There’s so much about the Sheraton Grand Hotel that appeals instantly. The LED tubes that light up the glass façade of the building at night, the fact that London import Novikov has a restaurant here and most importantly, it is located at the start of Sheikh Zayed Road (read: no traffic troubles). And perhaps that’s what pushed it to the top of our list for staycation options over the weekend.

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7 reasons to book into this MOE hotelA hotel that lets you WhatsApp the staff rather than having to call…Got a layover in Abu Dhabi.. this place ticks all the boxes

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A post shared by Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai (@sheratongranddubai) on Jul 21, 2014 at 2:43am PDT

We checked in to the 54-storey building on a cloudy Friday afternoon. The sliding glass doors revealing three gorgeous chandeliers and a lobby designed with Mashrabiya panels and an abstract water feature.

We made our way to the Sheraton Club on the 31st floor, where all Club rooms check in. Not ones to do things by halves, we had opted for the Executive Suite (the next best thing to the Presidential Suite). It’s a quick and smooth process. 

This is the point where the super-friendly staff ask us if we’d like to share our WhatsApp number or BBM pin with them…yes, that’s right. Not to invade our privacy or send us promotional offers, but as an easy way to connect with the team and put forward any requests we may have, so we don’t even have to speak to anyone or pick up a phone to call for service. Did we mention the guaranteed response time of 60 seconds – absolute bliss. We’re then taken to our suite on the 26th floor.

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At the end of a long corridor is the door to our suite. It unlocks to a spacious seating area, large enough for a party of eight to 10 people, a bar counter with four comfortable stools and a round four-seater dining table with a pretty circular pendant light suspended from the ceiling. Still appreciating the tastefully-done interior, dark wood flooring with contrasting furniture and showpieces, we pulled back the sheer drapes which revealed floor-to-ceiling windows. And what did we see? A simply mesmerising, unobstructed view of Dubai World Trade Centre, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Burj Khalifa and Zabeel Park…wow!

With a brunch reservation for 1pm, we left our bags on the luggage rack in our bedroom before heading down to the sixth floor to Feast. 

The restaurant’s Friday brunch is an indulgent affair. It’s busy and we can tell it’s popular with diners. It features live cooking stations coupled with a buffet serving various cuisines, leaving us spoiled for choice. 

At our table we we’re given the ‘welcome’ bread plate – fresh, buttery brioche and slightly crusty sourdough served with olive tapenade, pesto, Cajun paste and Lebanese favourites hummus and moutabel. 

Next up was a plate of Kelly Galaway Oysters – the rubbery-firm texture telling us they’re straight out of the ocean. Craving a little more seafood, we created our own cold platter topped with tiger prawns, crab legs and clams. While live stations cooked up a host of dishes including mussels with several sauces (our recommendation would be the Thai one for its coconut base) and Indian flatbreads.

The buffet offers spicy Malaysian beef Rendang curry, creamy Indian butter chicken, a traditional mildly spice flavourful Lebanese rice-based dish lamb ouzi, Levant vegetarian moussaka and crisp English Yorkshire pudding. The highlight though would have to be the Lamb 26. Three different cuts, each cooked differently, are presented with 23 different garnishes. These range from herbs and aioli to cherry tomato and anchovy. We would be lying if we didn’t point out there was a dessert selection to match, good enough to be a meal itself. Fluffy lime cheesecake, a mousse-like Magnum cake, almost deconstructed Tiramisu served in a little jar and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside churros. 

The novelty factor though was its homemade frozen lollipops. With toppings and 18 different flavours to choose from, it took a while to decide but we played it safe with a chocolate one. 

If there was anything we were thankful for other than the meal it would be having opted for drawstring pants. Full to bursting we left Feast. 

Back in our suite we had the first look at our bedroom. It was a cosy space with a perfectly-made bed, long dresser and desk, single-seater sofa and coffee table. The glass wall on one side of the room revealed an oval bath tub and ‘his and hers’ sinks. While the bed seemed extremely inviting after this hearty meal, we decided to take our swimsuits and spend our early evening by the pool instead, but not before a quick round of the fitness centre. Located on the 53rd floor.

It boasts views of Jumeirah and the sea in the distance and is equipped with some of the best cardio and resistance machines, inviting but we decided to skip it and head to the 54th

 floor. 

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The pool area houses a rooftop bar as well as cabanas and sun loungers. Our plans for a quick swim weren’t hampered by the weather as the water was temperature-controlled, standing at a warm 29⁰C on the day. After a couple of laps that proved to be quite energising we went to the Shina Spa on the 52nd floor for a quick use of the sauna and steam facilities. 

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As tempting as the 

###>Nordic Nature Journey ritual of a scrub, wrap, massage and face acupressure seemed in this beautiful spa (spanning an entire floor with furniture in hues of grey, gold and while against dark wood floors) we decided to head back to the suite for a relaxing bath. The best part: with the rotating TV mount we could catch up on telly while soaking in the tub.

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A post shared by Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai (@sheratongranddubai) on Jan 13, 2016 at 10:19pm PST

We ordered in chicken noodle soup from the in-room dining menu and called it a night. The fluffy pillows and firm mattress (which are both available to buy at the property’s retail website) did ensure a good night’s rest but also increased our struggle to get out of bed the following morning. A couple of minutes under the rain shower and a morning dose of caffeine thanks to the Nespresso machine in our suite was all it took to bring us back on track. 

We proceeded back to the Club lounge where we nibbled on cheese, bread and figs (which are complimentary to guests residing in the suites) while the extremely courteous staff helped us check out. On our way down to the lobby and while exiting the building we couldn’t help but think – 24 hours is all it took to give us several more reasons to LOVE the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai.

If this isn’t enough reason to book yourself a getaway here, we’ve got one more reason. With Valentine’s just around the corner, Sheraton Grand Hotel is offering guests a night in the Deluxe room, inclusive of brunch at Feast, a 20% discount at Shine Spa, followed by breakfast in bed, for just Dhs1,520 per couple. The offer is valid from 12 February – 13 February 2016 for a maximum number of two people per room.

Tel: 04 503 4444 / Website: www.sheratongranddubai.com

Now read: 7 reasons to book into this MOE hotel