Two months ago I had the honor and pleasure, to stay at The Oberoi in Dubai. The Oberoi Dubai is part of The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934 by Mr. M.S. Oberoi. His philosophy, which is still the main value at the hotel group, was “The guest is everything.” When staying at The Oberoi in Dubai I truly felt seen and valued and every single staff member was so friendly, respectful and accommodating.

The Oberoi in Dubai counts with 252 spacious rooms and suites with floor to ceiling windows and uninterrupted views of the Burj Khalifa, Dubai cityscape or the hotel’s pool. It counts with several restaurants serving European, Indian, Arabic and Latin American cuisine. If you want to unwind after a working day or a sightseeing day, the perfect place to go is the Oberoi Spa, which offers holistic treatments that include Aromatherapy, Eastern, Western and the signature Oberoi massage. Other services include Sodashi facials and body treatments. If you feel like you have some energy left, hit the gym which is open 24 hours and is equipped with cross trainers, exercycles and treadmills, a multigym and free weights. With the risks associated with COVID-19, and in keeping with World Health Organization and Ministry of Tourism guidelines, The Oberoi Group has put several measures in place to ensure the guests safety and wellbeing. A detailed outline of all measures can be found here.

During my stay I was lucky to have a premier room with views of the iconic Burj Khalifa, which I enjoyed every single morning and night. In the mornings I had breakfast at the Nine7One, where you can choose to sit inside, or outside in the courtyard with birds chirping around me. There is an extensive menu to choose from, whether you fancy Indian or Arabic cuisine, or if you like a sweet breakfast or are more into eggs. For vegetarians, like me, there are plenty of options as well.

As much as I loved staying at the hotel, I was also there to see how The Oberoi Dubai is doing when it comes to sustainability. So what policies does the hotel implement?

Energy consumption: The hotel has implemented an energy conservation plan, which consists of:
- installation of LED panel lights and LED lamps in guest rooms
- installation of EndoCube in chillers and freezers
- Scheduling of temperature in HVAC units (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning).
Water consumption: The hotel has installed Pressure Reducing Valves to reduce unwanted water consumption and water saving aerators in all guest room bidets.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
- The hotel has joined the Soap for Hope initiative. The Soap For Hope program - by Diversey - focuses on 3 core objectives:
  - Saving lives - enabling hygiene through providing access to soap to communities who need soap but lack access
  - Enhancing livelihood for the local community through recycling and reprocessing soap
  - Helping hotels reduce waste by turning used soap into something useful again
- All staff is paid above minimum wage and is offered various training opportunities.
Green Accreditations: Green Building Certification by Dubai Municipality
Other:
- A dedicated sustainability committee which focuses on making the hotel practices more sustainable.
- Use of paint that has zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) and low or no odor.
- Use of organic pesticides in outdoor spaces.

Restaurants and bars

Roughly half of the main courses are vegetarian
Paper straws are being used
Only sustainable fish and meat are used
Only bio fuel is used
The coffee capsules used are 100% compostable and biodegradable.

Last month, The Oberoi Group has also signed a Memo of Understanding with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) in India to further its sustainability initiatives. The EESL will assist the hotel group in implementing several well-established energy-efficient initiatives, including clean energy systems across its properties. These will help reduce its overall carbon footprint and strengthen its energy conservation efforts. The EESL and all Oberoi Group hotels will together evaluate opportunities for saving energy and lowering emissions. Vikram Oberoi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Oberoi Group mentioned: “Sustainability is at the core of our ethos at The Oberoi Group. It has always been our endeavor to identify and implement innovative, ecological solutions across our hotels and businesses. Several of our hotels are powered by renewable sources and are supplemented with energy-efficient measures which have progressively reduced our carbon footprint. Our partnership with EESL further strengthens our commitment towards the planet and our vision of providing sustainable luxury experiences to our guests.” (Today’s Traveller).

Location: The Oberoi Centre , Al A'amal St, Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Phone: +971 4 444 1444

Email: reservations@oberoigroup.com

Website: The Oberoi Dubai

Instagram: @oberoidubai

Pictures: The Oberoi Dubai and myself