Weekly A to Z

Weekly A to Z

Share this post

Weekly A to Z
Weekly A to Z
Umi Kei.

Umi Kei.

Nice for hotel guests.

Courtney Brandt's avatar
Courtney Brandt
Apr 08, 2025
∙ Paid
3

Share this post

Weekly A to Z
Weekly A to Z
Umi Kei.
Share

A sophisticated Izakaya-inspired restaurant where the buzz of laughter and conversation is shared with Japanese classics.

Having visited The Cullinan not even a week earlier, I was back at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab to try one of the in-house dining options, Umi Kei. This was my first time in the hotel proper, and I have to say, the layout is quite narrow—uncomfortably so. Like, enough that I noticed it as we walked the length of the property. Much like my recent visit, there is (still) a surprising lack of signage. Literally, nothing. Not a sign, not a direction, not an arrow, nothing. I’m sure this is a choice in luxury design, but I find the lack of wayfinding confusing. Similarly, for those paying AED7K per night to actually stay in the hotel, I think it’s worth having more staff on hand to help personally direct people (a la arrival at the O&O Za’abeel).

Ahem.

We make our way to the far back corner of the hotel, to find a collection of restaurants within restaurants. Is this the JMAA at…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Weekly A to Z to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Courtney Brandt
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share