Like many other expats one the main factors in my decision to move Dubai was the opportunity to save money, something that I found difficult to do back home in Scotland. But trying to find the right balance between saving and enjoying the Dubai lifestyle is an ongoing challenge.

With many expats and locals leaving Dubai to escape the summer heat the UAE hospitality industry has been offering amazing discounts on Dubai spa deals, luxury pool access, fitness classes and many other leisure activities in a bid to boost visitor numbers. My mailbox is inundated daily with emails from popular deal sites like Cobone and Groupon advertising the latest Dubai deals that are often too good to pass up.

Take my latest purchase, for example, a one hour treatment with pool access at The Burj Club for the bargain price of 325 AED (normal price 650 AED). Thanks to this Groupon deal, my friends and I had the amazing opportunity to experience, what is being billed as Dubai's most exclusive fitness, spa and wellness destination.
 
From the moment we arrived we were given the VIP treatment. We were welcomed by the Club’s friendly and attentive reception staff who checked us in before giving us a quick, but thorough tour of all the facilities including the outdoor and indoor pool areas, mixed and female-only gyms, and the pièce de résistance, the Spa.

Gym Facilities
The Burj Club has two gyms, one mixed and one  for female members only.  Both feature a wide selection of state-of-the-art equipment including treadmills, bikes, cross trainers, weights and some machines I've never seen before.  At the time of our tour the gym was completely empty. I immediately regretted my decision to hit the gym earlier as I would have had the place to myself - there is always next time.

The Pool & Juice Bar
Visitors have a choice of 2 spacious pools; indoors or outdoors. Feeling brave we decided to tolerate the Dubai heat to relax and unwind at the outdoor pool. On the day we visited we found the venue relatively quiet so we had no problems finding beds. After storing aware our belongings we decided to have a quick look around to take some photos before wandering over to the poolside bar to grab some refreshments. Underestimating the temperatures we ended up spending most of the in the pool – it was roasting. 

The Spa
After a couple of hours relaxing by the pool it was time to hit the Spa in preparation for our treatments. Given the timings (2pm, 3:15pm & 4:30) I was the lucky one who had the opportunity to experience all the Spa has to offer including their sauna, steam room and experience showers. 

I’ll be honest, I've never really been a huge fan of sauna's or steam rooms as I find them quick stuffy but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I really enjoyed the sauna experience at The Burj Club as I had to entire space to myself so was able to lie back, fully relax and let the menthol vapors cleanse my body.

The Spa's experience showers (choice of 2) were unusual and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  As I stepped inside each cubicle I could see that I had a choice of sprays including tropical rain, cold rain, cold mist, Caribbean storm and Niagara rain complete with sound effects that are designed to relax your mind and refresh your body. Natural curiosity left me with no choice but to try them all. My favourite option was the tropical rain - when I closed my eyes I could almost imagine being in the midst of a tropical rain forest.

With time to kill before my treatment I took advantage of the Spa's fully serviced shower facilities before spending the rest of the time relaxing on one of the Spa's lounge chairs which offered stunning views over the Burj Lake, Dubal Mall and Souq Al Bahar.

Around 10mins before my treatment was due to begin Ruth, my beauty therapist for the day, came to welcome me to the Spa and asked me to fill in a treatment questionnaire which included some basic medical questions so she could tailor the experience to my individual needs.  I was also given a complimentary glass of cranberry juice, fruit skewer and cold towel to freshen up.

A short time later Ruth came back to collect me and lead to the treatment room where she provided me with a detailed explanation of the type of facial treatment she was recommending based on the information I provided earlier.  Jumping up onto the treatment bed I was snugly engulfed in warm, heavy blankets with my legs elevated ready for my facial to begin.

I'm not overly experienced in having facials, I think I've only had 2-3 in my lifetime, including the one I had at the Senso Wellness Centre late last year, but I found the whole experience extremely enjoyable and very relaxing. Note to self for any future beauty treatments I might sign up for - go easy on the fluid intake prior to treatments as I spent the last 10-15mins of my facial uncomfortably squirming with an overwhelming need to relieve my bladder.

