Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter 70/w7

Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 7, Edition 70

Here’s your latest edition of the ‘Dubai news, deals & tips, every Thursday, in 10 mins or less’:-

• What’s happened to Dine Around, More Cravings by Marriott Bonvoy?

• No sackings over viral Emirates BTS video

• Wild Wadi reopens

• Vida Dubai Mall

• Free return flights with Palazzo Versace?

• Entertainer Promo Code EDSD25* for 10% Discount

Apologies if the send times in recent weeks have been a little variable; allow me to explain. I aim to send the newsletter Thursday afternoons (UK time), and whilst I could schedule it in advance, I do like to publish it ‘live’ so it gives me the best chance of it being as up to date as possible. However, I’ve been travelling quite a bit of late and sometimes things go sideways so I can’t always get to the computer at the required time.

Last but not least, thank you for continuing to click the ads, as it helps to support the newsletter 👏

PS. Please let me know if you have any feedback, such as which content you’d like to see more (or less!) of, any questions or anything else I can be of help with by clicking here

Thanks for reading 👏

Shaun

Please note: some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, and will be denoted with an asterisk (*). This is a link to a partner site that may pay me a commission - at no further cost to you - and if so, helps to support me & this newsletter. For more info, please see Disclosure and Policies

ENTERTAINER

Entertainer Promo Code: 10% Discount On All Products

Reminder: 10% discount on all Entertainer products with discount code EDSD25*.

Disclosure: I’m an Affiliate for Entertainer, so if you purchase using Entertainer Promo Code EDSD25* , I may receive a commission at no further cost to you (so it’s a good way to support me/my work/this newsletter!).

🔗 How to use Entertainer Promo Code

🔗 Entertainer UAE (main site)

EMIRATES

Emirates Confirm No Sackings Over Viral BTS Video

As is often the case with stories like the one about that viral Emirates BTS video, there are often a few sides to it, so always read objective, trusted sources. Hopefully like this newsletter 🙂.

Many Emirates cabin crew are active on social media, and it’s a bit typical of Dubai in that it likes the attention and PR it brings. It looks like the girl involved resigned rather than anyone being sacked - at least according to local media - but once again, social media does seem to make people do daft things and at a cost.

Simon Calder didn’t seem impressed with Business Class on Emirates, comparing the seats to “the dentist’s chair”.

Emirates and Accor Announce More Reciprocal Elite Benefits (Upgraded Points)

2-way point conversions are now available, so Accor Live Limitless members can now convert Skywards Miles into ALL Reward Points, and vice versa.

KNOW MORE ABOUT DUBAI

Wild Wadi Reopens, With Offers

Wild Wadi reopens this Saturday, and whilst they are promoting offers such as Day Pass and Day Pass+, don’t forget to check out other offers such as “Visa Mondays” or Entertainer two for one/BOGOF (3 vouchers in Dubai 2025 for General Admission).

🔗 Wild Wadi

Jaleo by Jose Andres at Atlantis The Royal is to close at the end of February.

Dubai Police do an awesome job, such as helping a traveller who’d misplaced their luggage that had over 25,000 Dirhams in it.

Ramadan is coming soon, which is a great time to try Iftar & Suhoor experiences such as these 22 deals.

Asateer, at Atlantis The Palm, serves 3,000 meals a night at Dubai’s largest Iftar.

Jumeirah Emirates Towers are bringing The Ramadan District back on Saturday 08 March until Sunday 23 March.

HOTEL NEWS

Free Return Flight Voucher with Palazzo Versace?

Palazzo Versace are offering a return flight voucher with this promotion.

It’s hard to keep track of hotels in Downtown Dubai these days, with changes, reflagging and brands moving properties, but Emaar Hospitality Group has opened Vida Dubai Mall.

Not to be confused with the old Vida Downtown, which is now Hotel Boulevard, Autograph Collection.

UAE to get world’s first AI-powered music hotel?

Don’t you love the irony of PRs sending out releases quoting worlds like ‘meaningful’ yet don’t really tell you anything of note? Like - where will this hotel be, and did AI write that article? 😉

LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Is Dine Around, More Cravings by Marriott Bonvoy, AWOL?

🚨This is a ‘developing’ story and I’ll hope to have more detail shortly.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Marriott hotels this year so I’ve been on the app several times daily. I recently noticed in-app that the Dine Around packages appear to have disappeared in a few cases. I checked the desktop website for More Cravings, only to get a 404 error (website link not found) and then it’s currently redirecting to the ‘Campaigns’ page, which only lists:-

• Valentine’s Day Dining

• Ramadan Delights

• My Emirates Pass

I’m not sure if this is the vagaries of Marriott’s IT (which is often temperamental) or it’s something to do with dates I’ve been looking at, or something else altogether?

I wondered if it could be something do with Ramadan, as often there are advertising ‘amendments’ around his period although they are running a ‘Ramadan Delights’ campaign currently?

I’ve since tried a few ‘dummy bookings’ in-app for a range of Dubai hotels and at different times of the year, and the package IS available to book. However, if you go via the platform/desktop site for More Cravings, it isn’t showing the offer (or ‘Campaign’).

If I had to guess 🤔, I wonder if it’s something to with IT infrastructure and the rather confusing way they try to run the separate app locally as well as the platform/website. That is, it’s more a case of website/app linking and ‘housekeeping’ that the offer is not showing because the links don’t go to the correct pages, rather than the offer being removed. A few weeks back, I did notice some offers on the app that were not available on the website, hence the ‘housekeeping’ guess.

I wouldn’t cancel any bookings at this stage, but if you do have a future booking on Dine Around, More Cravings by Marriott Bonvoy, it could be worth a call to your hotel to clarify.

And if you find out, do let me know!