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Family Daycation Brunch at Lapita Hotel – Review…

Fridays are made for Brunching, especially in Dubai. Last Friday, my family and I headed back to Dubai Parks and Resorts, this time to visit the Lapital Hotel for a Polynesian Daycation Brunch at Kalea Restaurant. After a spiritual stop over on Sheikh Zayed Road for Friday prayers, we reached Lapita Hotel by 2 pm. Now since lunch time for me is bang on 12 pm, you can imagine how RAVENOUS I was by this point! I even stole a few of the carrot sticks I had packed for Master Z to munch on. As I entered the restaurant we were brunching at however, I wondered if the lack of food had me going delirious because the sight before me was unreal, even by Dubai standards. 

Lapita Hotel

The entire hotel is Polynesian Themed and a tropical paradise in the midst of a desert. The attention to detail is astounding, and I love that the theme has been incorporated not just in the architecture but as far as furniture and even door handles. The engraved columns in the restaurant itself are works of art on their own. Though there is a lot of seating, the restaurant is bright and open thanks to the flood of natural light from the open french doors on the opposite side.

My family and I were shown to our table reserved for the “Sanjania Tribe“, and it took us a few minutes to catch our bearings and decide where to start.

Dining – Polynesian Cuisine

Sushi Cake anyone? The Polynesian Brunch was split in two – Cold food being served indoors, and hot food being served outdoors. Whilst the family went straight for the barbecued ribs outdoors, I explored the tables of sushi, cheese, salads, bread and cakes indoors. There was also an Indian themed table with Pani Puri and other such savoury snacks. The selection of sushi and salads were amazing, though the Indian counter lacked spice.

There was also a very impressive miniature vegetable garden that hid beneath it plenty of Hummus, complete with Thumbelina sized seating and minuscule garden tools.

I had to pull myself away from getting too close to the Desserts section, but from the corner of my eye did pick up on Fruit flavoured popcorn being “cooked” in Liquid Nitrogen. This was a big hit with the little ones.

On the other side of the open french doors, there was more seating, and even more food. The hot food stalls are placed at a very good distance away from each other, so as not to get too crowded. The stalls included a huge array of dishes including Fijan Chicken Curry, Paneer Tikka Masala and Duck stew.

Of course there was also a chef on hand cooking freshly made pasta right in front of us for noodle dishes that could not possibly get any fresher.

The stand that was most popular however, and rightly so, was the Live Cooking stand, where meat of all sorts were being freshly barbecued as you ordered them, along with Pineapple and Corn for extra sweetness. I loved the barbecued prawns and beef, where as the ribs were my husband’s favourite. The T-Bone was another popular one too! They had a great many sauces to accompany your meat of choice and appropriate for your taste palette. Also, watching the staff cook in Polynesian costume gave it that extra merit of specialty!

Back indoors, Dessert selection was just as diverse and amazingly presented. Many of the desserts used tropical ingredients, though the branded chocolates and chocolate fountain with melon cubes was my personal favourite.

Entertainment

Though food is everything, since Lapital Hotel offers a DAYCATION brunch, entertainment is a major part of your experience too. Master Z was itching to head to the Kids Club, and as soon as we finished licking our cutlery and plates, we headed outside for some fun.

Master Z found the Foosball Table to be the highlight in the Kid’s corner, and though the other children were much bigger than him in both age and size, it was comforting to see two staff members supervising the games and making sure everyone had a good time.

Upon exploring the Kid’s corner, I found that there was at least one, if not two, members of staff designated for each activity, ensuring child safety. Other activities included Hula Hooping , Air Hockey, Face Painting, Snooker and even a Photo Booth with props. There was also plenty of kid friendly food for the little ones that could not tear away from the games to refuel.

Entertainment for the Adults came in the form of live music by a DJ as well as a Duet that sung melodious tunes beautifully whilst we relaxed. The highlight however was the Free Head and Shoulder massage provided by Ola Spa attendants that left you feeling rejuvenated.

Once Master Z had enough of foosball mayhem, we headed towards the swimming pools for a splash. Mr Z and Master Z enjoyed playing a game of water basketball in the pool, and even Baby A wasn’t willing to get out of the pool. I love that Lapita Hotel has separate pools, a deep one for adults, a shallow one for children, as well as a Splash Pad and a Lazy River that you can enjoy on a Flamingo float. Surrounded by tribal inspired architecture, the atmosphere was as idyllic as it gets.

Overall Experience

Though Lapita Hotel is quite a drive away from home, every minute was worth the earlier starvation because this Brunch does not only cater to your stomachs but also to your mind and soul, and more importantly to your children. I would highly recommend this for a family outing, though I must say that we were able to enjoy the outdoors thanks to the cool weather. I am not sure what changes will be made to the dynamics of this brunch as Dubai approaches summer, but best to take advantage of the winter breeze if you do decide to go.

The Sanjania Tribe gave it the seal of approval, and I think I would go as far as saying it’s the best Brunch Dubai is offering at the moment, in terms of value for money and experience. There huge selections of choices means that there is something for everyone, and I am sure you will not be dissapointed if you visit the Lapita Hotel Daycation Brunch.

There are also indoor Kids Clubs for the children that unfortunately we did not get to explore. However, some of the other bloggers that visited did so, so you may want to check out their reviews of the Daycation Brunch as linked below!

Keri of Our Globetrotters , Paula of And Then There Were 2 , Ayu of Ayu Tanimoto , Abigail of Cuddles&Crumbs.

Kalea Restaurant Daycation Brunch Package, every Friday 1-5 pm:

Adults: AED 195 with soft beverages OR AED 295 with house beverages

Kids under 12: AED 95 for children until 12 years old

Entry includes kids club, entertainment and pool, as well as free Valet Parking.

If you want to have a piece of the Tropical Paradise, book your table by calling them on 04 810 9999 or drop them an email on [email protected]. For more information on Lapita Hotel, visit the website here.

Note: We were invited to attend the launch at Lapital Hotel Daycation Brunch. However, all views and opinions expressed above are honest and solely my own.