Revealed: The two Dubai hotels rated as 'the worst luxury openings of 2017' - and which hotel in the same city is named the best
Two hotels in Dubai have been rated as the worst luxury openings of 2017 by experts at a prestigious travel website.
Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI), a members-only resource for affluent globetrotters, has ranked both The Dukes Dubai and Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai at the bottom of its new luxury hotel table.
The Dukes was criticised for not living up to the elegance of its sister property in London while it said Five Palm Jumeirah had a 'shaky start'.
Meanwhile another hotel in the same city - Bulgari Hotel & Resorts - was named the best new launch in the world in 2017, with the travel website praising its 'private and understated nature'.
Every year, LTI produces an annual ranking of luxury hotels and this year its experts visited 74 new hotels around the globe, paying for the experience out of their own pockets to ensure a unbiased and rigorous assessment.
LTI co-founder Michael Crompton said: 'Remarkably, Dubai has delivered both the Best New Luxury Hotel of 2017 and the only two contenders for the Worst. We will be reporting on the intriguing Dubai scene for the luxury traveller in more detail during 2018.' Scroll down for the full list of best and worst.
THE BEST
1. Bulgari Hotel & Resorts, Dubai
Bulgari Hotel & Resorts, pictured, has been lauded as the best luxury new hotel opening of 2017. Pictured is one of the highly recommended beach villas
LTI said of the Bulgari: 'It’s an ultra-exclusive Mediterranean style resort, spread over 13 hectares, and has a private beach club and beach, a 50-berth marina, excellent spa and an impressive Italian restaurant with chef Niko Romito at the helm'
The Bulgari Hotel on Dubai's Jumeira Bay Island only opened on December 5 but has been rated as the best opening of 2017.
And according to LTI co-founder Michael Crompton, reviewers were impressed by the hotel being private and understated, unlike much of the rest of the city's properties.
He said: 'It’s an ultra-exclusive Mediterranean style resort, spread over 13 hectares, and has a private beach club and beach, a 50-berth marina, excellent spa and an impressive Italian restaurant with chef Niko Romito at the helm. We have advised LTI members to go for a Beach Villa.'
2. The Ned, London
LTI says it is hard not to be impressed by The Ned's vast 3,000 square metre lobby, restored walnut banking counters and eight restaurants and bars.
The Ned has been attracting the rich and famous ever since it opened near London's Bank of England.
And LTI says it is hard not to be impressed by the hotel's vast 3,000 square metre lobby, restored walnut banking counters and eight restaurants and bars.
Mr Crompton added: ' It’s big, bold and brave – and more New York than anything in New York itself.
'Beyond this, hotel guests have exclusive access to Ned’s Club, with its own late night bar, gym, spa (with a beautiful basement pool) and expansive rooftop with a pool area, restaurant, bar and superb 360 degree London views. An exceptional and exciting hotel.'
3. Villa La Coste, Provence
Villa La Coste in the French countryside has just 28 rooms, each with a private terrace and views over the Luberon.
And LTI members were impressed with its impressive array of art and sculpture on display, 600 acres of woodland, vineyards and olive groves, three restaurants overseen by Gérald Passédat, and open flame dining from Francis Mallmann.
4. Hotel de Crillon, Paris
After undergoing an impressive four year and $200million renovation, it is no surprise that Hotel de Crillon made LTI's best list.
Mr Crompton explained: 'The exceptional 124 rooms and suites, perfect location, new subterranean spa and swimming pool make this our new top choice in Paris.
'We suggest that you go for one of the Karl Lagerfeld designed Grand Apartments – ideally the one with a two-tonne black marble bathroom.'
5. Chable Resort, Yucatan
Completing the top five is the only Mexican hotel on the list - the Chable Resort in Yucatan.
Mr Crompton said: 'The stunning design, standout cave-like spa, laid back vibe, contemporary Maya cuisine and 750 acres of private grounds are just a few of the things that wowed us on our recent visit to Chable Resort.
'And then the world’s largest tequila collection sealed the deal. There are 38 spacious casita style rooms and two expansive suites, situated in lush tranquil gardens, and with great views.'
6. Burgenstock Hotel, Lucerne
The hugely anticipated Burgenstock Resort, perched 2,800 feet above Lake Lucerne, opened in August after nine years of planning and construction – and $500m of investment.
And out of the four hotels at the resort, it's the contemporary Burgenstock Hotel that's LTI's favourite property.
Mr Crompton explained: 'It has 102 rooms and suites, a restaurant, alpine spa, lobby bar, wine cellar and cigar lounge.
'All rooms and suites have fireplaces and impressive bathrooms. Guests may arrive directly at the hotel entrance via the famous Burgenstock funicular railway.'
7. Nobu Ryoken, Malibu
Nobu restaurant in Malibu is the place to be seen if you want to flaunt your wealth.
And it's no surprise that the adjoining hotel was also rated highly by LTI.
It said: 'This delightful property epitomises everything a Nobu hotel should be (unlike some of Nobu’s earlier offerings).
'It has just 16 rooms – 11 of them have ocean views and terraces – and all guests have access to the Nobu restaurant next door (a real hot ticket). We particularly love the minimalist style, teak soaking tubs and beachside location.
8. Hotel Eden, Rome
The only Italian hotel to make the list is Hotel Eden in the heart of Rome, which recently relaunched after an 18-month renovation that saw a reduction in rooms and suites from 121 to 98.
Mr Crompton explained: 'Although we loved the location before, the property was looking a little tired.
'Now, rooms are spacious, full of natural light, with impressive marble bathrooms and all the latest technology.'
9. Kokomo Island, Fiji
Described as a 'true paradise', the exclusive private Kokomo Island has just 21 beachside villas, each with its own pool.
