Watch out this section in the future for my favorite pampering and me-time places in Dubai. I am a big Spa lover and have tried almost all of the big Spas in the city. Dubai is a buzzling and sometimes very stressful place, however on the other side it also offers great sport and wellbeing retreats.
Desert Palm Per Aquum Lime Spa
Sure from the Spa ambiance itself there might be some better Spa's in town with similar treatments, however the overall experience and ambiance is what makes the difference here. The Lime Spa is a bit out of town at the urban oasis of Desert Palm Hotel - the direct surroundings with the International City (and sometimes not so good smells from the nearby sewage plant) and one of the major highways may not seem very appealing, but once you enter the main entry gate you are in a peaceful and hidden sanctuary. As this is a Polo Club estate it is all about horses here as well. Watch out for special Spa deals that are including lunch at the restaurant and pool use overlooking the Polo field. After your treatment for sure you will feel purely relaxed and tranquil. www.minorhotels.com
El Chiringuito Beach Club / Paddle Boarding
A nice way to spend a weekend in Dubai is a visit to one of the beach clubs. One of them is El Chiringuito at the Rixos Palm Hotel - which is extremely busy at weekends with a party crowd dancing it out with a DJ and also open but very quiet at weekdays. So if beach parties are not too much your thing come here during the week, where there is also no entrance charge for ladies and you can choose your favorite sunbed. Drinks and food, both on the pricey side, are served direct to your sunlounger. They only have a small splash pool, however that is anyway not the main focus here. The restaurant area is in an airy open style space with some Mexican features. The beach area is spacious and in the close by watersport station you can rent paddle boards and book for other sorts of waterbased entertainment. www.thepalmdubai.rixos.com
Nails and more / Nailicious
Nailicious is not my usual place to fix my nails and I just came across them through a recommendation from a magazine. I also did not come for my nails, but actually for a massage and I must say that it was an extremly good one. So neccesarily a good massage has not always to be in a Spa or massage salon - of course you can not compare the ambiance to one of the big Spa's, but at Nailicious they try to create a nice atmosphere in their small massage room. The main thing is anyway the treatment (Kahraman & Amber Massage) itself which was super well done by the experienced therapist and compared to other places well priced. www.nailiciousuae.com