When was the last time you played, just played, for no particular reason?
‘Play’, the dictionary tells us, is ‘activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children’, but play should not be only reserved for the young, especially in 2021.
In a world still gripped by the pandemic, even in such a protected bubble as the UAE, I wonder if perhaps play has ever been more important?
Take for example the words of Cale D. Magnuson and Lynn Barnett from the Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism University of Illinois in their research paper ‘The Playful Advantage: How Playfulness Enhances Coping with Stress’.
“Playfulness may serve a purpose much more extensive than previously thought and that its benefits persist beyond childhood and into adulthood,” they wrote.
“Adult playfulness may well contribute to the individual’s resilience through its unique employment of coping styles in the face of stressful situations. With the ubiquity of changes in their social landscape and climate, and the unique challenges of the 21st century, there may be few more valuable attributes to study and develop than the characteristic of resilience.”
So how does one personally study and develop such resilience through play?
Well, you could continue reading Magnuson and Barnett’s excellent paper, or you could pursue your own scientific experiment.
And there can be fewer finer laboratories than the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which offers opportunities galore to carry out some practical research in the field.
The Presidential Suite bedroom of Jumeirah Beach Hotel
For while this is a luxury hotel with elegant design throughout, it’s the ethos of this property that truly makes it five-star, its mission statement being ‘everything a family needs’. And it’s a mission that’s lived and breathed by the staff. Just spend five minutes chatting with the amiable Joe Gates, the sports and leisure manager and his team, they have just one brief, to ensure their guests have ‘fun’ and you see them going the extra mile to ensure that happens.
What I love the most about Jumeirah Beach Hotel is that it isn’t stuffy, here my five-year-old girl can be loud, she can be a child. Here parents don’t need to behave as if they have checked into a library, sometimes the case at less relaxed venues.
And here, perhaps most importantly, parents get the chance to play.
This is enabled by many elements. The first being the great family pool, with gentle slides and a manageable splash zone to keep little ones amused, offering the grown-ups a chance to share in their fun. The second, a real crown jewel, is a huge kids’ club, one of the best we’ve found at a hotel. The smiling staff here treat youngsters like their own, so grown-ups can slink off guilt-free to indulge in a spot of adult play.
This could manifest itself in a simple swim and a sip at the pool bar of the executive pool, enjoying a glass of something chilled with your significant other. You gaze out at the sea and the architectural delight of the Burj Al Arab as the volume on the words ‘daddy, daddy, daddy’ is turned down long enough for you to remember you’re an individual as well as a parent.
The Talise Spa – couple massage room
You can double down on that relaxation in the Talise Spa with a revitalising massage in the couple’s VIP suite. You’ll leave surprised at how much you needed to lie on a table and let a professional repair the damage everyday stress does to your body.
And then, inevitably, there is Wild Wadi, a playground for the young and old alike, a place where you’ll smile as much as you splash. Helpfully, Jumeirah Beach Hotel has its own dedicated access for guests so you skip the queues, and you can arrange your own cabana which comes with fast passes for the rides, which means you can squeeze as much fun in as possible during your time there.
Wild Wadi is, for want of a better word, brilliant. You’ll be beaming with pride as your little one tackles the slides in the family fun zone, you laugh together as you jump up and down in the wave pool. You’ll take a moment in the lazy river just to float, staring up watching the sun stream down through the palm trees, or you’ll whoop with joy as you and your little one zoom around the White Water Wadi as the ‘Master Blaster’ shoots you around the park.
Wild Wadi is a playground for the young and old alike
Playtime isn’t confined to the water either, it continues in the restaurants, especially in the gastropub – the Dhow & Anchor – where the excellent Argentinian chef Jose clearly has fun. He loves food and the smile on his face as he talks you through the menu is reflected in the lively, upbeat nature of the venue. I won’t detail each dish, rather just recommend you discover for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
The final flourish is the view from your room at the end of the day. For Jumeirah Beach Hotel has snagged one of the best spots to sit, spellbound, and watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea, especially if you choose the suite with the private terrace.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel isn’t simply a ‘staycation’ it’s an exercise in mental health wellness, it’s an exploration, and validation, of the theory that play is good for you.
But of course, as with any scientific research, you’ll have to repeat the experiment, just to be totally sure of the results…
Follow us on