And LTI said it experienced nothing but prime white sandy beaches and expert service.
It suggested: 'For pure barefoot luxury we recommend that you take one of chef Daniel Johnson’s exceptional picnics on an island excursion.'
Dubai is home to the very best and the very worst new luxury hotel openings of 2017, according to LTI
10. Four Season Surf Club, Miami
The second new luxury hotel in the US to make the list is the Four Seasons Surf Club in Miami.
Mr Crompton said: 'It has just 77 stylish rooms and 28 residences (we suggest that you go for an Ocean View Cabana Studio), and is also home to the impressive Le Sirenuse restaurant, the first outpost from the famed Amalfi coast icon.'
11. Jackalope, Victoria, Australia
The Jackalope had a very quiet opening when it welcomed its first guests in May but LTI were pleased it found it.
Mr Crompton said: 'Located in the heart of its own boutique vineyard with just 46 spacious and well thought-out "dens" (20 have vineyard views), two restaurants (the food is exceptional) and a great cocktail lounge, this property is everything you could wish for from a relaxing urban escape.
'More Jackalope properties are in the pipeline for Melbourne, Shanghai and Los Angeles.'
12. Palacio Tangara, Sao Paulo
The only Brazilian hotel to make the best rated list is the spacious Palacio Tangara in the city of Sao Paulo.
Mr Crompton explained: 'This new and impressive urban resort has 141 spacious rooms and suites with refined contemporary decor, a Sisley spa, restaurants overseen by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and two stylish pools (outside/inside).
'Be sure to visit the eye-catching glass-walled wine cellar with engaging sommelier Gabriele Frizon.'
13. The Silo, Cape Town
The Silo is a brand new addition among the other luxury hotels popping up on the V&A Waterfront in the South African city.
And LTI was impressed by what it experienced.
Mr Crompton added: 'It’s in the perfect location, with a wonderful design and just 28 impressive rooms and suites, all etched out of what used to be a concrete grain silo.
'In the know locals have really taken to the hotel’s Granary Cafe and Willaston Bar. The glass framed rooftop pool and terrace is a big plus for LTI.'
14. The Whitby, New York
Rounding up the best hotels list by LTI is The Whitby located in upper midtown Manhattan in New York City.
Mr Crompton said: 'Ideally located, we are particularly taken with the eye-catching design and contemporary art.
'There are 86 individually styled room and suites (go for one with a private terrace), plus a special touch – the guests-only drawing room and terrace.'
THE WORST
Dukes, Dubai
The view from the infinity swimming pool at the Dukes Dubai on the famous Palm island, which overlooks the Dubai skyline
Rated as one of the worst luxury hotel openings by LTI was the five-star Dukes on Dubai's famous Palm.
The Dukes has very favourable reviews on TripAdvisor, and when Daily Mail travel editor Mark Palmer visited in May, he described it as 'brilliant'.
But LTI begged to differ and Mr Crompton said: 'This property is far removed from the classic elegance of its sister property, Dukes Hotel in London.
'In terms of design, service, style and location it simply bears no resemblance.
'The heavy discounting of room rates is always a sure sign that things are not as they should be, and on our two recent visits we found poor service standards, excessive noise and disturbance from the surrounding construction, and sub-standard in-room technology and fittings.
'Many of the issues can be addressed over time, so we are hoping to find a big improvement when we revisit towards the end of 2018.'
A spokesperson for Dukes Dubai said: 'Dukes Dubai is not a quintessentially English classic city hotel, so the actual location was never to resemble Dukes London. We say the hotel is its sister, not its twin property. Our commitment to our staff training and development is a brand standard within both hotels, and we internationally sourced a multi-cultured and very experienced team for Dukes Dubai, therefore we feel the comments regarding service are unfair to the team.
'The discounted rates are offered to guests in line with our competitive set within the Palm Jumeirah, we do not see an issue in offering opening rates to enhance our awareness. Dubai is constantly developing, and the majority of hotels at some time or other do have construction close by. The new shopping mall, which is under construction close to the hotel, will offer our guests an even more enhanced experience once open.'
Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai, formerly the Viceroy
LTI said that Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai is 'impressive' but said that a public legal wrangle with its former owner is tainting its image
Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai originally started life as the Vicerory, Dubai, but has had a very quick change of hands since opening.
But despite saying the hotel was 'fairly impressive', LTI still criticised the property.
Mr Crompton explained: 'The resulting legal battle appears to be far from resolved with significant accusations being made by both sides. It may not concern some, but to LTI, airing this dispute in public has a long-term effect on a property.
'This is not a situation that the luxury traveller wishes to encounter.'
A Five Palm Jumeirah spokesperson said: 'Firstly, we would like to thank Luxury Travel Intelligence for their positive feedback on our impressive property. Developed by Five for the modern luxury traveller and with careful attention to detail, Five Palm Jumeirah was built using the finest materials.
'Five Palm Jumeirah is currently rated 8.8 on booking.com, which is up from 8.2 in June under its former management. We are ranked 109 on TripAdvisor, up from 218 under the former operator in June. In addition to this positive guest feedback, several celebrities such as Will Smith and Craig David have thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the hotel. Our peers in the industry have also recognised our success with Middle East Hozpitality Excellence recently awarding us for Excellence in Customer Service 2017.
'In addition to this positive feedback in recent months, Five has introduced several new outlets to further enhance the guest experience. This includes remodeling our Penthouse on the 16th floor into a luxury rooftop lounge and our new beach restaurant, Praia. We will also soon open our whisky and cigar bar, Above 21.'
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in Daily Mail on Tuesday December 19th, 2017 http://dailym.ai/2DqMiOX