A relaxing stay at Avani Hotel Ibn Battuta

#ThrowbackTravel | My husband and I were able to go on a staycation before Dubai went on lockdown. We went around February and checked in at Avani Hotel in Ibn Battuta. I had previously won a contest from Lovin Dubai, and the reward was a 1-night hotel stay at Avani. We were ecstatic that I won as the prize came with a nice superior room (facing the poolside) and half-board meals.


As we now live outside of Dubai, going to Ibn wasn’t as frequent for us anymore. So when I won the hotel stay, we got excited because we would get to go around the nearby mall again, plus get to stay in a hotel right after (no more two-hour commutes going home). 

Ibn Battuta area is one of our favorite places in Dubai. We would be living in that neighborhood if it wasn’t so damn expensive. The location is good because it has a mall that’s just a short walk from the metro station. We were giddy about exploring the unique establishment again as it had its Brands4less stores (our favorite go-to discount shop), and some of our favorite fast-food chains like Taza, Jollibee, and Dairy Queen. Everything that we needed was just a few steps away.

CHECK-IN AT AVANI HOTEL

Checking into the hotel was a breeze. I was only asked to surrender the hotel voucher (given to me by Lovin Dubai) and was requested to show my Emirates ID. I didn't have to pay for anything.

Our room was on the 15th floor, and it was on the marina side. Our view was the mall on the left, the pool in the middle, and the metro on the right. The afternoon sunlight that entered our room was also warm and bright, and it made up for the nice photos that we captured of our beach-themed space.


Our time at Avani was relaxing. My husband needed some downtime, given all the stress he’d been experiencing at work, so he relished our stay. He slept most of the time. But he also had time to watch a few action-packed movies on Cable TV. There were plenty of channels, but these were mostly in different languages. So when we found a few channels that had English titles, we stuck with those.


We loved how cozy our room was. It had a beach vibe, just basing it from the interior decor (framed photos of shells), furniture, and tones (of teal, red and brown). The vibe was cozy, beachy, and warm. It was my kind of space.

The room had it all. The Cable TV and Wifi connections were stable. There were complimentary coffee and tea refreshments, plus bottled water that was refillable upon request (same with toiletries). There were snacks on top of the table, as well as chilled treats stocked in the mini industrial ref (all sold separately). A fruit plate was left for us too, which was a nice touch.

The bed was divine! It was soft, but it had just the right cushioning. The pillows were also just as fluffy. Oh, we had the best sleep since forever.

Now, on to the most novel part of the room: the bathroom! When you enter the superior room, you will see an L-shaped space. You will also find that the L-shaped wooden walls by the hallway function as sliding doors, which gives you direct access to the toilet and shower. Cool, right? We only had to close these partitions if we wanted to hide the washroom from sight, and it made all the difference.


The bathroom had two doors, one for the toilet, and one for the shower. The rain shower head also had the best pressure. The only downside was the poor drainage, which caused some flooding in the area. But other than that, everything was fine. The area was stocked with fresh towels, organic-made toiletries, soft bathrobes, a long ironing board, a small blowdryer, disposable slippers, and an electronic safe.


POOLSIDE DINING

My hotel win also included complimentary half-board meals, so we chose to avail of dinner and breakfast the next day. We opted to have our supper by the pool, where we were served a great selection of a la carte meals. It was still breezy at the time, so it felt nice to dine outdoors.


For dinner, we were served with our choice of soup (Tom Yum and Truffle-infused Cream of Chicken) and salad (Caesar salad), followed by the main course (Grilled Salmon and one more dish that I forgot the name of), then dessert (Tiramisu). Water and soda were complimentary as well.


The buffet breakfast was good as well. Our choice of coffee was requested from the bar and was later served on our table. Now, there weren’t many food options to choose from. But there were some tasty staples like salads, cheese, cold cuts, egg variations, and bread. I was hoping to find some ham and bacon on the spread, but there weren’t any.

A SWIFT CHECK-OUT

Our check out from the hotel was a bit early. But it was fine since my husband wanted to go on a little adventure around the area, so we left our bag at reception to be picked up for later. As soon as we had it stowed, we took the bus going to Dubai Parks & Resorts and went straight to the Outlet Village mall to check some discounted deals. After that, we went back to Ibn Battuta and began our 2-hour journey back home (a nearby emirate).

All in all, our stay at Avani Hotel was great. We wish to visit again soon. Hopefully, when the lockdown is over and when it’s safe to gather outside again.

But until then, stay home and stay safe!

Explore & Be Free (in the comfort of your home, for now)!
Mai

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