Behind Dubai's fast-paced advancements are hardworking individuals, that is definitely no doubt. Comprised mostly of expats, who shoved the idea of having to spend time with their family in their homelands just to provide for their needs; they are mostly preoccupied with work allotting only a single day for rest (consider yourself lucky if you get a two-day rest!).

Eat, work, sleep, repeat—same old routine that I'm sure most of us can relate to. But wouldn't it be nice to get to pamper yourself and indulge into a gastronomic feast after a week's worth of hard work? Who wouldn't want that, yeah? That's what Evenings at Gloria Hotel advocates.

One fine night, Cat and I got to explore the best of American cuisine at the sundeck of Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Special thanks to Zomato and JBH, we got to indulge on food, drinks, and desserts especially made by no less than the American culinary legend and celebrity chef, Chef Sammy Demarco.

While everyone else was busy starting the work week, I spent the first two days of it last week just as how I like it, with pure rest and relaxation. Special thanks to Arjaan by Rotana in Dubai Media City! :D

It was also very timely that my girl friend, Cat, and I haven't seen each other for almost half a year, so I tagged her along for our  much needed catching  up. And we all did this at the comfort of a luxury suite!

Our Romantic Escape in Nour Arjaan came with a complimentary dinner at Murjan Cafe. Breakfast and lunch were also offered to us for complimentary during our stay.

We arrived at the hotel past lunch time and the almost two-hour travel surely made us hungry, so we went ahead to have our late lunch at Murjan Cafe after we got our things settled in our suite.

When I first got to the UAE a little over a year ago, it has been my goal since then to explore all its seven emirates. And although I've already been to Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, apart from Dubai, I know that I'm not even a quarter of a halfway there since there are still a lot for me to explore. It is also still a work in progress considering Mark and I have more important things to prioritize. So when an invitation to try out the Romantic Escape at Nour Arjaan by Rotana in Fujairah came my way, I'm sure you know what happened next. :)

The romantic bed arrangement in our Premium One-Bedroom Suite

After an almost two-hour ride from Dubai, we finally saw the rock mountains adorning the roads to Fujairah. Located at the heart of the city, amidst Fujairah's exclusive areas, Nour Arjaan by Rotana is one of Rotana's luxurious properties in Fujairah. It is ideally located close to several tourist attractions such as Fujairah City Center and Fujairah open beach.

We were greeted courteously by the staff when we arrived at the hotel. Check-in was a breeze and we were already on our way to our suite in no time.

Thought only Oktoberfest existed? Well, I thought so too. While many are familiar with the German festival of Oktoberfest, which we celebrate in the Philippines too, the spring offering of Maifest is lesser known to me, but it is apparently celebrated in much the same way.

Maifest is the traditional German celebration that marks the arrival of spring and Mark and I got to experience it when it came back at Grand Hyatt Dubai for a third year running, last April 29, just as summer in Dubai has officially started.

Just like in every fast-growing nations, life in Dubai also seems to be fast-paced. Living here for more than half a year now, I observed that most of the people, locals and expats alike, tend to be too preoccupied with work that they almost forget to unwind, spend quality time with their families, and "live life".

And I think it's a great idea for The Westin Dubai to try to get people back to "living life" with its Saturday "Pik-Nik".


The Westin Dubai, Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, announced its new Saturday "Pik-Nik", which launched last Saturday, March 7, 2015. Mark and I were lucky to be part of the launch along with other families. Seeing the place immediately made me feel as if we were transported to a different site, far from the hustle and bustle of the city life.