Fortunately, not over the pond to the US; you can visit the Dubai’s very own Hollywood with just a short trip to Business Bay.
From the moment you step into the other-worldly impressive lobby adorned with chandeliers and spiral staircases, the impression sumptuous and full of glamour. The moviesque paraphernalia continues throughout the hotel with a screening room, movie themed café, the Malibu deck with 3 pools and cabanas, and even the bedrooms.
(Stepping into the Paramount’s movie themed hotel complete with spiral staircase and crystal chandeliers)
I stayed in the one of the Stage Rooms on a high floor with views across D3 and downtown and as a girly-girl I absolutely loved the classic bulb mirror – perfect for those makeup touch ups. The room met Dubai standards for luxury and comfort with a control panel for closing the curtains and controlling the lights. The bathroom featured a raindrop shower and stand-alone bathtub.
In the evening I was invited to their flagship event – the Murder Mystery live entertainment show at their speakeasy bar, Flappers Flashback. You actually need a password to enter the event which is cleverly hidden somewhere in the hotel – the mystery theme starts before you even find the location! Advertised as an immersive live musical show with dinner and theatre experience, I have to concede that this show didn’t disappoint. Creative director Nicolas Naim (from a movie producer background no less) has clearly influenced the attention to detail, with physical clues left around the venue and a dedicated “crime scene” room where you can examine the clues. The performers are all stuck in 1920s Spanish Harlem until the crime is solved, and don’t break character for a second, interacting with all the guests, telling their backstory and dropping clues. All the guests were adorned in 1920s attire with feathers, sequins and fedora hats. The potential culprits of the “whodunnit” murder that had taken place are featured in portraits on the wall – these creepy pictures actually move and change position!
The show starts with power-house ballads, dancing and choregraphed shows which drop hints and clues, and the performances are absolutely top-notch, with singers from London and Argentina. The genuine talent and individuality of the artists really shines through here and they maintain the fantasy element of the experience. During the shows, guests are plied with canapes such as goats cheese balls and deconstructed Gazpacho, while the main featured a delectable Al Capone chicken pot pie. Dessert featured a key made of our candy to reiterate the theme of the event, although by this point, I’d also been impressed with numerous Bellinis and didn’t make much headway with the final course. The finale of the event involves guests suggesting their murdered (I guessed correctly) and the whole plot is unveiled. But the night doesn’t end there, as the performers continue to belt out their classics like New York, New York, and vibe with the guests and the revelry and atmosphere continues. The immersive element of the night was absolute, and I think the Paramount team are delivering dinner theatre that’s a cut above the average shows in Dubai.
After managing to escape from the crime scene unscathed, I poured myself into a comfortable bed around 1am. When staying in hotels I make a point never to sleep late as my favourite thing in the world are hotel buffet breakfasts.
Murder Mystery Packages:
Soft drinks, show & dinner: AED 299
House beverages, show & dinner: AED 380
Sparkling beverages, show & dinner: AED 550
Every Wednesday from July-October 2021 WhatsApp 055 180 7559
(Scrumptious buffet breakfast – all the pastries and breads are made by their in-house pastry chef team)
The Paramount breakfast buffet and The Stage restaurant featured hot counter, eggs, salad buffet, Arabic section, and huge pastry display. One of the staff advised me that all of their pastries and breads are made by an in-house team, which meant all the staff kept their jobs throughout the pandemic. I thought this was a nice touch given most hotels cut costs and out-source to suppliers. This was a smart decision and I highly recommend the waffles!
Sadly, it was too windy to swim in one of their rooftop pools, but I did have a wander round the themed cabanas, which would have been great on a sunny day.
I finally visited the luxury Pause spa which is stocked with products from Château Berger, and offers treatments including facials and massages, while guests can also relax with the ice bath, sauna and steam room. I would highly recommend the Royal Hammam which is a 90-minute massage, facial and black soap experience for revitalising and relaxing. My hour massage was complimented by a velvet facial which left me feeling replete and relaxed after a busy weekend.
(The finishing touch! The perfect way to end of perfect weekend with a massage, velvet skin facial and trip to the ice bath, sauna and steam room.)
There was just enough time to get a coffee from the excellent hotel lobby coffee shop – which you can get an image of your face printed on – before I hopped in the car and went back to reality.
MORE INFO
Main: +971 4 246 6666
Reservations: +971 4 246 6777
Email: sales@paramounthotelsdubai.com & contact@paramounthotelsdubai.com
