Chelsea Hotel, Dubai - Cranley Report

The Cranley Report®: Chelsea Hotel

Chelsea Hotel, Dubai

Hotel Address

P.O. Box 118094
Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Cranley Rating

National Rating

Chelsea Hotel

Photo 1 of 23. Click to enlarge

Hotel Summary

Category	Hotel
Awards Won	Player's Lounge was voted one of the Top Bars in Dubai by "Time Out" in 2007.

Hotel Opened

2005

Cranley Summary

The Chelsea Hotel is located on Port Rashid Road in downtown Bur Dubai which is near the main business district of Dubai. The hotel is situated behind the New Gold Souk and is across the Creek from Deira. The shopping centre of Mall of the Emirates which has major shopping outlets, supermarkets and pharmacies is approximately fifteen minutes drive by car. Within a few minutes walk from the hotel are an array of electrical and computer shops, the Meena Bazaar with its gold, clothing, electronics stores and authentic restaurants ranging from Iranian to Gujarati. Dubai International Airport is approximately six kilometres, about a fifteen minute drive away and Jumeirah Beach a ten minute drive from the hotel. The Chelsea hotel has 102 spacious airy guestrooms and suites all with modern up-to-date amenities, ensuite bathrooms and wired high speed Internet access. The hotel has several Indian restaurants, a number of bars offering live entertainment during the evenings, a rooftop swimming pool, a gym and separate ladies and men’s sauna and steam facilities.

Hotel Location & Layout

Location Description

The Chelsea Hotel is located on Port Rashid Road in downtown Bur Dubai behind the New Gold Souk and situated across the Creek from Deira. Close by is the business district. Mall of the Emirates, a shopping centre with major shopping outlets, supermarkets and pharmacies, is approximately a fifteen minute taxi journey away. Within a few minutes walk from the hotel are an array of electrical and computer shops, the Meena Bazaar with its gold, clothing and electronics stores and authentic restaurants ranging from Iranian to Gujarati. The Dubai museum is very close, approximately two kilometres away as well as Sheikh Rashid's original home that is now a tourist attraction. Dubai International Airport is approximately six kilometres, about a fifteen minute drive from the hotel and Jumeirah Beach a ten minute drive from the hotel.

Airports
Distance	6 km
Airport Transfers	Airport transfers on request. Taxi. Private car.

Cities and Sights
Distance	175 km
City/Sight Transfers	Taxi.

Layout Description

The Chelsea Hotel is a modern four storey building with a laminated glass exterior. The hotel is set back from the main road with an area directly in front for taxis and cars to pull up. Underground parking is available on basement levels one and two and further parking next door at the hospital. The hotel’s reception area, restaurants and bars are all located on the ground floor. Walking past the reception area leads to the elevators serving all guestroom floors from one to four. The gym, steam and sauna room are located on the fourth floor and the swimming pool on the rooftop.

Lobby & Guest Relations

Open Hours	24 hours.
Languages Spoken	Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Persian.
Payment Methods	American Express, Diners Club, Euro Card, JCB, Master Card and Visa Card. Personal cheques are not accepted.
Foreign Exchange	Currency exchange (buying only) is available at the front desk for residents of the hotel.
Taxis Arranged	There is a taxi desk located just inside the main entrance of the hotel where guests can request a meter taxi 24 hours a day.
Tours Arranged	There is a Travel Desk located in the lobby area. A variety of tours and activities can be arranged including: tours of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah and Ajman; dinner cruises; safaris to the desert, Wadi Hatta or Hajar Mountains; a night at the races; camel riding; sand skiing; snorkeling and scuba diving.

Guest Relations	Standard services.
Concierge Services	Standard services.
Medical Facilities	There is a panel of three doctors on call with a typical response time of approximately fifteen minutes according to the hotel.
Parking	Complimentary valet parking is available. There is complimentary parking available on basement level two of the hotel for 44 cars and basement level one for 11 cars. There is a car parking area at the hospital next door for 100 cars which is complimentary.

