Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Dubai

This resort exceeded expectations. From the quality of food to the excellent service, the experience was spectacular. The lounge visits were a highlight. The caliber of lounge staff is on another level. Diksha, Sandeep, Aasia and Bijaya added a whole different dimension to our stay. The lounge high tea and evening cocktails/ canapés are an added treat. We stayed in a sea view suite which was very tastefully furnished and the layout very well designed. Just a note that this is a family resort so the breakfast at peak time was chaotic and noisy with a lot of children under 12. There is a quieter seating area for guests with lounge access, although it is the same buffet section for all. So if you want a quiet peaceful breakfast, go early. The food at Varq amazing, but a note that it is fine dining food with resort guests (noisy children) so the ambiance is not fine dining. The pool area and private beach is beautiful, well equipped and serviced by attentive staff. I would definitely stay at this resort again. Read less

Never heard of the Taj chain before until my husband said he stays with them on business to India and how good they are so to give them a try in Dubai. Best hotel decision we ever made. Our room overlooked the Atlantis and let’s be honest if you’re staying there, you can’t see it!! Much better to have a view of it on the horizon with the sunset backdrop. The staff are what make the hotel it really feels like a family friendly service with everybody caring and doing as much as they can. Even when one of our party was unwell that message got back to housekeeping and we found a nice bowl of beautifully presented cut fruit salad plate in the room with a get well card. For us the most outstanding part was the food! Morning and night (hardboard) the food was varied, thoughtful and as a regular visitor to Michelin establishments and a food blogger background you couldn’t ask for more. People who complain are not adventurous. Take a closer look and try something wonderful and new. Having dosas for breakfast was a wonderful new experience! We tried roaring rabbit restaurant but didn’t have enough variety for us gastro-nerds! Pool area is great and convenient. Never crowded as it’s huge. Free Tennis courts at the rear were bookable and fun. They even provide water on ice !! Everything here is well considered. I felt teary in the taxi ride to the airport because I’ve never stayed somewhere and felt so valued. So much so that our next family holiday won’t be decided by where shall we go in the world? It will be determined by where there is a Taj hotel! Thank you Karmlla, you are a credit to the face of Taj Dubai (I’ve done your job in another hospitality roll so I know what it takes), you have a wonderful presence about you, and shout out to the house keeping manager and staff on the floor who serviced room 332. Dining staff members especially Micheal, Pragun and Maulya who were welcoming and chatty. Two things to feedback. We found the beds too hard. They did immediately address this and added TWO mattress toppers to each bed (excellent service) but I think we just have an amazing mattress at home nothing compares. Secondly our 11 year old wasn’t happy with the kids menu (soup and tomato pasta in Roaring Rabbit) . It was aimed at very young or fussy kids so we only ate here once. Never tried rooftop because of the same thing. Perhaps you could consider child size portions of adult dishes for older kids. Then we would get the variety of trying out all the venues rather than the same venue day after day. Here’s to my next trip to a Taj somewhere sometime soon!!! You guys now how to show hospitality at its best Read less

We (two adults and two kids) spent three nights at the Taj Exotica Dubai in December 2024. I am writing this review a week after checking out from the Taj and somehow my mind is still lost somewhere in the alleys of the Taj. I will break down the review in different parts to highlight our experiences: Booking the stay and before our arrival We had booked directly through the official website and had upgraded our stay option to Luxury Suite two weeks before our arrival. I loved the email exchanges prior to our arrival as it helped us experience the maximum out of our stay. Prior to our arrival, I had made booking for pickup from the Airport and a small decoration setup in our room for our 10th Anniversary. The email exchanges were prompt even though on a couple of occasions, it felt as if there was a slight confusion owing to two different email accounts from the Taj responding to the emails. Arrival and welcome: The hotel provided a large GMC Yukon for airport pickup and as advised, the driver was waiting for us outside the Airport with our name on a placard. Even though we had initially felt the pickup charges to be quite expensive, the overall experience of seamless pickup and a comfortable ride in a spacious and large vehicle made us forget the charges! However, based on our experience of another hotel in the city, we feel that either the charges could be slightly rationalized or airport pickup and drop be made complimentary for certain room categories. On arriving at the Hotel around 11:30 in the night, we were warmly welcomed by the staff who helped with our luggage. On entering the hotel premises, the first feeling was that we were too late in the evening for no one to be there at the entrance to welcome us or usher us to the seating/check-in area. Within a few seconds, one staff came with some robe to welcome us and offered us a welcome drink. Another staff from the check-in counter took our details and completed the check-in process in 3 to 4 minutes. We were then taken to our room and explained the key features and amenities of the hotel. We were delighted to see our room decorated with rose petals and red balloons. As assured during the time of booking this decoration for a fee, the hotel had also arranged for a 250 gram cake on a complimentary basis. What was, however, the most satisfying thing was to see a card placed next to the cake, with anniversary wishes printed on the card. The kids loved the balloons while my better-half loved the surprise celebration setup. During our stay We got to experience the daily breakfast, kids clubs, kids swimming pool, main swimming pool, the private beach area, and the Taj Club lounge. We loved all those experiences. Since the hotel is constructed on an artificial beach, the sea water is still/devoid of waves and one doesn't get a true feeling of being on a sea beach. Therefore, the private beach experience was, and will, remain underwhelming in such properties. There could be a few more slides added next to the kids swimming pool to keep the kids hooked. Some other hotels in the area/city offer more amenities for the kids compared to the Taj. We loved going to the club lounge for tea, coffee, and snacks. The breakfast had ample options to suit our taste. The service was also prompt during the breakfast. The suite was large, beds comfortable, and bathrooms spacious. One area where the Taj could improve is on focusing on small details such as slippers and bathrobes for children. We say this based on our experience of staying on another five star hotel in the Downtown Area where we found slippers and bathrobes for kids. We considered that as an example of attention to details by the hotel. We checked out on the 15th afternoon and it took a while for the executive to complete the process. We were served Arabian dates and Arabian coffee while our final settlement was done. After our stay The hotel guest relations team reached out to us over email to solicit our feedback. These relatively minor things uplift our overall experience and we look forward to returning soon, hopefully in the near future. Read less