In a land of luxury hotels and beach clubs, could the DRIFT Beach Club in the One&Only Royal Mirage at Dubai Marina be the one to rule over them all?
We doubt it to be fair, given that hotel beach clubs, while usually very good, never seem to take things to the next level. We assume that’s because their shareholders want guaranteed returns rather than risk-taking to get the reputation of the very best in the market.
But our review team were very keen to spend a day in the Dubai sun, sipping cocktails, chilling on fancy daybeds and enjoying lunch on their incredibly large expense accounts, and this is what they learned at DRIFT Dubai.
Introduction – Getting To DRIFT Dubai
The first part of getting to DRIFT is getting to Dubai, and let’s be fair about this, there are very few destinations in the world as easy to get to as Dubai.
The emirate positioned itself as a global transportation hub during the years when it was coming into its own, and it has a huge airport serving the area.
That airport sees some of the highest arrival numbers in the world, and while people used to just be passing through the airport on their way to Europe, Australia, Asia, etc., now? People stop and stay.
Dubai is a major tourist destination, and while it’s always expensive, it’s one of the safest places on the planet to take a holiday.
Once you’re in Dubai, the odds are very good that you will be staying in Dubai Marina or nearby Jumeirah, which means you’re only a short distance from this beach club.
You can easily get a taxi or drive yourself to DRIFT. Though we would note if you are coming from further away, the traffic in Dubai can get pretty bad – so make sure to leave plenty of time for your journey.
Once you reach DRIFT, you can be dropped off at the door, or pull up to the door and use the near-mandatory valet parking that is offered everywhere in Dubai.
Where Is DRIFT Dubai? One&Only Royal Mirage – Al Safouh Second – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: DRIFT
Opening Hours: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. every day, hours may vary during Ramadan or on public holidays
What’s Available At DRIFT Dubai?
DRIFT offers comfortable seating, restaurant and bar facilities (though we should note that if you want to dine in their restaurant rather than order from the menu by the pool, you will need to make two separate reservations) and a pleasant pool area.
It’s not a party club per se, though it’s definitely adult-oriented (see details on their child policy below), and there are occasional events that offer live DJs and themed entertainment.
Our Detailed Review Of DRIFT Dubai
We apply a uniform method to assess each beach club, ensuring just consideration for owners, management, and staff, and presenting reviews in a standardised structure that aids in straightforward venue comparisons.
The assessment process is detailed as follows:
- A review team is appointed to assess the venue.
- All members must visit the beach club, though they may visit individually and on varying days.
- At the venue, each reviewer completes a scorecard, scoring the club from 1 (lowest performance) to 5 (highest performance) across designated categories, while also recording their experiences.
- Once all scorecards are submitted, the team convenes to discuss their findings and settle on final category scores.
- A designated team member then drafts the review, incorporating the team’s consensus and scores, before it is posted on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
How Sevenrooms got a near monopoly on booking beach club seats in Dubai, we’ll never know. At DRIFT, at least, they’ve managed to use an internal window on their site to host it, this time.
But it doesn’t change the fact that this restaurant booking system is a pretty poor choice for beach club bookings.
You need to choose an area to sit in (and the pool and the restaurant are treated separately – so if you want to use both, you need two bookings), then a time and then book.
But there’s no option to choose where you sit exactly, because Sevenrooms can’t handle that.
It can handle card payments, mind you, but DRIFT seems to have elected to use the honour system for bookings, instead.
That’s not good for customers, as it means that while you don’t pay a deposit, they have no incentive to hold your bed beyond a few minutes after your chosen arrival time. And in Dubai traffic, lateness happens.
Ambience and Atmosphere
We find that Dubai’s beach clubs have a sort of intimidation factor when you first enter them. It’s not unfriendly, it’s just a genuine concern that maybe you don’t belong among all these well-to-do folks spending a fortune.
Once that wears off, and it will at DRIFT, it’s a friendly enough place with a pleasant chill vibe. This isn’t a party place, and there’s an emphasis on relaxation, which, while great, means that it’s often easier to bring friends with you than it is to make new friends.
Overall, there’s no doubt that DRIFT has a vibe of its own. We’re just not sure that it’s entirely our vibe.
Location And Accessibility
Dubai Marina is not far from Jumeirah, which is where the bulk of the tourist hotels are in Dubai, though there are quite a few (including the One&Only Mirage) that are in the Marina.
