Do It Go

There really isn’t any place in the world that’s quite like Dubai. It offers a dizzying combination of old world graciousness and new technologies, as well as state of the art contemporary design. It’s a city that’s grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, acting as a magnet for celebrities and artists, as well as business travelers who are taking advantage of this fortunate region. When it comes to four star hotels, Dubai offers these in the same spirit as everything else, with a lot of grace, and a bit of excess, too. Our hotels are carefully selected for their consistently remarkable levels of service, hospitality, and style. Dubai is very style conscious, and is at the front ranks of cities that are marking and making trends that the world follows.

You’ll love the sense of design in the rooms, and find yourself waking up, morning after morning, to a splendor that pleases the eye. There are hosts of amenities here that will help you to enjoy your stay, and to help keep you refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s a wonderful state of mind to be in, and a perfect way to enjoy the remarkable things Dubai has to offer. The art scene has been tremendously active in the past few years, and Dubai is well on its way to becoming a major player in the international art scene. There are plenty of galleries that are open all throughout the year, and there are also fantastic art festivals. The one that you’ll no doubt hear of is Art Dubai, and it’s absolutely worth attending if you can time it right. In the Spring of 2009, Monali Meher was in town, to present one of her performance art pieces, In Determination.

This multimedia artist is currently based in Amsterdam, and divides her time between the Netherlands and India, where she got her degree. She has performed all over the world, and it’s always a pleasure to see her when she can perform at Art Dubai. Her works are visually very stunning, and she uses her body as a site to explore time and space, and investigate how culture inscribes these notions on skin. Her work is enormously compelling, with painted faces with gold that flakes off in a performance of decay, or the meticulous wrapping of objects in an effort to contain them in time and space, there is a resonance here that is both troubling and sublime.

Tags: decay, Dubai, four star hotels, In Determination, Monali Meher
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When one travels to Dubai, consideration must be placed on the traditional culture, traditional modes of communication and relations.  For example, if one enters one of the restaurants in the five star Dubai hotels, or upon arriving at the home of an Arab for a dinner party, female guests will be taken off to be with the women.  Offers of food or drink should be accepted, as Arabs react to guests in this manner, a very polite and respectful manner, and to turn down and offer, one may be deemed impolite.  Sharing food and drink is an elemental aspect of relationship and friendship in Arab countries.  One of the key phrases to learn should one not speak the language fluently is “Ahlan wa sahlan”.  This means simply, welcome.  When one visits Dubai this will be a phrase heard over and over.

There are other greetings and pleasantries one may learn, as it is always nice to be able to respond when visiting and conversing, or just saying ‘hi’ to those living in the country in which one is spending time.  And in Dubai, should one mispronounce words, no problem, as the people of Dubai are always encouraging when one at least make the attempt to speak the language.  It is important to note however, that while considerations are taken on the part of the Arabs, one must never joke, or profanely use the language as it is their belief that language is God’s words.  Proper respect is given to language throughout the country and one could cause unnecessary offense to take that lightly.

In Dubai, never pop in on an Arab friend.  Warning must always be given in the form of former plans or a phone call, especially if female members are at home.  And once in the home of an Arab friend, avoid complimenting their personal possessions.  Tradition states that should one compliment the possession of the other, the owner is required to give that possession to the one that did the complimenting.  This can make for embarrassing and uncomfortable situations.  And if this intrigues some, be aware that the tradition also states that the correct response for receiving the complimented item, is to return with a gift more valuable than the one you received.  So be careful before you state your admiration for the beauty of your friend’s Rolls Royce.

Tags: Behavior, Dubai, five star hotels, hotels, language, traditions
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For visitors traveling to Dubai, UAE, hotel accommodations will offer many pleasant surprises.  With a luscious mix of old-world hospitality with contemporary amenities, the visit here will be steeped in style.  World-class design and luxurious splendor are the hallmarks here, and time spent here will be rejuvenating and fascinating.  Dubai is a city on the rise in terms of international reputation.  Noted for its multicultural cosmopolitan flair, glorious beaches, and a state-sponsored interest in the creative arts, Dubai has become a stopping place for global business and entertainment dignitaries from all backgrounds.

The film industry is one of the many industries on the rise here, and the astoundingly successful growth at the Dubai Film Festival is securing this location as a cinematic hotspot.  It is not only a place to show and see films, but increasingly becoming a place to shoot.  The recent filming of City of Life is a testimony to that.  Emirati director Ali Mostafa is the charismatic force behind the film, not only having served as director, but also worked on the screenplay with Tim Smythe and Jonny Brown, and story has it that the vision here is his Dubai.

The film is a complex intertwining of three stories: a young male Emirati facing a cultural identity crisis, an Indian cabdriver who looks like a famous Bollywood star, and a young Romanian woman who was once a ballet dancer now a flight attendant.  These lives interweave in fascinating ways that speak to an urban experience that can only be found in Dubai.  City of Life is the first full-feature film to be shot entirely on location here, and it will not be the last.  The filming was, in many ways, a unique venture into discovering what Dubai has to offer for other filmmakers.  Shot in 42 different locations, the intensive shooting schedule, though exhausting, highlights the diversity of locations here.  With beaches, shopping malls, amazing contemporary architecture, old markets, galleries, and plenty of street scenes, filmgoers will be treated to a view of Dubai that marks its exciting entrance onto the global film screen.

Tags: Ali Mostafa, City of Life, Dubai, Dubai hotel, Dubai UAE Hotel, UAE
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Offering ample urban delights, lovely beaches, and luxury hotels, Dubai (UAE), is a breed apart.  Situated between old and new worlds, Dubai offers the finest of creature comforts along with the most cutting edge modern delights.  Exquisite beaches and stunning shopping malls are just the beginning here.  Annually, there are a host of festivals, with international film celebrities, rock and roll musicians, and literary giants, participating in the cultural life here.  It is truly an international city, with a focus on developing the local talents, and a keen eye toward global culture.

It may come as no surprise, then, that there is a sports café opening here, by none other than Argentine world football great, Maradona.  Diego Armando Maradona is one of the most visible and famous soccer players  in the history of the Beautiful Game.  Perhaps most well-known for his two goals against England in  1986, goals called, “the Hand of God,” and “the Goal of the Century,” he retired from the game at the ripe old age of 37.

Set to open at the end of the year, The Maradona Sports Café will be modeled on Planet Hollywood-style eating establishments, and will be a lively gallery of world soccer culture, featuring memorabilia from such football giants Zico, Dunga, Garrincha Pele, and of course, Maradona himself.   The chain of cafes will also have large-screen televisions showing some of the greatest moments of football in televised history.

Not simply a living testament to the greatness of football, these cafes also serve a larger, humanitarian purpose.   The soccer great’s brother, Remigio Maradona, is a Permanent Observer on the UN’s Economic and Social Council, and he has arranged to have a portion of the profits here to benefit the battle against global malnutrition.  These new cafes, then, will serve multiple purposes, in promoting and contributing to the cultural life in Dubai, giving football fans a new and exciting place to hang out, and contributing to the betterment of the world at large.

Tags: Cafe, Dubai, hotels, Maradona, Remigio, Sports
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