Cranley Comment

The Chelsea Hotel has a spacious lobby area that has marble floors and several seating areas with comfortable chairs and tables. The hotel entrance is through revolving glass doors. The first section of the lobby area has Tia Maria to the left and Aqua Bar to the right. Also found in this section are the hotel’s tour desk, an Internet station, concierge and bell boy desks. Immediately past Aqua Bar is Chelsea Café with the reception desk located immediately opposite. Walking past the reception desk there is a brightly tiled passage way leading to Players Lounge, Ghunghat and Qureshi restaurants and the lift lobby. Two lifts serve all guestroom floors including the hotel’s gym, steam rooms and changing rooms on the fourth floor and the rooftop swimming pool.

Shops & Amenities

Description

There is a unisex hair salon located in the lobby area, just past the reception desk.

Cranley Comment

At the far end of the lobby and beyond the reception desk is a unisex hair and beauty salon which is open Saturday to Thursday from 09:00 to 21:00. On Friday the salon opens from 16:00 to 21:00. As well as offering a full range of hair treatments including cutting, styling and colouring, manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials, and tattoo services are available in the salon too.

Within a few minutes walk from the hotel are an array of electrical and computer shops and the Meena Bazaar with its gold, clothing, electronics stores and authentic restaurants ranging from Iranian to Gujarati.

A short taxi drive away are the Burjuman Shopping Mall and the Mall of the Emirates both offering supermarkets, pharmacies and major shopping and clothes stores.

Rooms, Suites & Villas

Number of Floors	4
Total Rooms	102
Elevators	2
Rooms per Elevator	51
Total Staff	182
Staff per Room	1.8

Check-in Time	14:00
Check-out Time	12:00
Late Checkout	Late check-out is subject to availability and is chargeable.
Smoking Rooms	Smoking rooms are available on request at time of booking.
Room Service	24 hours.
Laundry Service	Available Saturday to Thursday. All garments collected before 10:00 will be returned between 18:00 and 20:00 the same day. There is a four hour priority service available between 08:00 and 20:00 for which a 100% surcharge is added to the standard charge.

Cranley Comment

The Chelsea Hotel has 102 guestrooms including 18 executive rooms and 12 suites all of which are spacious, air-conditioned and decorated in pastel and earth tones. Each room is furnished in a contemporary design, has dark wood furnishings and all have a desk and chair. All the rooms are equipped with modern up-to-date amenities including wired Internet access and have large floor-to-ceiling windows giving the rooms natural daylight and all with surrounding city views. There are six deluxe rooms available as interconnecting rooms with Executive Suites.

Type of Room, Views & Facilities

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Deluxe	72	City	High-speed Internet connection IDD telephones Voice mail 24 hour cable television DVD player Tea and coffee making facilities Individual temperature control Smoke detectors Hair dryer Minibar Safe deposit box Desk and chair 24 hour room service	3 Adults or 2 Adults and 2 Children under 12	28

Cranley Comment

The Chelsea Hotel's Deluxe rooms are spacious, bright, airy and decorated in pastel beige tones with earthy coloured coordinating soft furnishings. The open plan rooms are of a contemporary design, have high ceilings, are carpeted and have deep coloured wooden furnishings including a large desk and chair. There are also two comfortable easy chairs and a coffee table. Deluxe rooms have a choice of beds available in either king-size, queen-size, or extra large twin beds plus an option of several rooms with triple beds making them ideal family rooms. All rooms are equipped with modern up-to-date amenities including wired high speed Internet access and all have an ensuite bathrooms with a bath tub and overhead shower.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Executive	18	City	As per the Deluxe Room with the added benefit of: More space Sofa bed Storage trunk at base of bed Iron and ironing board Larger safe deposit box	3 Adults or 2 Adults and 2 Children under 12	36

Cranley Comment

Executive Rooms are open plan and larger than the Deluxe Rooms. All the rooms are spacious, bright, airy and decorated and furnished in a contemporary design in pastel shades of beige and earthy tones. The rooms have high ceilings and large floor-to-ceiling windows giving the rooms natural daylight with views over the city. On entering the room, the hallway has a wooden floor, an ensuite bathroom on one side and a closet storage cupboard on the other. Each bedroom area is carpeted and has a king-size bed with a wooden storage trunk at the base and a dark wooden cabinet opposite with a television on top. The lounge area has wooden flooring, a double sofa bed, two easy chairs, a coffee table, a desk and a chair. All the rooms are equipped with modern up-to-date facilities and have wired high speed Internet access. The bathrooms have a bathtub with an overhead shower.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Suites	12	City	As per the Executive Rooms with the added benefit of: More space Separate lounge Guest bathroom Jacuzzi in master bathroom 27 inch plasma television screen 2 DVD players	3 Adults or 2 Adults and 2 Children under 12	44 to 56

