I hadn't been to Dubai or the UAE before, so that is reason enough for me to take a trip, but really I wanted to fly in Emirates Business Class on their direct Dubai to Seattle flight.
I transferred some points to Aeroplan and booked an economy flight from Cairo to Dubai via Air Canada on Egyptair (did you know that you could do that? I just recently learned how!)
It was a quick 3 1/2 hour flight and passport control in Dubai was easy and fast. I was in a taxi and at the Raffles Hotel 10 minutes after leaving the airport. I had booked the hotel thru my Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts portal which gave me a $200 card credit along with free breakfast and $100 resort credit.
My room wasn't quite ready when I arrived, so they sat me in the bar with a comped glass of wine and some snacks which was nice. When I was taken up to my room, the valet let me know that they had upgraded me to a room with a gorgeous skyline view! It was huge with a balcony, living room, walk-in closet, massive bathroom, and a butler!!!!
That evening I set out to have drinks at a couple of cocktail bars that are currently on The 50 Best list. First up was Bulgari Bar in the hotel by the same name. This is on Jumeirah Bay Island, so it's a bit of a drive from where I was, but the drinks and the gorgeous bar were worth the taxi. Pro tip: taxis in Dubai are cheaper than Uber and easily hailed by hotels. But if you are approached by a "taxi" make sure you agree on the price first as they could actually be a private car and charge you double!
The staff at Bulgari are so great and all my cocktails were delicious. I sat inside the bar for a bit and then noticed their awesome balcony overlooking the water, so moved there for a snack and another drink.
My next stop was Mimi Kakushi at the Four Seasons Resort, also on Jumeirah. The bar here is quite small, as the space is primarily a restaurant, but it's very cute and the bartender was great. They are known for their Botanist martini which is frozen inside a block of ice and is picked out.
Fun, and a great martini, but $50 to watch him hack thru to the bottle and pour it in my glass wasn't exactly worth it to me. I enjoyed my one drink and tabbed out.
I had my driver drop me off near Burj Khalifa Park and made my way to the lake where the Dubai Fountain performs every 30 minutes until 11pm. It was super easy to get a great spot on the boardwalk and while waiting for the show the Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building at 2717 feet tall) has an lightshow going on which was so gorgeous!
Then the fountains started, choreographed to music of course. If you've seen the fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas, these are very similar, but because this is Dubai everything is even more fancy and spectacular. I loved it!
When I got back to the hotel, I stopped by the bar to grab a glass of wine to take to my room but was told that it is illegal to walk through the hotel with alcohol so they had to have room service bring it up to me. UAE is a Muslim country, so technically a dry, but they also grant special licenses to hotels and bars (most are a part of a hotel) because they want all the international tourism. It's interesting for sure!
My butler had turned down my room and turned on the Moroccan lights and it was just a stunning place to enjoy my wine when it arrived!
The next morning I headed to the breakfast room and was completely blown away by the massive buffets. Pretty much anything you could want was available! There were tables laden with middle eastern options, Italian, dim sum, pastries, carving stations, egg stations, salad bar, pancakes & waffles with so many toppings including honey on the comb. It was really an impressive set up!
I ate and then took an Uber to the Dubai Mall. Driving through town is like being on an architecture tour! There are so many fascinating buildings to look at!
I arrived at the Fashion Avenue entrance and spent a lot of time finding my way through to the entrance for the Top of the Tower. I was very excited to be going up in the Burj Khalifa and I had bought a SKY ticket in advance. The ticket wasn't cheap, I spent about $150, but I didn't have to queue up at all and instead was shown into a lounge where I could sit with the others before being escorted through a series of back hallways and executive elevators.
This was pretty cool as we also were walked past multiple very long queues of ticket holders and allowed to board elevators before them. Different elevators go to different floors; you have to travel past the floors of the Armani Hotel, the Residences, corporate offices, and the regular restaurant. It takes a while just to get to floor 125 which is where the "regular" ticket holders start.
My VIP group started on the 148th floor and were welcomed into a private observation room with coffee, juice, dates (which UAE are known for), and of course some truly incredible views from 1820 feet up!
The observation space is almost a full 360 of windows, so you can walk around for a complete view, and there is also an area that you can walk outside! It's VERY windy up that high and also pretty exhilarating!
There's no time limit on your stay at 148, when you are ready you are able to take the elevator down to floor 125. At 1496 feet you are still very high up but being a tad closer to the other buildings makes the view a bit better (at least on this day which was hazy with sand from the desert!)
However, there are A LOT of people on this floor! There's also some souvenir stands, and this graphic which looks like the floor is clear glass and then it makes breaking sounds as you walk across it! Very funny!
