While the majority of beach clubs in Dubai are all about the glitz and glamour of the emirate, O Beach Dubai aims to recreate the Ibiza experience in the UAE, and it’s only just reopened at the Habtoor Grand after some fairly extensive renovation.
There are over 55,000 square feet of floor space for them to offer and a 4,000 square foot swimming pool, which makes up the central attraction. There’s an elevated restaurant and even a shisha lounge, but does all this add up to the Balearics in the Gulf?
We had to find out for ourselves, so we sent out our review team, armed with pens, paper, and the company credit card, to do the needful. And this is what they learned at O Beach Dubai.
Introduction – Getting To O Beach Dubai
O Beach Dubai is in Dubai Marina, which is Dubai’s second most popular tourist district after Jumeirah.
It’s also right next door to Jumeriah, which means that while getting to Dubai may involve a long, complicated journey (though given Dubai Airport’s prominence as a transport hub – in most cases, getting to the Emirate is super easy, getting to O Beach is not much of a challenge at all.
However, we should note that if you are based in Deira or on the other side of the creek from Jumeriah, the Dubai traffic can be extremely heavy at times, so if you’ve made a reservation at O Beach, you’ll want to set off early to be sure of making it in time.
Mostly, Dubai clubs are pretty easy about tardiness as long as you call to let them know why you’re late, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, particularly at busy times of year, by getting there on time.
When you do arrive, your taxi can drop you at the door, or you can pull up at the door and use the valet parking. This is Dubai, and it’s simply too hot for people to do much in the way of walking. Everybody lives a life that sees them moving from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned building.
Where Is O Beach Dubai? Habtoor Grand Hotel Beach Front – Al Seyahi St – Marsa Dubai – Dubai Marina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Online: O Beach
Opening Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8.30 p.m. all other days, hours may vary during Ramadan and on public holidays
What’s Available At O Beach Dubai?
O Beach Dubai is very much a party-oriented destination, and that means there’s a huge sound system with DJs (both local and international) manning the decks.
There’s a large pool area surrounded by comfortable daybeds and cabanas. There’s also an attractive restaurant on a raised platform that gives lovely 360-degree views over the area.
You’ll also find that they have a shisha lounge where you can enjoy a more traditional Emirati pastime with flavoured tobaccos.
Our Detailed Review Of O Beach Dubai
We use a standardised method to assess each beach club, ensuring fair consideration for owners, management, and staff, and presenting reviews in a uniform structure that aids in comparing different locations.
The assessment procedure is structured as follows:
- A review team is assigned to evaluate the venue.
- All members must visit the beach club, though they may visit individually and on different days.
- At the venue, each reviewer completes a scorecard, scoring the club from 1 (lowest standard) to 5 (highest standard) across predefined categories, while also recording their observations.
- Once all scorecards are submitted, the team meets to review their findings and settle on final category scores.
- A chosen team member then composes the review, capturing the team’s consensus and scores, before it is posted on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
Well, O Beach Dubai lets us down at the first hurdle by being yet another user of SevenRooms rather than building their own booking engine.
The issue we have with SevenRooms is that it’s not made for beach clubs. Yes, it’s a big brand name, but it’s designed for restaurant bookings.
Nobody expects to be able to choose their seat in a restaurant, but it’s a big deal when you’re in a beach club. After all, who wants the seat closest to the toilet? Or on a direct path from the kitchen so that every waiter walks past you every few minutes?
SevenRooms has severely basic functionality, and frankly, this is the land of extreme wealth. If the beach clubs in Bali can manage highly functional booking systems on a shoestring budget, why would we be impressed with beach clubs in this Emirate doing the bare minimum?
Yes, it’s better than using WhatsApp, but not by a whole lot. C’mon, O Beach Dubai, get your act together.
Ambience and Atmosphere
Things improve once you reach the club, and it’s a noticeably adult environment with good vibes and energy running through it, no matter what time of day you arrive.
This being Dubai, it’s not an immediately social vibe, though once the drinks have been flowing for an hour or two, things loosen up and everybody starts to mingle freely.
But there’s no doubt that overall, O Beach Dubai does a good job of feeling the way that a party destination ought to feel, light, summery and upbeat.
You can feel that there will be good times and fun in the air, and that’s exactly what you need after a long day in the Dubai heat.
Location And Accessibility
Dubai Marina is an excellent place to be in the Emirate, and really, only Jumeirah offers a better location for beach clubs.
