Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter 81/w18

Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 18, Edition 81

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

Off the bat, I’d like to start with an apology. Sorry for the late delivery of this edition, the gremlins got me and I had some tetchy tech issues. Consequently, it’s a bit text heavy/section light his week, though hopefully normal service will be resumed by next week. Thanks for your understanding. 🙏 

🚕 perhaps the only set of tips and advice you’ll ever need for Dubai taxis.

🏨 How to break down that hotel deal to see if it’s all that

Thanks for reading 👏 Shaun

PS. You can always email me here also.

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

HOTEL TIPS

Analysis of a Deal: Atlantis The Royal

I often prattle on about ‘validating the deal’, so I thought I’d try a new section to show some ideas about how I’d go about that, with a worked example - this time being Atlantis The Royal.

First of All, Know What the ‘Gettable Price’ Is.

Don’t let an agent tell you it’s a deal, or some advertisement claim x% off. Research on sites like Google Maps or Google Travel, look at the average prices across sales channels, check price history to know what the ‘going rate’ generally is. Even consider sending a ‘dummy booking’ on a cancellable basis to Pruvo*, to see how prices drop over time.

Also think about things like room type, board basis, rate conditions as these can affect price because they reduce ‘comparability’ e.g. an agent may add a form of Half Board that’s not standard or measurable, so it becomes more difficult to evaluate. If needs be, start with ‘Room Only’ as that’s the easiest level to compare across sales channels.

Easiest way to do this - search for the hotel title in Google and look for the Google Maps card (usually on the right). Some hotels may also have a separate listing in the search results which may show a bar chart of price history set against dates.

I’m going to use Atlantis The Royal in this instance, for two reasons. One is it’s what I would consider the most aspirational hotel in Dubai at present, and secondly, they have a rather strong USP for drinkers (more on that later).

Rates are dropping compared to what they opened up at, and they no longer have minimum night stay requirements. I’d suggest a target price point of around £600 per night as a ‘fag packet figure’ for budget would be a fair starting point. Prices in Dubai often start to rise from the end of September, so let’s price up for two nights from 29 Sep.

Google is showing a price of £498 via official Atlantis website, and other providers may offer higher or lower pricing. This is usually based off ‘entry level’ room categories, and each site may have different pros/cons such as some may not offer ‘live’ pricing or may only offer ‘on request’ pricing (where price often goes up once you’ve enquired). Also, a common quirk with pricing Dubai hotels online is different sites may estimate taxes/charges differently. This is why ‘average’ pricing should always carry a caveat.

Generally speaking, you will likely find the main OTAs will hover around the same price as direct, and the shonkier sites are often the ones with prices significantly lower (often because they’re not ‘live’ or instantly bookable’).

Do pay attention to the note about ‘Featured Options’ - like most websites, Google is showing the listings that favour it, not you. It could be they get money on click throughs, so that may affect how they present their results.

So after clicking through, picking the cheapest room category (Seascape King) and on a (cheaper) Advance Purchase price it comes to £996.47 for two nights, or approx £498. So the rate that Google shows as the gettable rate, is an entry level room inc taxes but needs an advance payment.

Two data points at this stage, for reference.

1. Best Available Rate (ie cancellable) comes in 5,402.26 AED, or £553.42 night (around a 10% increase).

2. Royal Club King View is showing 6879.60 AED or £705.03/night.

Baseline the Deal to Compare Like for Like

The key to analysing any deal is to be able to compare ‘like for like’ or simply, to baseline a comparison so that it is ‘apples to apples’. This is where the legwork pays off as now we now have a ‘gettable price’ for an entry level room, booked directly, on the most comparable basis.

Going back to the list of rates from Google, whilst it may seem some are cheaper it’s likely there are reasons why, and the only real way to check this it click through to checkout page as above to find out. So it doesn’t necessarily follow that the lower prices are gettable, which is often where the catch lies.

For comparison, let’s look at what seemed a deal to me at first glance - call it a ‘man look’. I looked on Classic Travel* at Virtuoso rates, specifically for Royal Club rooms on the same dates. These will be more premium rate conditions, as they also include the Virtuoso benefits, namely:-

These rates are exclusive to Virtuoso and VIP partner programs agents such as Classic Travel*; they won’t be available through OTAs like HotelsCom, BookingCom, Expedia etc.

Key differences are - you are allowed to have the full breakfast in the restaurant, rather than the lounge, you have a $100 credit, upgrade and late check-out/early check-in (STA) but most of all, increased perception potential being on a Virtuoso rate. So if there are benefits such as upgrades to be had, Virtuoso guests will always be viewed more advantageously and as a priority in these instances, and often over loyalty programs and direct bookings

So here is how it priced up (note this is CANCELLABLE but PREPAID)

So it’s coming in at $2,081.13 or approx £1,565.78 for the stay, or £783.14 per night. Note that’s the cancellable rate, and you may get an even cheaper rate by going non-refundable. Likewise, you could go for a rate condition that doesn’t require advance payment but that may be slightly costlier.

