REVIEW: W Hotel Mina Seyahi, Dubai, UAE (adults only)

Last year, I stayed at the Westin Mina Seyahi and loved the location and the use of the adjacent hotel pools. So this year, I went back to stay next door at the W Hotel Mina Seyahi, which is an adults-only (16+) hotel. 

Two nights and meals were given free of charge to Turning Left for Less, and I paid for the third night.

If you are not familiar with W hotels, they are part of the Marriott group of hotels and are generally aimed at a younger crowd. They would describe themselves as a luxury lifestyle brand and locations usually feature great bars and a lively nightlife scene. The hotels are known for their avant-garde architecture and bold interior design. 

Location

The location is one of the things I like most about this group of hotels as it is handy for The Palm, Marina, Mall of the Emirates and Jumeirah Beach areas and around 25 minutes to the Burj Khalifa. It was easy to get Ubers and taxis from the hotel with no more than a couple of minutes wait. You are also right by the Mina Seyahi tram station from which you can travel to link onto the Metro or the Palm Monorail. 

Like most of Dubai, there is building work next to the complex, so ask to have a room facing towards the Westin if you don’t want to face it. The noise from here was not that noticeable in the room, but you could hear some noise from the pool/terrace at the W. There is also an outdoor nightclub/bar on the beach at the complex, which is worth bearing in mind as on a Saturday it does close late. When I stayed at the Westin, I did not hear anything from the Barista nightclub.

Check-in

You arrive at the entrance by the base of a huge tree that extends up to the swimming pool level which is rather cool. The porters were busy when we arrived, so we took our luggage inside and headed for reception.

When we stayed, the hotel was very busy, and there was quite a wait to get our room. We were offered some snacks to have while we waited at the bar or restaurant.

The reception decor was very striking and almost felt like something from a science fiction film where the reception desks were, but the rest felt like it had Arabic influences in the seating areas. 

We were given a room on the 21st floor, and assistance was offered with our luggage to the room. 

The room

We had a Spectacular Corner room, which is above the entry-level Fantastic room, and then the Marvellous room. The hallways were rather dark, as is ubiquitous for W hotels, but they are now moving away from this.

I really liked the room’s well-thought-out design, which maximised space. There was a desk/dressing table area with a lit mirror and sockets next to it, perfect for anyone wanting a place to sit comfortably to dry their hair or do makeup. However, the way the socket was positioned meant my Dyson Airwrap wouldn’t plug in, but an adaptor would probably solve the problem. 

It was also large enough to work in comfort. This also housed a large Bluetooth speaker which my partner was particularly impressed by with its sound quality and power. This could be used as cordless which was handy to move it around the room.

There were two closet areas that worked quite well as his and hers. The first was just outside the bathroom and had a hanging area, a couple of drawers, luggage, and shoe storage.

The other area had many shelves and drawers, as well as the safe and iron/ironing board, plus a small clothes rail with the robes.

We both found the bed extremely comfortable and enjoyed the high-quality linens.  I liked that there were different lighting scenarios so you could just have a dim mood lighting when you were winding down for bed. I was also impressed to see a wireless charging alarm clock next to the bed for phones, as well as plenty of sockets. There was also a jewellery tray in the drawer by the bed which was a nice touch. 

The tea and coffee-making facilities were housed in a rather impressive cabinet along with the minibar, which you rotated the door to open. I loved the stylish glassware and cups, as well as mugs. The machine was one of the larger pod Nespresso makers, which you don’t often see in hotel rooms. 

It was good to have a decent-sized seating area, which many hotels lack until you reach the junior suite level. I also loved the coloured hanging lamps which gave a lovely ambiance at night. 

There was also a good size balcony which had great views, particularly at sunset. 

Bathroom

The bathroom was striking, with floor-to-ceiling windows—although if you don’t want your room companion to see you in the bath when they are on the balcony, you’d need to pull the blinds down! The bath was the perfect size for a relaxing soak while enjoying the views. 

The shower was also large due to its corner position although I did find it a bit odd seeing a table in the shower. However, that did mean there was lots of room for your own toiletries.

Toiletries were the standard W ones with Momo shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner, which are great quality products. There was even a loofah in the shower. 

By the sink, there was also a good range of toiletries, including Skin Regime face cleanser and moisturiser, plus make-up wipes and dental and shaving kits. All the toiletries were large sized, and I was pleased to see they were not screwed to the wall. 

Food and drink

There are two restaurants at the W and a bar, but there is every kind of restaurant imaginable within the Mina Sreyahi hotel complex.

Ginger Moon

Ginger Moon is the all-day dining restaurant by the pool with a large terrace. It was popular for weekend brunch as well. We just had a snack there while we waited for our rooms. I had a lovely beef carpaccio and a tasty salad. The restaurant has a lot of plant-based cuisine but also bar snacks featuring something for those who are looking for more traditional menu items. 

ATTIKO

This is the rooftop “supper club,” and I had been slightly concerned it may be a bit too trendy for us, but we both loved it. The music with the DJ was great and not so loud you had to shout. We definitely felt we were with the “beautiful people” at this restaurant, and I’d recommend a visit even if you don’t stay at Westin. The views were stunning and the food was superb.

The food is Japanese fusion, and we enjoyed some fantastic dishes such as Wagyu gyoza, beef tataki with truffle ponzu, fresh truffle, leek, and crispy garlic; lobster rolls with Japanese tartare sauce and crispy scallop with yuzu kosher and salmon roe.