Most visitors are only likely to be a short drive away from O Beach Dubai, and that’s a good thing, because as those who are farther away are likely to discover, the Dubai traffic can be beastly, particularly at rush hour.
However, unlike many beach clubs in Dubai, it’s not a fully wheelchair accessible venue, so make sure to contact the club ahead of time if you need to use a chair and find out what’s available to you.
Alternatively, you might opt for another beach club with clearer information on this subject available online.
Aesthetic And Design
The decor matches the atmosphere, and it’s bright and breezy with a touch of fun. Well, as fun as things get in Dubai, there’s still that conservative corporate edge to things.
Overall, this is a place where you’re going to revel in grabbing your camera and snapping away some shots for your Instagram.
We particularly like the bar area on the private beach, which feels special and allows even those of us on a modest budget to feel like a celebrity for an hour or so.
It’s a very attractive spot, and we’d be surprised if anyone found it otherwise.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
Overall, our beach club review team had nothing but praise for the friendliness and professionalism of the staff at O Beach Dubai.
They felt that, as with all beach clubs in Dubai, the ability to draw on a global talent pool is a big win.
However, one of our reviewers found that despite making a reservation and checking in advance that the reservation was valid, was told their seats were given away when they arrived at the club.
And the only recompense for this was to be offered seats that cost three times the seats that they had booked. That wasn’t great and certainly not in keeping with excellent customer service.
Service Speed and Efficiency
We all felt that once seated, things were excellent at O Beach Dubai, and that the servers were excellent at anticipating when we’d want attention and being close by at those times.
We also found that food and drinks came swiftly from the kitchens and bar, and we never really felt that we were waiting too long for anything.
Even the check at the end of the day was brought swiftly, and while none of us needed change, we expected that it would also have been delivered speedily if required.
Food Quality and Variety
The food was OK at O Beach Dubai. We weren’t really expecting much more than that. It’s a party-oriented place after all, once people have downed a gallon of beer, they tend to be a little less fussy.
However, the prices are pretty high even for a Dubai beach club, and that means that we weren’t entirely convinced that we got value for money.
There’s a decent selection of dishes on the menu, though, and they certainly do use fresh ingredients (though it’s unlikely that it’s all local produce; there aren’t many farms in the desert around Dubai).
Beverage Selection and Creativity
In stark contrast, O Beach Dubai has an excellent selection of beverages, and it’s a pretty extensive selection too.
Our team was impressed with the look of the cocktails, which were very Gram-worthy and overall, we don’t think you’re going to be unhappy with the drinks here.
And the high prices are simply a reflection of the costs of drinking in Dubai; they are not too far out of line with other beach clubs in the emirates.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This is Dubai, and we’ve never been anywhere that lets the side down when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene; it’s a basic expectation of every business in the emirate.
O Beach doesn’t disappoint on this front. Everywhere is as gleamingly clean as you’d expect.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The seating at O Beach is very comfortable, and we’d expect it to be given how much the minimum spend is.
Overall, it’s not quite the best we’ve ever tried, but we can happily spend a day on the daybeds here without needing to change seats.
Music and Entertainment
There’s no doubt that the music and entertainment at O Beach are very, very good, and we expect the team from Ibiza to have been out to Dubai to ensure that everyone has been trained up in this area.
If you’re in the mood for a party, this is a vital aspect of the day, and it’s something that most beach clubs don’t do all that well.
It’s not quite at the same level as FINNS in Bali, but it’s certainly heading in that direction. If you love live music, dancing and fun, you’ll be very happy with O Beach.
Score: 5/5
Seasonality
In this emirate, there is only one real season, “hot and sunny”. Which means there’s no real seasonality to speak of.
The beach clubs are open all year round and the weather is almost always perfect for them. Just make sure to use sunscreen and stay in the shade, the Dubai sun is very severe and sunburn can really ruin your holiday.
Pricing and Value for Money
This is Dubai, which means that it’s expensive. We did think that O Beach was slightly more expensive than some other clubs in Dubai, but not by enough for it to damage its overall value for money.
However, there’s no doubt that if you don’t mind travelling the world, you can get better value for money than at any of the beach clubs in Dubai.
Beach Access and Quality
The beach at O Beach is private, which means you won’t find it swarmed with curious labourers looking to see barely dressed ladies for the first time in their lives.
It’s also very pleasant with soft sand that is kept immaculate by the staff at O Beach Dubai. It is, of course, reclaimed land but that’s OK, it won’t detract from the enjoyment of the beach at all.
