Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort - Fujairah

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is probably one of my favorite hotels ever! We actually found out about it when we took a wrong turn going to Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort and accidentally went inside it's compound. After seeing the hotel, we vowed we'd stay there sometime. And when we did, we can't get enough of it!

This is actually the third time we've been here. The first time was way back May 2010, just me and my hubby. Second, a year after, May 2012, with our precious Yuri Bear and my Parents . This time, with my best friend Aura who came from US to visit us. Next month (June) we'll go back, this time with my brother, Gp :) There's something about this place that's just so addictive.

Moving on, I was just so happy to look at Au's glowing face when we reached the hotel. I can tell, she's as excited as we were. I was actually disheartened at first, I was waiting for the refreshments but nothing came, so while my hubby was checking in we went further in so I can show Au the place. It didn't take long when we saw a staff coming at us with a couple of fresh orange juice at hand. I was so relieved! As always, it was fresh as ever!

So, as we entered the room, a platter of fruits and biscuits await us and don't forget the coffee and tea bar. The room was big and comfortable, it relaxed us immediately! And a surprise awaits us - complimentary coffee for two at the Tea & Dates Lounge. Best and I sure looked forward for a nice after dinner coffee chat :)

Standard Room

Best, Yuri and Eugene enjoying the majestic ocean view

So what better way to enjoy the bitter-sweet-cold-hot afternoon, of course, hit the beach! On our way to the beach, we get to pass the giant chess board, the pool and some restaurants...

Anyone up for a game? (Giant Chessboard)

Pool Bridge

Best doin' a sand castle (Beach)

Yuri enjoying the sands on her feet (Beach)

So after dinner and after I've put Yuri down to sleep, Best and I took advantage of the complimentary coffee for two at the Tea & Dates Lounge. I think we both had cappuccino... It was good! And it was the best conversation I had in years! It was a great way to end the night :)

Best and I over coffee (Tea & Dates Lounge)

Cappuccino and Chocolate Chip Cookies (Tea & Dates Lounge)

The next day, we decided to wake up early to witness the sunrise. It was beautiful. This was going to be another great - indeed it was!

Views Restaurant

Buffet Breakfast - Grilled Mushrooms, Potato Croquettes,
Pork Sausage, Pork Bacon and Eggs Benedict (Views Restaurant)

Buffet Breakfast - Banana and Caramel Waffles (Views Restaurant)

Buffet Breakfast - Smoked Salmon Salad and Turkey Sausage (Views Restaurant)

Yuri Bearita enjoying her breakfast

Everytime we go here, I definitely enjoy the breakfast the most! I sooo love their Eggs Benedict and Cheese Sauce, the salad bar and the pancake and waffles bar! It's all there! So worth the glutton! :)

That day, it was a bit cold for a swim so we just enjoyed everything around us. After all we're all up for the relaxation. Best and I just toured the place and took a lot of photos :)

Best (Zen Garden)

Best (Zen Garden)



Sapore (Modern Italian Fine Dining Restaurant)



Kid's Pool and Play Area

 



Again, though it was just for 1 night, it was all fun. Every penny was worth the stay!

Price:  AED875 (About 240USD) including all taxes (AED730 + 10% service charge and 10% city tax)
           Standard Room - Breakfast included (Deal from
           www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/index.html) per night
 

Stay:   January 30-31, 2012



Tips:

1. Always confirm your booking early in the morning so there's a bigger chance they can accommodate

    your requests (i.e. early check-in, late check-out, interconnecting room, baby's cot, etc.)

2. There's a separate kiddie pool/area where you can bring you babies or children. Just behind the Giant Chessboard. There are also activities for kids, just head there and check the respective schedules.

Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana - Abu Dhabi

Hotel stay has been my family's way to unwind amidst the busy schedule of work... Well my husband that is, since I'm a stay-at-home-mom. Summer has begun and the temperature's kickin' off once again. Having 45°C to a scorching 50°C here in Dubai, who would want to go out right? So having that way,  hotels are once again giving great deals to keep their business up and running. Being that the case, we're always on the look out for great summer hotel deals and packages. 

So having stumbled upon Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana's deal, off we go to Abu Dhabi!