Baba Steakhouse at Westin

Situated in the Westin, this is one of the choices that you have if you go for a half-board hotel package. I thought the menu was very good for an included half board.

I started with the Caesar salad, and we were given bread with a selection of flavored butter.

Then my partner went for the steak with a pepper crust and I went for the chicken which was moist and tasty. 

Fish Beach Taverna at Le Meridien

I loved the ambiance of this restaurant and would return again if I was in Dubai. Sitting directly by the beach with some tables actually on the sand was a lovely relaxing experience.

As you walk in you can see a display of the day’s fresh fish.

Once you sit down, you are served warm crusty bread with olive oil and crudites.

I started with some very tasty stuffed vegetables with Greek yoghurt. They were full of Mediterranean flavours and very tender.

The decor transported you straight to Greece, although I would say the food also had Turkish influences.

For the main course, I had enormous juicy prawns served with a tangy, garlicky tomato sauce and topped with a little cheese. I also had some lovely fresh grilled vegetables and mash. The portions were very generous, and it would have fed two people. 

W Lounge

This is situated just off the lobby and serves drinks and bar food. If you have Marriott Bonvoy status or higher, you get a couple of drink tokens, as there is no executive lounge. There is also a large outdoor seating area at the bar. Both parts were reasonably quiet when we visited, so it makes a nice place for a nightcap on the way back from one of Mina Seyahi’s many restaurants.

Breakfast

Breakfast was at the Ginger Moon restaurant, and you could sit outside on the terrace, which was lovely, although a bit chilly for the first two days due to the wind.

You could have breakfast until 11 am, which was great, but it did get very busy from 10 am onwards, meaning you may have to wait a short while for a table.

The service could have been a bit quicker at busy times, but there was a great choice of dishes to order and a decent buffet, too. Most dishes were very quick to arrive, but if you order shakshuka, it takes a while but is worth the wait.

Here is the a la carte selection, which is all included:

The buffet wasn’t huge but had lots of tempting selections, including a Bucks Fizz and Bloody Mary bar, which was definitely a big bonus for a bit of the hair of the dog!

I also liked that the buffet was all presented in an appetising way. The avocado toast bar was a great idea as well. They had everything from salads and local dips such as hummus to traditional cooked breakfast. They even had a pork station as usually in the UAE you get beef bacon and chicken sausages but here you could make a proper “pig” of yourself!

Facilities

There are two shops in the hotel. One near reception sells essentials and accessories like bags and sunglasses. The other one near the pool is more of a beachwear shop. 

The hotel has its own spa on the top floor but does not have its own gym. The spa offers 111SKIN treatments, from facials to massages. They also offer a full range of manicures, from gel polish to tips. 

However, you do have a choice of two gyms. One is at the Westin, so slightly further away, but there is also one just out of the front of the hotel, which my partner was very excited by (so excited he forgot to take a photo!). The Club Mina gym is open 6am-9pm and offers pretty much everything you expect to find in a proper gym vs a hotel gym: free weights, cardiovascular machines, exercise bikesrowing machine(s), stair climber(s), strength equipment, studio facility – hydraulic resistance circuit-training area, treadmill(s) and weight machines.

There are also cold plunge pools, sauna rooms and steam rooms. you can also book appointments for a personal trainer, inbody body composition analysis and swim coaching.

Pools and beaches

There are several pools to choose from at the complex. Exclusive to the W guests is the adults-only Ginger Moon pool, which has great views across the marina.

The next closest pool was Le Meridien, which is a beautiful infinity pool with a swim-up bar, but it did seem to attract a lot of families.

Then you have the Westin pool, which was usually the busiest. This and the other pools are all connected.

My favourite is the Mare adults-only pool, which understandably has a Mediterranean vibe from the Italian restaurant the pool is situated by. The service here was excellent and there was a great menu to choose from as well.

As well as very low loungers around the pool, there was a huge number of loungers on the grass and beach next to the pool so you are never going to struggle to find somewhere to sit here. 

Due to its marina location, the sea water here is very calm and warm. There is also a long stretch of golden sand with lots of loungers.

Pricing

You can pay with Marriott Bonvoy points which starts from around 70,000 in low season to 85,000 in high season. If you want to pay cash, there are some good rates for Marriott elites members, so it is worth checking the offers on the W website. I booked one of these deals and it was the cheapest rate available. 

Prices range on standard cash rates are from £135 per room per night in August to £250+ in winter/spring. I booked fairly last minute and paid £330 with the discount so I’d advice booking in advance. 

You can check prices for the W Hotel Mina Seyahi here.

Extra perks

If you are staying in a Marriott brand hotel, it is worth getting a quote from our luxury travel agent partners, GTC. They can offer extra perks on Marriott brand hotels. For example, for W and Westin hotels, you can get:

• Early check in/late check out, based on availability
• Complimentary breakfast for 2, per room
• $100 Credit (selected hotels)

Conclusion

This is still one of my favorite places to stay in Dubai, and we both loved the well-equipped rooms and the views from the hotel. The decor is eye-catching and stylish. The location is fantastic and being able to use all the pools and restaurants within the complex is a major plus point for me. I particularly like that there are two adults-only pools to choose from, so if the W pool is not your vibe, you can head down to the other one. 

If W Hotels is not your thing but you like the sound of the complex, the Westin Mina Seyhai was recently refurnished. You can read my pre-refurbishment review here. The Club lounge was particularly great at the Westin.