Cranley Comment

Executive Suites have a separate lounge and bedroom. Each suite is contemporary in design, spacious, airy and decorated and in pastel shades of beige with colour coordinating soft furnishings in earthy tones. The rooms have high ceilings and large floor-to-ceiling windows giving natural daylight and views over the city. The lounge has a sofa bed, easy chair, coffee table, wooden desk and chair plus a 27 inch raised plasma television screen. The passageway leading to the bedroom has a guest bathroom to one side with a walk in shower. The entrance area into the bedroom has a hallway with closet space. The bedroom has a king-size bed, a television cabinet with DVD player, comfortable armchair, coffee table and sliding doors leading out to a terrace area. The ensuite marble bathroom has a jacuzzi and a walk-in rain shower. There are six interconnecting deluxe room available with the suites.

Restaurants & Cafés

Number of Restaurants

Restaurant Comments

The hotel offers a wide range of culinary options to choose from. There are two Indian Restaurants, Ghunghat and Queshi, a sports bar serving traditional pub food and the hotel's coffee shop the "Chelsea Cafe" which is open 24 hours serving buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as an international a la carte menu and is located on the ground floor opposite the reception desk.

Qureshi

Restaurant Type	Indian
Restaurant Capacity	Total 60
Opening Times	12.00 to 15.00 19.00 to 01.00
Dress Codes	Smart casual.

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	No non-smoking area.
Children’s Facilities	High chairs.
Breakfast Options	N/A

Cranley Comment

Qureshi is a new restaurant at the Chelsea Hotel which opened in August 2007. It is located on the ground floor and is decorated in a sophisticated style and includes a main restaurant area and a separate area with a tented design. The restaurant offers Northern frontier food and as well as serving traditional dishes specialises in kebabs served in a range of styles. The restaurant has an open show kitchen and for entertainment there is a live band playing music from the region every evening.

Ghunghat

Restaurant Type	North Indian/Mughlai
Restaurant Capacity	50
Opening Times	21:00 to 03:00
Dress Codes	Smart casual.

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	No non-smoking area.
Children’s Facilities	Children are not permitted in the restaurant.
Breakfast Options	N/A

Cranley Comment

Ghunghat Indian Restaurant is located on the ground floor of the hotel towards the back of the lobby area and next to the elevators. The restaurant serves Northern Indian Mughlai Cuisine with its rich gravies, spices added to cream and butter, rice dishes cooked with meat and dressed with toasted almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins. The restaurant is decorated in a sophisticated style and includes a bar and a central stage area. The stage area is surrounded with tables and chairs. On the far side of the restaurant along the entire wall is a raised platform housing a long leather banquette with tables in front overlooking the central stage area. Each evening Indian musicians and dancers perform under coloured spotlights, all projected onto three large raised plasma screens enabling a good view for everyone.

The Chelsea Cafe

Restaurant Type	International
Restaurant Capacity	32
Opening Times	24 hours.
Dress Codes	Casual.

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	No non-smoking area.
Children’s Facilities	High chairs available. Children's menu available.
Breakfast Options	A buffet breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00 offering continental and a full cooked breakfast.

Cranley Comment

The Chelsea Cafe is located opposite the reception desk and next to Aqua Bar in the main lobby area. The cafe is decorated with a marble floor and on the far side of the cafe on the back wall, is an ornamental water fountain. The cafe serves international cuisine and offers informal dining with an open bar, and an a la carte menu which includes a variety of sandwiches and light snacks, all of which are available 24 hours a day. There is also a cake and dessert counter serving a wide choice of ice-creams, cakes and pastries, also available 24 hours a day.

Bars

Number of Bars	3
Bar Comments

The Chelsea Hotel has three bars, each offering a form of live entertainment and a wide variety of culinary delights. Aqua Bar