That means you’ll probably be within a fairly short drive from this beach club when you arrive in Dubai and check in.
We should note that if you’re not that close by, you want to allow for traffic if your booking is around or just after the rush hour. Dubai traffic can be severe.
The club is a wheelchair accessible space, but we’re not 100% sure that you can get a chair everywhere inside.
Aesthetic And Design
The thing is that Dubai has a lot of beach clubs, and while DRIFT is undeniably an attractive place and looks awesome in Instagram snaps, it also doesn’t do much to stand out in a sea of nice places to go.
There’s that slightly corporate vibe that you find at hotel beach clubs, everything laid out ot exacting standards that feel like a failure to do so will result in a trip to HR.
It won’t interfere with the enjoyment of your day, but we do wish these places would take a few more risks and really wow us sometimes, too.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
This is Dubai, and there’s one thing that you can be certain of: they don’t slack when it comes to setting the standard for high-quality personnel.
The One&Only Mirage will draw on one of the best talent pools on Earth when it comes to staffing this beach club, and they will have their own on-site and exceptional training team.
That kind of investment pays off, and the staff at this beach club are exactly as good as you’d expect them to be.
They are kind, attentive and knowledgeable, and they bring all of that to bear on the guest experience.
Service Speed and Efficiency
We were also impressed with the fact that it’s not just friendly and professional, the service in this beach club is super effective too.
They’ll know you’re about to order before you do, almost, and it’s rare that you need to signal for attention.
Once they arrive at your bed, they take the order swiftly and accurately, and then it spends very little time in the bar/kitchen beyond what is absolutely necessary before making its way back to you.
Even the final check comes with some serious alacrity. Which we like, there’s nothing worse than sitting around effectively waiting for permission to go home.
Food Quality and Variety
DRIFT is all about French food, and that means a more narrowly focused and yet more creative menu than you might see at many other beach clubs.
However, there are nowhere near as many choices as at other beach clubs, and it’s worth checking out the menu before you visit to ensure there’s something there that appeals to you.
We found all the food at DRIFT to be delicious, and the portions were generous though not cheap.
But we wonder how much “repeat visit” potential a beach club with such a focused menu can have?
Beverage Selection and Creativity
The wine list is incredible and may be the best of its kind that we’ve had the pleasure of sampling at any beach club anywhere in the world.
However, the cocktail list is much briefer and far less interesting, and we like cocktails at a beach club. We think they’re the core element of many people’s days, and the list isn’t long enough.
Overall, they have a decent selection of other drinks, though we’d like to see a few more beer options too.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This is the One&Only Mirage, and that means they set a very high standard for things like cleanliness, and you won’t be disappointed to find that you could pretty much eat in the toilet or the changing rooms if you were forced to do so.
You’ll also find that the pool area is extremely clean and that the water is clear and inviting all day long.
We don’t expect anything less from a high-end hotel chain in Dubai to be fair. Excellence is guaranteed in this respect.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The seating was OK. The daybeds look nice, and there’s a corporate uniformity to them that is both appealing and slightly unnerving at times.
However, though they will look fabulous in your Instagram feed, they’re not as comfortable as some of the other daybeds that we’ve tried in the emirate.
Everyone’s working very hard on these things, and it’s only a matter of degrees, but we felt they were comfortable enough, but not ultra-luxurious.
Music and Entertainment
The music is OK, our team didn’t get to visit when there was an event on and mainly this place is all about chilling by the ocean
We don’t object to that; in fact, it’s a pace of life that we think everyone appreciates at times, but it’s hard to be super enthusiastic about music that’s meant to lull you into a sort of relaxed semi-coma by the sea, too.
Seasonality
This is Dubai, and there simply is no seasonality. The entire year is hot and sunny, though if you want to avoid spending most of your time hiding in the shade, then you might try visiting around December time.
But the club will be open all year round, and there’s no doubt that the odds of rain interfering with your day of play are very remote.
It doesn’t rain very often, and when it does rain, it doesn’t rain for very long in Dubai.
Pricing and Value for Money
This is Dubai and that means it’s expensive. This beach club is not excessively expensive for the local environment but if we compare it to the rest of the world, there is definitely better value to be had in other locations.
Beach Access and Quality
The beach is attractive and has powdery sand on reclaimed land. That means that swimming here isn’t really an option in the sea because the visibility and water quality isn’t great. The amazing infinity pool more than makes up for that, though.
Sustainability Practices
One&Only has a corporate sustainability policy but they don’t share individual property targetrs or progress against those targets.