You can walk down a flight to floor 124 which is another outdoor terrace, this one is full of selfie takers!
There was a very long queue for the elevator to get down but my VIP ticket gave me access to a private line and just 3 of us were ushered into the elevator. Within 60 seconds we were all the way back down!! So fast! As you exit through a hallway there are panels which tell all about the construction of the tower. It's all super interesting!
But wait... there's more!
I was still in the Dubai Mall which is home to every designer store there is. Literally. The mall is massive, it's actually the 2nd largest in the world, and as I wandered around window shopping I often had to check the maps to see my location. I was making my way to the Dubai Aquarium.
After shopping for your Gucci you can then visit the 13th largest aquarium in the world. 2.7 million gallons of water are home over 140 total species, including 300+ sharks and rays. I didn't go in but just watching the marine life through the huge glass was pretty cool.
And all that before lunch!
Back at the Raffles, I picked out a comfy lounge chair by the pool, had a delicious Mediterranean salad and a Dubai Sling (the original Raffles is home to the Singapore Sling), and spent the day swimming and soaking up the sun.
Late in the afternoon I had an hour massage at the hotel spa, and I can honestly say it was the best massage I've ever had! The whole spa was great in that my massage room had its own bathroom and closet vs having a communal locker room. Also, they set you in semi-private areas on comfy loungers before and after my service and offered tea and dates. Best part was I used my $100 hotel credit for the massage!
That night I went out for dinner at Orfali Bros which I was looking forward to as the menu looked great. And the food was actually super tasty but every server told me numerous times that the menu was meant to be shared. It made me feel a bit unwelcomed. Add that to the fact that the restaurant is dry, I didn't linger over my meal.
After dinner I went to check out the stunning Galaxy Bar. Wow, this is one of the prettiest cocktail lounges I have been in, and the drinks were excellent as well.
I stayed for a couple of rounds until the DJ started. He was good but I prefer a quieter bar, if you do too just go early.
Back at the hotel, I packed and turned in early as I had a chauffeur from Emirates airline picking me up at 7am for my First Class flight home to Seattle!
I’ve flown a lot of Business Class, both domestically and internationally. Sometimes I’ve purchased the fare and other times I’ve used points. Some have been very basic and others have been quite posh. But until this year I’ve never flown First Class internationally and WOW what a difference that was!
I had booked a stopover in Dubai at the end of my Egypt trip specifically because Emirates flew from Dubai to Seattle non stop. I mean I also wanted to see Dubai, but I really wanted to fly Emirates Business Class; the airline is known as one of the world's best carriers and currently holds the #3 ranking.
I spent points and cash and was very excited for the 14 ½ hour luxury flight. I will admit that I was a bit bummed that I couldn't swing the First Class when I booked. I had checked the box to "contact me if an upgrade is available" and on my birthday (!!) while in Luxor I received a text offering an upgrade opportunity with points! I immediately transferred some Amex points to Emirates and I was confirmed in First Class (the cash price was $14k 😲) Happy birthday to me!
14 days later (maybe 14 is my lucky number?), the ultimate luxury experience started with Emirates sending a chauffeur to pick me up at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai where I was staying. I won't lie, there was a little thrill when the front desk called and said "your chauffeur is here Ms. Miller."
It was a quick ride to Dubai International Airport. We pulled into a special departures area for First and Business Class customers only. Once inside there were separate desks for First Class Check-In. I'm pretty sure Questlove was at the counter next to me, no joke! From here there was, you guessed it, a special passport control where we just scanned our boarding pass & passport. No agents or lines or anything. We joined the main security check but had separate lines which went quick. Once in the main airport I took the elevator upstairs to the Emirates First Class Lounge which took up the entire length of the concourse!
Emirates First Class Lounge in Concourse A is one the largest lounges in the world at 100,000 square feet! There are lots of different seating areas; you can choose couches, lounge chairs, desks, etc., there is a spa and a Le Clos fine spirits shop also. The restaurant is full service, you order from the menu and they serve you, no buffet for First Class! My breakfast was fine but the service was awesome.
I left to find my gate, walking past the bougiest of duty free shops, to the First and Business Class boarding area. Here we presented our boarding passes and then took an elevator down to join the rest of the boarding. It was a little messy compared to the other areas, but once again, on the gangway, there was a separate entrance for First and Business.
As soon as I walked onto the Boeing 777-300 a flight attendant greeted me by name and escorted me to my PRIVATE SUITE!
She showed me where my private closet was for my coat and inside the suite there was plenty of room for my carry on bags (no overhead bins in First). She asked what I'd like to drink before take off and when I requested champagne she returned with a bottle of 2012 Dom Perignon (96 points and ~$250 bottle price)!
