Thursday, 9 April 2020

Weekend Getaway to JA Lake View Hotel

Hello Chicos & Chicas,

Hope you guys had a smashing New Year, I'm here to work on one of my resolution for 2020 which is staying more active on social media and writing more blogs. 2019 ended on a very relaxing note with a staycation at Dubai's largest experience hotel, JA The Resort. Now why it is called an experience resort is because there are so many things to do on the property and not just laze around behind closed doors. Their extensive range of outdoor activities include, golfing, table-tennis, water sports, shooting and many more options to get you going and have an active stay. Situated in Jebel Ali across the shoreline of Dubai and far from the hustle and bustle of city life, JA The Resort offers distinctive experiences to go with your mood like there is a beach resort by the name JA Beach hotel and then a very unique Mediterranean style villa suites at JA Palm Tree court.

We stayed at JA Lakeview Hotel for 2 nights, their newly opened property, which is described as a design driven sustainable hotel.  The suite room we were staying at was almost the size of a 1 BHK, I mean you can literally live here and even have your friends around every weekend. :D Apart from a private bedroom, the suite had a huge living area with comfy sitting area with a reading place and dining area which opens up to a huge terrace. Decked with sun beds and couches, the terrace is a perfect place to relax and rewind. The best part about the suite room was our very own personal virtual assistant Alexa, which made our stay smooth with instant assistance.

On our arrival we were welcomed by wine and cheese board. After taking a tour around the property and our first round of shoot we quickly got ready for Sun downer at Bibe, their rooftop lounge. Watching the Sun go down at the rooftop bar was an experience in itself. The weather was so cold and windy, we felt as if were sitting on a hill top, however the staff at the lounge were generous enough to offer us shawls. We tried some interesting cocktails from the bar, however their eating options were quite limited consisting of couple of sandwiches only. They offer an extensive range of gins from all around the world, we loved 2NITE WE-TANGO, gin based cocktail infused with berry flavors. After a couple of drinks we were too hungry and headed for dinner at White Orchid which is in the Palm Court hotel. After a few minutes of golf car ride later we arrived at Palm Court. I absolutely loved the way the hotel is done, it had this really cozy mountain cabin vibe and was all lit up for Christmas. They serve authentic Chinese & Thai cuisine, we had Pad Thai and Kung Pao Chicken with a couple of drinks which was pretty decent. I have always enjoyed Chinese with an Indian touch so I personally didn't like it that much however seeing the crowd and it's a must visit if you love Chinese.

The next day we woke up late and opted for breakfast on bed as we were too lazy to move out of bed. After running few marathons on Netflix we headed for lunch to Republik, a gastropub offering European Bistro food. I absolutely loved the ambience of this place, it has a massive outdoor sitting area overlooking the pool and golf course. After binge eating comfort food the first day, I wanted to try something light, on chef's recommendation we ordered Avo Omelette and it turned out to be delicious. We also tried some desserts and went gaga over the decadent Profiteroles, it was so tasty and melted in my mouth in a few seconds. After taking a stroll around the golf course and lake, we headed for Spa at Palm Tree Court hotel. The couple spa experience was so soothing and calm, I couldn't have asked for anything more to relax and rejuvenate after a tiring week at work.

Our last dining experience was a spectacular affair at Kinara, an Indian gastronomy with a modern twist, by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna. I was completely blown away by the outdoor sitting arrangement alongside rows of flames. Now that I am away from home, I miss desi food all the time and keep looking for Indian food options in Dubai. I have to stay Kinara has been by far one of the best experiences in Dubai. I mean, not just the food but also the overall ambiance, attention to detail and service was impeccable. Some of my favorite dishes were Dahi Kebab, Tandoori Prawns, Dal Makhani and there special Roti. 

You can book your stay at any of the properties of JA The Resort on their website or through Booking.com. The Junior Suite room we stayed at is priced around AED 1000, however if you can get an early bird discount of upto AED 500 on Booking.com.


Cheese Board on arrival