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Bulgari Yacht Club Pool Day, Dubai: Worth it?
Bulgari Yacht Club Dubai, At the time of the review, the following pricing applied. Day Pass per person fully redeemable on food and beverage: AED450 Beach and Pool Day Pass per person non-redeemable: AED800 (US$218, £155, EUR180). Updated 26 September 2022: pricing is revised as follows: pool cabanas start at AED800 fully redeemable on weekdays, AED 1500 with AED 1000 redeemable on weekends. Other options are available at cheaper prices. You can contact the Bulgari Yacht Club Dubai for the latest information. Bulgari Yacht Club Dubai, Jumeirah Bay Island, Jumeirah 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. +97147775433.
Written by Liam Collens / Find other reviews here.
Bulgari Yacht Club Pool Day is undoubtedly indulgent. Still, so far in Dubai, it's the yardstick by which pool days are measured.
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
The Lows
Bulgari Yacht Club Pool Day, Dubai: Worth it?
Boujis does not even behind to describe the scene turning into the man-made Jumeirah Bay Island littered with drop-top Bentleys and champagne-tinted BMWs.
Bvlgari Yacht Club bookends a series of truffle-stained signs named ‘The Mansions’ and ‘The Residences’. Superyachts appear between buildings groaning with their Vilebrequin dressed owners.
I can still be astonished by glamour and wealth in Dubai, even after six years of living here.
My proletariat, dusty Kia Sportage rounds the cul-de-sac before the Bvlgari Yacht Club entrance. A polo-wearing, attentive valet hops towards me like a ballerina taking my key (without judgement) and pirouettes away. Valet parking is complimentary.
Bvlgari Yacht Club valet parking (first); Bvlgari Yacht Club tuktuk at the front entrance
Mrs EatGoSee and I check in effortlessly; bookings are highly recommended. We are promptly escorted to what is promised to be an indulgent afternoon lounging between the Arabian Sea and a pool stocked with men of an advanced age surrounded by what I will politely assume are his daughters (and their friends) “doing it for the gram”.
The warm panelled walls emulate a yacht’s wooden boards. A model superyacht reinforces the theme. It reminds me of (the best bits of) Harry’s Bar in Venice.
Bvlgari Yacht Club interior decor including portraits
Bvlgari Yacht Club interior decor and private members lounge
Bvlgari Yacht Club bookends a series of truffle-stained signs named ‘The Mansions’ and ‘The Residences’. Superyachts appear between buildings groaning with their Vilebrequin dressed owners.
I can still be astonished by glamour and wealth in Dubai, even after six years of living here.
My proletariat, dusty Kia Sportage rounds the cul-de-sac before the Bvlgari Yacht Club entrance. A polo-wearing, attentive valet hops towards me like a ballerina taking my key (without judgement) and pirouettes away. Valet parking is complimentary.
Bvlgari Yacht Club valet parking (first); Bvlgari Yacht Club tuktuk at the front entrance
Mrs EatGoSee and I check in effortlessly; bookings are highly recommended. We are promptly escorted to what is promised to be an indulgent afternoon lounging between the Arabian Sea and a pool stocked with men of an advanced age surrounded by what I will politely assume are his daughters (and their friends) “doing it for the gram”.
The warm panelled walls emulate a yacht’s wooden boards. A model superyacht reinforces the theme. It reminds me of (the best bits of) Harry’s Bar in Venice.
Bvlgari Yacht Club interior decor including portraits
Bvlgari Yacht Club interior decor and private members lounge
Bulgari Yacht Club Dubai: Pool Area
A phalanx of dark wood cabanas flowing with white fabric surrounds the pool’s perimeter. Guests can also choose views of the Arabian Sea, beaches and yachts should they wish. The latter offers a smidge more privacy but the Bvlgari Yacht Club is hardly a hive of activity. Most of our time is spent staring into empty cabanas and quietly debating how much work “the daughters and co” had done.
Bvlgari Yacht Club pool day pass for AED450
Our cabana comes with a soft(ish) bed, oversized nautical-themed cobalt pillows, towels and a duo of bottled San Benedetto water. A small quibble: two complimentary 330ml feels a tad stingy and a full litre is more appropriate when handing over the better part of 500 dirhams. The threat of walking to and from the bar is mercifully relieved by a push-button. Bartenders spring into action to take our orders. They are efficient, polite and knowledgeable about the menu.