So, it’s a start but more could be done.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
You get a bed, a towel and a locker in exchange for your minimum spend here, and that’s pretty much the standard for Dubai and beach clubs as a whole.
We still find it strange how few beach clubs offer VIP/Premium inclusions for an extra fee, though. We’re on holiday, we want to splurge!
Safety and Security
Dubai is world-famous as one of the safest destinations on the planet, and that means that everyone in the emirate takes safety and security seriously.
At DRIFT, you will find that they may do a bag check at the door, and there will be a small check on your car as you leave it for the valet.
In the venue, there are always enough security staff for you to feel certain that if trouble were to break out that it would be handled professionally and swiftly.
Event Hosting Capabilities
One thing you can be certain of at any 5-star property in Dubai is that there will be an events management team on hand who can arrange pretty much any kind of event that your heart desires and wallet can afford.
That’s certainly true at this beach club and hotel complex, and we have no doubt that the team here will do a great job of things.
Consistency of Experience
Hotel beach clubs are the masters of consistent experiences, and our team, all the customers they spoke to in the beach club, and their online reviews (note: to management – please verify your Google review profile) agree, DRIFT Dubai is remarkably consistent.
It’s hard to imagine having a bad time at this beach club. If you like the cut of their gib, you’re going to fit right in.
However, there’s also no real evidence of continuous improvement, pushing to the next level of true beach club greatness, and that’s a bit of a shame.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
All the basic amenities that you’d expect at a hotel beach club are available here, and if you need something in particular, the staff may well be able to source it without you having to leave your daybed.
If that fails, you’re in Dubai, you can easily get out and find whatever you need in the rest of the emirate, which is usually a fairly short drive away, though in rush hour, that may not be the case.
Summary
A day at DRIFT is a very pleasant day out indeed. The staff are genuinely exceptional, and they make a huge difference in the quality of the experience.
We found the food and drinks to be very tasty, and the daybeds are very comfortable. Overall, our only real niggle with this place is that there’s still a feeling of “hotel chain” about the environment.
Sure, that’s what it is, but it always seems to have a slight impact on the ability to create something unique as opposed to just very good.
But very good is enough for us, and DRIFT Dubai is worth a repeat visit if we’re in the neighbourhood again any time soon.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At DRIFT Dubai?
Yes, there’s a very nice swimming pool at DRIFT, which is open to anyone who makes a reservation at the beach club (it is not open to those who only hold reservations for the restaurant area).
You can swim lengths or laps in there early in the day, but Dubai is super hot, and most people at beach clubs will use the pool to cool down on a regular basis. That does mean that by the time DRIFT starts to get busy, there’s much less room (if any) for swimming.
What Is There To Do At DRIFT Dubai?
You can enjoy comfortable seating and food, drinks, as well as swimming in the pool. We should note, however, that if you want to eat your meal in the restaurant, you must book that separately from the beach club.
This means going through the fairly painful process of using the beach club’s booking engine twice, not just once.
Is DRIFT Dubai A Child-Friendly Venue?
No, not really. The DRIFT beach club in Dubai has a strict age policy, and it only allows guests over the age of 12 into the venue’s restaurant, and you must be over 16 to enter the beach club. Those under 20 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
That’s fair enough, given that this isn’t the biggest beach club in Dubai and there is some emphasis on drinking in the establishment.
You should also be aware that you are responsible for your older children if they are inside the venue, and you should keep an eye on them for their health and safety as well as to ensure they don’t annoy any other visitors.
Who Is The Owner Of DRIFT Dubai?
DRIFT is part of the One&Only Dubai resort, which in turn is owned by the development and operation company Kerzner International.
Kerzner was founded by Sol Kerzner from South Africa and operates properties all over the globe. It should be noted that while Sol Kerzner was implicated in the Epstein scandal, he passed away in 2020, and the group is no longer under his management.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of DRIFT Dubai
Is DRIFT our one and only choice of beach club in Dubai? Well, no, it’s not. However, it is a very good beach club and you’re not going to be sorry if you choose to spend a day whiling some time away by the pool here.
As with most hotel beach clubs in luxury resorts, this is a carefully curated experience that plays it very safe in order to deliver a very exact vibe without ever taking any risks.
So, it’s not in the running for the title of “world’s best”, but it’s certainly worth your time and effort if you’re passing through the Emirate and in need of some pampering without the full-on party.