Comparing Royal Club King booked direct versus on a VIP Partner program rate (Virtuoso rate via Classic Travel*), it’s approx £80 more per night, so whether that’s a deal comes down to whether the benefits Virtuoso offers is worth it (ie the $100 credit, the potential upgrades, better treatment etc) to you. Sometimes having that personal touch such as a welcome gift or GM interaction can be nice, for instance.

Comparing the Club uplift, it’s £553 vs £783 so around £230 per night, which seems a lot at first glance, but this is where it’s important to look behind the numbers and dig into the detail. Note also that those initial rates may not include breakfast, whereas Club does and Virtuoso includes it in the restaurant. A Dubai hotel breakfast can typically be ‘worth’ 200 AED (£40) each per day.

What Are the Uplifts and Price Elements That Are ‘Worth It’ To YOU?

For me, the big attraction to the lounge at Atlantis The Royal is that it’s relatively unique by Dubai standards in offering all-day drinking and also, some very premium brands rather than the usual generic ‘house’ level brands some lounges dish out. Others may like club lounges because they can nibble during the day and possibly save money on dining out.

Given how expensive it is to drink in Dubai, the way I would frame the ‘value proposition’ is could you get back £230 of drinks value per night (and day!) between two people? This doesn’t mean you have to be one of those ‘Benidorm Booze Busters’ looking to neck gallons, as bear in mind the price of those super-expensive pours they offer you only need a few glasses worth to ‘break even’. Frankly, I’m surprised the accountants haven’t enforced cutbacks yet so maybe get on it whilst you can!

Risky Strategy Warning: Gambling on an Upgrade

There is another angle to consider here, though it is a gamble. Depending on your objective, going via a VIP partner program could potentially see you upgraded into a Royal Club room so if you were bold, you could book the Seascape rooms and hope you snag that upgrade. Whilst being on Virtuoso would give you the best chance, it’s still a gamble because it’s all down to ‘Subject to Availability’.

Do You Need to Book Right Now? Timing Can Help

Without trying to overcomplicate things too much, the comparison thus far is based on timing. That is, what seems to be the best deal to book now. What this doesn’t factor in is if you can find a better deal over time and wait to book, or even try something like a price match or find a price drop with Pruvo*. The upside to trying these tactics are percentages - Marriott do 25% discount on matched prices with their Best Rate Guarantee and I’ve had price drops over 45% with Pruvo* - whereas the downside is uncertainty and time commitment.

Last but not least, the thing that people often overlook (or may not even be aware of) with paying more to go via VIP partner programs is the intangibles, ie the somewhat more invisible benefits that boil down to perception and advantage. It’s easy to assess benefits and their value with physical things like free wine, transfers, bottles of wine or dining credits, but the ‘intangibles’ are things like the perception and service uplifts you’re likely to get on a better rate condition.

For example, if you wasn’t bothered about Royal Club lounge access, you could just book the entry level rooms via an OTA, directly or on a VIP partner program rate. However, even though the room will be the same, the difference in rate and cost will be perception and potentially service uplifts or benefits. Even on an entry level room booked via Virtuoso, you’re likely to be treated somewhat better than if you booked via HotelsCom - even if it’s just a room with a better view or on a quieter floor.

The Best Deal For You Depends on Your Priority

This is why you’ll often see me analysing deals this way 👉️ it all comes down to what you’re looking to achieve.

If all you want is a night at Atlantis The Royal, you may find the cheapest rate via on OTA is enough to get you there. You may be less bothered about the lowest price than if an agent offers a payment plan.

So now you’ve broken down the deal into gettable rates and can quantify the different options, you can compare the uplift to get into Royal Club and also the added benefits (tangible and intangible) of a VIP Partner Program.

This is often where things like breakfast can change things, as you may pay for it as an extra on an entry level room whereas at Royal Club level, it’s ‘free’ albeit in the lounge. Again, this is where the Virtuoso benefit could change things as breakfast in a restaurant is always more valuable than one in a lounge, at least for range of choice and options.

If ever I am looking for a stay where I want service uplifts and benefits, I’ll always look what a VIP partner program can offer, and then try to put a price on that element of the uplift. In this case, it’s £230 to get into Royal Club and have the Virtuoso benefits on top of that. As a drinker, I would totally value the chance to have drinks (and premium brands at that) all day as opposed to two hours, especially when you consider many folk would pay £50-100 for a couple of hours of drinks in somewhat lesser hotels at bars, or as an uplift to get into club lounges.

