave of exotic experiences, save for the snow room which didn’t look as interesting as others I have seen.

Operationally, however, there is room for improvement. Climbing into the vast whirlpool was no easy task as the steps were ridiculously narrow – as there was no one around to check on guests, this could be a big health and safety concern. Also, we would have liked a tour of the area to find out how to make the most out of it, but when we found a spa attendant she could only tell us about treatments. It wasn’t until we were dressed and on our way out that we stumbled upon the thalassotherapy pools which looked especially enticing and we were disappointed to have missed out.

Aftercare
At the start of our visit to the spa, I noticed some retail cabinets at the back of the large reception, but it turned out that this was the first and last part of our retail experience. Maybe the aftersell is happening more with guests having facials – we just got a ‘thank you for coming’, with no mention of an upsell or even a return visit.

Summary
My treatment was good, but could’ve been exceptional with more explanation for a first timer. This was not a language issue as Fatima was confident in her knowledge.

The property is stunning yet navigation could be improved with tours and instruction on how to use the array of heat and wet experiences. Operationally, it must be challenging to manage a huge facility, but I would summise that the team are not well-versed in the guest journey or treatment flow.

However, I would return as the spa has many redeeming features such as the authentic Turkish hammam, thalassotherapy pool and stunning relaxation areas.