An annual membership at the Bvlgari Yacht Club will set you back a toe-curling AED15,000 for one person or AED20,000 for a couple. You will need to decide whether that’s good value but keep in mind that a Pool Day Pass is ‘only’ AED 450.
Talking about value for money at the Bvlgari Yacht Club feels like an uphill climb and how could you possibly measure it? Nonetheless, I ‘justified’ this indulgence on the basis that the access fee is fully redeemable against all the food and beverage options available. Put differently, you get your money back.
Concern about whether you will consume the entire value of your access fee entirely underestimates the Bvlgari Yacht Club’s canny ability to wholesale extract money.
Sushi maki rolls start at AED130 for the vegetarian option but the novel addition of fish to your sushi takes the price to AED150. Sashimi plates are AED200.
The Italian menu offers more modestly priced options such as the bruschetta a la Pomodoro and truffled arancini with lemon mayonnaise (AED40-50). The arancini are some of the best I have ever eaten. Pillowy, soft, gooey and encased in a crisp crust.
I am pleasantly surprised that wine by the bottle starts at AED280 allowing for lazy cabana lounging fueled by Italian rosati. Wine by the bottle is usually well north of 300.
Bvlgari Yacht Club pool day pass for AED450
Our cabana comes with a soft(ish) bed, oversized nautical-themed cobalt pillows, towels and a duo of bottled San Benedetto water. A small quibble: two complimentary 330ml feels a tad stingy and a full litre is more appropriate when handing over the better part of 500 dirhams. The threat of walking to and from the bar is mercifully relieved by a push-button. Bartenders spring into action to take our orders. They are efficient, polite and knowledgeable about the menu.
An annual membership at the Bvlgari Yacht Club will set you back a toe-curling AED15,000 for one person or AED20,000 for a couple. You will need to decide whether that’s good value but keep in mind that a Pool Day Pass is ‘only’ AED 450.
Talking about value for money at the Bvlgari Yacht Club feels like an uphill climb and how could you possibly measure it? Nonetheless, I ‘justified’ this indulgence on the basis that the access fee is fully redeemable against all the food and beverage options available. Put differently, you get your money back.
Concern about whether you will consume the entire value of your access fee entirely underestimates the Bvlgari Yacht Club’s canny ability to wholesale extract money.
Sushi maki rolls start at AED130 for the vegetarian option but the novel addition of fish to your sushi takes the price to AED150. Sashimi plates are AED200.
The Italian menu offers more modestly priced options such as the bruschetta a la Pomodoro and truffled arancini with lemon mayonnaise (AED40-50). The arancini are some of the best I have ever eaten. Pillowy, soft, gooey and encased in a crisp crust.
I am pleasantly surprised that wine by the bottle starts at AED280 allowing for lazy cabana lounging fueled by Italian rosati. Wine by the bottle is usually well north of 300.
...lounging between the Arabian Sea and a pool stocked with men of an advanced age surrounded by what I will politely assume are his daughters...
Bulgari Yacht Club Pool, child friendly?
Bvlgari Yacht Club is child friendly while managing a sophisticated vibe. Well-behaved children came and left accompanied by parents in cabanas or sipping drinks in the leafy bar area. There is also a discrete child’s play area adjacent to the pool hidden behind foliage with its own lifeguard.
The Bvlgari Yacht Club is far from being a daycare with a pool feature, unlike some resorts (especially in Dubai Marina or The Palm).
Bvlgari Yacht Club with cabanas also facing the Arabian Sea and beaches
Absolutely, but it will not be a regular feature. Dubai is spoiled for luxurious pool and beach days. Bvlgari Yacht Club feels exclusive without being contrived or self-important. Bvlgari sits as one of the most enjoyable ones in my experience. I went in cynical about the Bvlgari Yacht Club but came out converted.
The Bvlgari Yacht Club is far from being a daycare with a pool feature, unlike some resorts (especially in Dubai Marina or The Palm).
Bvlgari Yacht Club with cabanas also facing the Arabian Sea and beaches
Would I return to Bvlgari Yacht Club Pool?
Absolutely, but it will not be a regular feature. Dubai is spoiled for luxurious pool and beach days. Bvlgari Yacht Club feels exclusive without being contrived or self-important. Bvlgari sits as one of the most enjoyable ones in my experience. I went in cynical about the Bvlgari Yacht Club but came out converted.
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