After this she offered me a pair of pajamas and slippers and then presented me with the leather bound menu for the flight. She explained that they offer "anytime" dining up to 1 ½ hours before landing, so I could choose anything from any of the menu sections (breakfast, lunch, dinner, light meals, movie snacks, etc.)
As soon as she left I started to check out everything in my suite. There was a lot to look at!
As seen in the video, the suites are decked out! The sideboard, as I'll call it, had a very deep storage cupboard which held all my personal stuff. There was an iPad that acted as a large remote for the TV, 3 lamps, seat positions, doors, privacy sign, and call to prayer with direction of Mecca. There were buttons which controlled the blinds for the 3 windows. It also had a popup mini bar full of softs and waters. Very handy!
Below the 32" TV(!!) was a desk, complete with desk lamp, and a vanity with lit mirror and skincare products from Byredo. A slide out drawer had a nice notebook and pen. On top was a snack basket complete with sweet and salty treats, and my favorite Bülow Danish liquorice! I was truly impressed!
The stylish amenity kit was filled with expensive Bulgari products including an Emirates exclusive perfume! My suite also had fresh flowers which was just lovely! The whole thing was like being in a very tiny, luxury apartment!
Before take-off I was offered Turkish coffee and some lovely stuffed dates. As soon as we hit cruising altitude I pressed the button to shut my cabin doors and started planning on my dining options. My flight had left at 10am and would land in Seattle at 1pm. I decided to skip the breakfast options and use my time on a nice lunch and then dinner.
I started with more Dom along with a trio of snacks; olives, chips, and nuts. When the attendant asked if I wanted a meal I responded that I was going to have a fancy lunch and she said, "Oh great! So the caviar?"
Indeed! Caviar and all the fixings for lunch... HEAVEN!
She actually brought me 2 nice little amuse before; melon with prosciutto and a miniature caprese in a tiny glass. Then she popped a new bottle of Dom for me; I'm pretty sure I drank most of that delicious bottle myself! The caviar was excellent and there was so much! I confess I ate a lot of it just from the mother of pearl spoon. There were warm blini and also melba toast, chopped egg, chives, onion, sour cream, and lemon.
I finished lunch with an excellent cheese course, each piece served perfectly at room temperature, the feta was possibly the best I've ever had. She brought me a hot towel and a nice little box of chocolates after and I settled in with a movie.
The suites come with a mattress and comforter, which they will come set up for you, but I just did it myself as it's pretty straightforward. I turned off all my toys and went to sleep with a ceiling full of stars.
A few hours later (I mean I had 14 to work with) I woke from my nap and took a stroll around the cabin. There are only 8 suites on the Boeing 777 and I think 2 of them were vacant.
Even the First Class bathroom was posh. Everytime I went it had been cleaned and restocked, a toilet seat cover already in place, lovely Bulgari products, and fresh flowers. There was a small common area which was stocked with different things throughout the flight; booze, snacks, sandwiches, sweets.
I decided it was now happy hour and really had a hard time deciding on my drink as the menu had impressive options like Champagne Cocktail, Breakfast Martini, Manhattan, Old Fashioned... but I went with my go-to gin martini and ordered edamame to snack on with my drink.
I could hear her shaking my cocktail, no issues as a little extra dilution was probably a good thing, which made me smile. Haven't heard that sound on a flight before! My martini arrived icy and the edamame was hot. Both were so good I ordered a 2nd round, by ringing my personal call button!
The menu had quite a write up from the "chef" about their dum pukht style lamb biryani, so I had that for my dinner and I can say it was absolutely wonderful!
Instead of dessert, I opted for a little cognac tasting (no surprise to those that know me). The first class offerings included Hennessy Paradis and Tesseron Lot 29. Paradis is an amazing blend of around 200 cognacs and aged for over 100 years. A bottle goes for around $1,600!!! The 1929 Tesseron is a bargain compared at $600! Both were incredibly delicious, I might have had to try them twice.
I had really hoped I'd would catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights as we went north over eastern Russia and the North Pole, but it wasn't there as far as I could see. With still a few hours to go I took another nap on the plush leather layflat.
14 hours has never gone by so quickly! Soon it was time to open all 3 of my window blinds, replace my slippers with my trainers, and pack up my Bulgari products. I was the first person off the plane, back to reality. Well almost...
Once I exited from International baggage and passport control at SeaTac (thank god for Global Entry!) I had one more Emirates chauffeur service waiting for me. He took my bags, led me to his waiting Cadillac Escalade, whisked me to Ballard, and carried my bags to my front door.
I'm officially in love with Emirates and have already started planning how I can make another of these amazing flights happen again!