Our spa day at The Burj Club was phenomenal. As one of the most  luxurious and extravagant experiences I've had in the whole 2 years I've lived in Dubai, hand over heart the best spa day in Dubai (so far). I can't wait for my next visit.

Pros

• Breath-taking views
• Superb customer service
• State-of-the-art facilities
• Complimentary use towels, hair dryers, hair straighteners and basic toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant)
• Reasonably priced food and drink i.e. glass of fruit juice averages at 25 AED

Cons

• Unfortunately nothing lasts forever, the experience had to end
• Treatment rooms were not soundproof

Location: Burj Khalifa, 1 Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai Dubai
Website: www.theburjclub.com

This weekend I finally got around to trying out the Lock Stock and Barrel brunch after spending most of 2016 listening to colleagues and friends rave about this popular new venue.

Following rave reviews, I had high hopes for this brunch but, whist I really loved the unusual decor, relaxed atmosphere and the venue's fun vibe, the brunch itself was slightly disappointing.  

The first issue I had was with our allocated seats - right at the back of the venue on low tables with couches and cushioned stools.  This seating might have been be okay for a few relaxing drinks but it wasn't easy eating with a knife and fork (Round 3) or very comfortable sitting for a prolonged period of time (3 hours). As we were seated in the VIP area we were also asked to vacate our table once the brunch had ended to make way for the evening VIPs. By this point the venue had started to fill up as more and more people arrived to take advantage of the 2 for 1 happy hour 5-8pm. Full disclosure, I didn't book this brunch so it could very well be that these were the seats that were requested,  but if I ever decide to do the the Lock Stock and Barral brunch again I will definitely be requesting one of their taller tables situated on the main floor.

What I did like about about this brunch was that our food was served direct to our table unlike many other Dubai brunches that offer buffet style brunches This brunch offered a simple menu,  served in 3 rounds,  featuring popular American dishes including chicken wings,  flatbread pizza, buffalo chicken, chocolate brownies and pecan pie.  My favourite was the Cap n Crunch chicken and their popular margarita flatbread.                       

I have no complaints about the service we received, our food was served quickly and our drinks orders were taken immediately,  but as the brunch progressed the gap between ordering replacement drinks and actually receiving them increased due to a backlog of orders behind the bar.

Whilst I won't say this was one of the best brunches I've ever done, it is definitely worth a visit especially if you are looking for a value for money,  laid back brunch.

Location: 8th Floor, Grand Millennium Hotel, Al Barsha Heights (formerly Tecom)
Cuisine: American
Dress Code: Smart casual
Timings: 14:00 to 17:00
Price:

• AED 299 per person with alcohol
• AED 199 non-alcoholic

Pros

• Happy hour 5-8pm - buy one get one free (daily)
• Friendly staff
• Cider included in the original price (very rare)
• Cheap compared to other brunches
• Cool and trendy interior
• No need to leave venue in search of post-brunch party
• Live music
• Men outnumber women (unusual for Dubai)

Cons

• Very busy post-brunch
• If you are seated at the VIP area you loose your seat at the end of brunch
• Men outnumber women (watch out for sleazebags)

It's been a while since my last post, but I'm happy to say that it's not been because I decided to move back to Scotland, I've just been busying living life in Dubai which has involved working and studying in my spare time over the past 10months. With only one more module to go I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Since arriving in Dubai I have been desperate to visit Bab Al Shams having heard stories of how amazing it is from friends and colleagues.  My wish was granted at the beginning of June when I finally got to experience this incredible resort for myself for a little pre-Ramadan, pre-birthday treat - one more thing struck off my Dubai Bucket List!

For anyone who doesn't know, Bab Al Shams is one of Dubai's hidden gems. It is a stunning hotel and spa resort situated in the Dubai desert about 1 hours drive outside the main city.  It is well worth the visit, perfect for girly weekends, romantic retreats and family getaways. 

Booked through Cobone, my friends and I managed to book this amazing staycation for the bargain price of only 999AED! This included one night accommodation for two people, buffet breakfast at Al Forsan and dinner at the Al Hadheera Restaurant. And if that was not impressive enough, we also received 20% off all other food and drink consumed at the hotel during our stay.

Check out the photo's from my experience below.