To start off, though the area was vastly under construction, once you enter the premises, it feels like home. You are greeted with the friendly door staffs and treated like royalties. We arrived at about 3PM and as expected the check-in counter was a bit busy due to a number of guests in line. We waited for about 15-20 minutes in line before we could take our turn. Refreshments could have helped quench our boredom, but sad to say, there weren't any served... Nonetheless, while my hubby was at the check-in desk, my baby, Yuri and I just enjoyed the interiors of the place.

Lounge (taken from Horizon Restaurant)

Lounge (taken from 6th Floor)

6th Floor Hallway

Since we're staying here for 3 days and 2 nights, we're so excited. When we entered our suite, my face lit up with a smile. The Suite was bigger than I thought. It allowed for a king bed and sitting area, the Bathroom was huge and the balcony was a wow. Though we did not get a pool view, we had the Emirates Palace as our view, which was a painting in my eyes. My baby sure did enjoy the place, she went running around the room with a smile. 

My hubby and baby enjoying the suite

So, after unpacking a few things and changing our clothes, off to the pool and beach area, after all who doesn't love water in summer? :)

My hubby and baby enjoying the hotel pool

It was so relaxing to see other family chill out and some babies play with ours. There was a kids play as well but it was too hot to play on. Though it was about 38°C at 4 in the afternoon, the pool water was chilly. We had to take our baby out after 10 minutes. I hope they had a temperature control for the pool, at least at 36°, it would have been more enjoyable. So we just went to the beach so our baby, who loves the sands so dear, can play on 'em.

Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana (view from the beach)

We called In-Room Dining for dinner. We had an Arabic Mixed Grill (1 piece of each - Beef Kofta, Chicken Kabab, Jumbo Prawn, Lamb Chop and Hammour with Arabic Bread) which was almost dry and costs about AED100 and a measly cup of steamed white rice which was AED25! Yes, we were expecting it to be a bit pricey, but was not expecting the white rice to be that much. We were told that the steamed rice serves 2 but apparently, to them, a cup is for 2. The only consolation was, we were given a complimentary house brewed iced tea and a bread basket. Nevertheless, it was still a good dinner, anyway, there still tomorrow to look forward to - The breakfast buffet!

So came morning and little did we know that disappointment awaits us. Breakfast was sad. There were only few choices and I mean few! There weren't even croissants served at the bread stand. I was hoping I could feed my baby porridge but there wasn't any. This was definitely one of the most disappointing breakfast buffets I've even been to... Actually it may be the worst. Sorry.

Crackers, Buffalo Cheese, Tomatoes and Vegetable Spring Rolls

Breakfast at Horizon Restaurant

Yuri Bearita patiently waiting for her breakfast

Oh but well, in general, the stay was worthwhile. We still enjoyed ourselves. As I said, the whole ambiance was like home and staying there for 2 nights was fun.

Price:  AED635 (About 175USD) including all taxes (AED545 + 10% service charge and 6% city tax)
          Classic Room with Balcony - Breakfast included (Deal from www.booking.com) per night
Stay:   May 3-5, 2012

Tips:
1. If you desire any location for your room (i.e. Pool View) call in the morning to confirm your booking and your preferred room
2. Take your breakfast somewhere else. The Marina Mall is just about 5 minutes drive from the hotel.
3. If you're bringing a baby, be sure to bring skin oil and put it on her after applying the sunscreen. It'll help her feel warm in the cold pool.

Thank God for Everything

I have been contemplating on what to write for my first blog for the longest time... And finally, my thoughts came up with the perfect one.

I admit, it's not everyday when I open my eyes in the morning that "Thanking God" comes in first. I think about lots of things, but as the minutes go by, I see my beautiful baby "Yuri Bearita" beside me sleeping soundly, I feel the warmth of the thick blanket we are in, I see the rays of light slowly eating up the darkness, I hear the roaring snores of Yuri's Dad... I smile and Thank God that I am so blessed, he gave me another day to experience all these things. Furthermore, all our needs and even our wants are all within our reach.

Every night we try not to miss on a prayer before we sleep. I kind of hope that Yuri can grow up to these kind of things, a morning prayer and a prayer before sleep. There's a lot of things to Thank God for everyday. And right now, I Thank God that I am still alive.