Also consider the intangibles (check-in, check-out, upgrade) as well as the fixed benefit of things like dining/drinks credits or otherwise. Even if you don’t go for Royal Club level, you could still get a far better stay in an entry level room on a VIP partner program, as you’d likely get an upgrade or something else nice.

Where I would be careful though is, if getting a Royal Club room was my objective, I would not take the gamble of hoping for an upgrade by only booking an entry level room on Virtuoso as it may or may not work.

Not All Agents Are Equal or Can Offer the Same Benefits

You will see many agents now offering Atlantis The Royal, and some such as the selling-off sites eg Secret Escapes, Luxury Escapes etc. will claim to offer ‘exclusive benefits’. However, and for the avoidance of doubt, whatever they may offer will not match Virtuoso rate conditions.

Even if you booked a room via a selling-off site and the same via Virtuoso, the ‘intangibles’ of Virtuoso would be likelier to lead to better service touches, even if there was no ‘tangible’ difference in guaranteed benefits eg breakfast, wine, dining credit etc. It could just be a welcome chat from the GM, or a fruit bowl, wine at dinner through to upgrades or experiences, but Virtuoso can always offer things that others can’t due to their exclusivity with hotels and their VIP partner programs.

It’s worth remembering this is, in a large part, what you are paying that bit extra for with VIP partner programs. Think of it as similar to a loyalty program where you ‘pay to play’ to get benefits, rather than stay a certain number of nights or spend a certain amount of revenue over a period of time. Whether it’s worth it or not is of course down to personal opinion.

🔗 Classic Travel*

🔗 Pruvo*

🔗 Atlantis The Royal

Now you know all of that, you can test yourself here.

Address Beach Resort has announced a Flash Sale, claiming up to 40% off through to end of September. Bookings to be made by Sat 03 May.

So, look at the gettable prices elsewhere. See what the rate conditions are, and if there any other restrictions (eg advance payment). Do a dummy booking to see what price drops there may be. Consider that everywhere else starts dropping prices to off/shoulder season levels from May onwards, so it could just be they’re trying to ahead of the rush.

Most of all, think what your priority is and what your drivers are - eg looking for just a room, the lowest price, the best benefits, to ‘game the chance' of better service etc.

ONE BIG DUBAI TIP

Navigating Dubai's Taxis with Ease: Essential Tips to Know

Though a previous edition covered using Uber, Careem, taxis and other car transport to get around Dubai, I though it was worth honing on a few key tips about taxis.

Whilst there may be a few different taxi companies in Dubai such as Dubai Taxi Company (see the roof colour to determine which) they all fall under the auspices of RTA, who handle all complaints, booking, queries etc. and are very helpful.

This central management makes for a more economic, consistent and convenient delivery of taxi services, and for fewer issues. On the odd occasion issues may arise, it’s often a combination of drivers ‘trying it on’ with tourists or tourists not being well informed about their rights or what to do about it.

Each RTA taxi has an information plate inside, along with the licence/registration number of the vehicle, and if you face any issues at all contact RTA immediately on 0800 90 90 or +971 4 605 1414 and they will be very helpful.

All RTA taxis must have a working meter running for the journey. If they don’t turn it on, or it develops a fault, the journey has to be free.

Dubai taxis have to accept credit cards. Whilst a driver may prefer cash, and may even try the old “card machine not working, Sir” trick, IF the card machine truly isn’t working you must report this immediately to RTA and the journey will be free.

A Dubai taxi cannot refuse to take a fare. If you’re at the airport and you only need a short run, they may try to refuse as they often wait in queues for ages and all want a long-distance run.

The pricing structure of RTA has a few variables (ex-airport includes a 25 AED flag fee, day or night prices etc.) so a good ‘ballpark’ figure to estimate a fare is 2.75 AED/km ex-airport and 2.5 AED per km hailed anywhere else. This figure covers a small tip (never expected, always nice to give) and toll charges (Salik).

Taxis can be hailed from the street, or may be found at nominated areas at places like malls, by calling RTA or using the ride-hailing apps (see previous edition for more info). If you are at a hotel, restaurant etc. you may ask them to call you a taxi.

Be sure to avoid ‘limos’ or non-liveried vehicles. These are not RTA taxis nor are metered, and they will often be 30% or more expensive than a ‘normal’ taxis.

According to UAE road safety laws, children under four must be in car seats. IF you are in a location with plenty of taxis eg airports, drivers may be able to borrow or provide car seats, but don’t count on every taxi in Dubai to have a car seat to hand.

If you need car seats, you can hire them locally or bring your own, or perhaps consider using a service like Careem Kids . Two out of three fatally injured children in UAE die due to road traffic accidents.