Every year, when we at ALG Vacations® begin planning for Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, we ask ourselves, How can we serve you better? From offering avenues for exploring more areas and destinations to providing more support and resources, how can we lead?
The bar is high. In the past, we’ve awarded travel advisors with grand prize experiences at some of the most sumptuous properties in Mexico and the Caribbean, dream family vacations in the U.S., a luxury itinerary in Europe, and so much more. And that’s in addition to supplementary prize giveaways! But for 2025, in celebration of standing beside you as we grow our ability for you to book top of the line properties with Luxe by ALG Vacations® and bucket list destinations, we’re reaching for the epitome of posh: a week in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Two hotels share the marquee; both are Luxe properties, meaning that it meets the absolute highest standards possible as personally determined by ALGV’s team. Fleshing out the stay are unique upscale experiences, too, as well as air credit, providing the winner an opportunity to see and experience what Luxe means firsthand. Plus, as a Certified Autism Destination, the first in the Eastern Hemisphere, it’s now literally a city that’s welcome and accessible to nearly all.
Without further ado, here’s what’s in store for the winner of this epic grand prize.
A Stay at InterContinental Dubai Marina
Spend two nights at this Luxe by ALG Vacations® property located right on the marina, within walking distance of Jumeirah Beach and its iconic palm formation, Dubai Marina Mall, and the Dubai tram, which puts Dubai Harbor, Media City, and Expo City right at your door. But closer still are the attractions right within the hotel, which is a veritable art gallery.
The fine art collection at InterContinental Dubai Marina is installed throughout the hotel, offering surprises and delights throughout. The Pink Sculptures – the hotel’s signature piece – is the first to greet visitors, and in the lobby, The Curators (including one particularly “curious” one!) stand guard over the property’s greatest treasures: its guests. Look for the Moai statues near the meeting spaces, a trio of portraits of UAE sheikhs made entirely of nails, the towering Travellers that honor both guests and the Bedouins of the peninsula, and quirky penguins in an unlikely outdoor habitat.
Of course, the pool isn’t the only wellness and relaxation amenity on site. The BeautySpot Spa is known for signature massage treatments, and the sizeable 24-hour fitness center is so professional that locals vie for memberships via the Neighbours Club.
Meanwhile, dining and imbibing is offered in several outlets, including poolside, a convenient deli, a dinner theater, social house for live music performances, and perhaps one of the most luxurious coffee shops ever, where you can browse the highest end designer brand handbags to accessories.
JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai
Experience the lively downtown district at the world’s tallest five-star hotel, whose every floor across two towers offers something special, whether it’s water or cityscape views, opulently furnished suites, great restaurants, executive lounge, Saray Spa, fitness center, or gorgeous event spaces.
Within the Luxe by ALGV hotel, look forward to panoramic vistas from the room, where deluxe bedding, marble bathrooms, and available 24-hour room service can easily spoil you. A dozen award-winning restaurants, bars, and lounges reference the international spirit of the city; cuisines represented include Indian, European café, Italian, Thai, Japanese, and one of the Dubai’s premier steakhouses. Then you can plan to join locals and elegant tourists at cocktail and cigar bar Vault on the 71st and 72nd floors.
From that high vantage point, it’ll be easy to see that the hotel is central to the city, smack dab near the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, and Dubai Opera. Plan the route for your next day’s adventure from this bird’s eye view.
Experiences Beyond the Stay
On this grand prize trip, the winner will get a chance to catch their breath outside of the city, too … only to lose it again with an exciting out on a wildlife drive from this private, guest-only world-class hotel on the sand dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve less than an hour away. Here’s where you’ll get your pictures of the emerald canopies and palm groves against the ochres of the sand beyond and a peek at what traditional Bedouin life may have been like.
The wildlife drive will take the winner to the only protected area management in all of the Middle East and the first national park in the United Arab Emirates. There, you might see Arabian Oryx, Arabian Gazelle, Sand Gazelle, Arabian Red Fox, Leptiens Spiny-tailed lizards, the enormous Desert Monitor, Pharaoh Eagle Owls, Lappet-faced Vultures, and more.
Back at the property, an informal afternoon tea awaits, with snacks like finger sandwiches and scones set up buffet-style to enjoy at leisure as you take in the views with a hot beverage in hand.
Learn more about what ALG Vacations® is doing for Travel Advisor Appreciation Month 2025! Visit www.algvacations.com/taam.