Just make sure to wear shoes of some kind on the sand, you can seriously burn your feet if you don’t.
Sustainability Practices
While O Beach has some guff on its website about the use of coloured bins for recycling, there’s really not much else there to base things on.
There’s certainly no sustainability reporting. So, we guess that they’ve made a start in this area, but there’s really quite a lot more to be done.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
You get a daybed, a towel and a locker at O Beach, and that’s about it. Though you can join their “Inner Circle” program and get additional member benefits, including points and cash back on previous spending that you can use in future visits.
Safety and Security
This is Dubai, and it’s considered to be one of the most safe and secure destinations on the planet today. So, you’ll be pleased to know that O Beach Dubai takes that commitment seriously.
There are random searches on the way into the club, and they have more than enough security on-site to head any trouble off at the pass.
Event Hosting Capabilities
There is a specific set of private event spaces and a dedicated events team at O Beach Dubai, and we suspect they’ll do a pretty decent job of managing things.
Unlike the person who built their private event hosting webpage, which is not only hideous, but uses BLOCK CAPITALS throughout so that it feels like it’s shouting at you. Seriously, O Beach?
Consistency of Experience
Our review team spoke to other guests and went through a bunch of online reviews, which concurred with their own experiences.
O Beach Dubai offers a very consistent party experience where you can go and enjoy good times with other adults.
However, nobody felt that they were pushing the envelope or trying to improve themselves on a continuous basis. Good appears to be good enough at O Beach Dubai.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
They have all the amenities that you would expect for a party beach club in Dubai, and while there’s nothing much on top of that, if you do need anything else, it shouldn’t be too hard to find it elsewhere in the Emirate.
This is Dubai, where if you’ve got the money, they’ve got the goods, as long as they are legal.
Summary
We enjoyed our day at O Beach Dubai. While it wasn’t a perfect day out, there’s no doubt that they know how to have a party at this beach club.
The entertainment is excellent, but the food isn’t as good, not that it matters once you’ve had a large amount of drink to wash it down with.
We do like that, unlike at some of the other beach clubs, that the daybed is effectively free based on a minimum spend, rather than paying to sit down.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At O Beach Dubai?
Yes, you can swim at O Beach Dubai. There is a central pool area at O Beach where you are welcome to enjoy a swim; however, we should note that the pool is pretty small compared to the number of visitors and that this club can get extremely crowded, indeed.
At the busiest times of day, you won’t be able to swim, as it will be packed with people enjoying a cocktail and seeking an escape from the Dubai sun.
And while you can, in theory, swim in the sea in Dubai, nobody really does. The sand is boiling hot, the water is warm and often cloudy, as it’s mostly reclaimed land, so it’s best to stick to the pool.
Overall, if swimming is a vital part of your day out at a beach club, O Beach Dubai is probably not the right choice for you unless you’re prepared to get there when it opens, swim and then spend the rest of the day partying.
What Is There To Do At O Beach Dubai?
O Beach is really about partying, and there are daybeds to relax on, a pool to swim in and restaurant and bar facilities.
It also has a private beach area with some pleasant views over to the JBR and of the marina’s skyline.
Is O Beach Dubai A Child-Friendly Venue?
No, while there are many beach clubs in Dubai that are completely family-friendly, O Beach Dubai is not among them.
The venue has a strict over-21s policy, and this is enforced at the door; if you cannot present ID that proves you are old enough to enter O Beach Dubai, you simply won’t be allowed in.
This is a party venue which is intended for adults to blow off steam, and there are no facilities inside that would be suitable for kids.
There are plenty of other beach clubs in Dubai where you can take kids, or you could even take your children to the emirate’s public beaches on designated family days or in designated family areas.
Who Is The Owner Of O Beach Dubai?
O Beach Dubai is owned by a team. This team is headed up by Tony Truman, who is a founding partner of the IMI Group, which founded O Beach Ibiza, and Duane Lineker, who has extensive experience in financial management and business development.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of O Beach Dubai
O Beach Dubai is one of Dubai’s best party-focused beach clubs. It’s not quite in the same league as Pacha, but it’s not that far off either.
Overall, as long as you understand that this is not a family day out but a place where adults congregate to let their hair dow and have a good time under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol, you’re going to enjoy a day at this beach club.
We felt that even in Dubai’s crowded beach club market that O Beach does enough to stand out from the crowd. It’s certainly a place that we’d visit again, the next time we pass through the Dubai Marina area.
