Spas We Love: Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge, Dubai

Everyone wants pretty feet for a holiday.  Fitting in a last-minute pedicure at home, though, can be the straw that breaks the camel's back, with so much to do in so little time before going on vacation. Anyone off to Dubai, then, can simply wait till they get there - and head straight for Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge, in the Dubai Mall.  Oh, and not just any-old---where in the Dubai Mall:  slap, bang in the middle of the Level Shoe District, which is a gathering of probably the prettiest, sexiest shoes in all the world. And when you skip out of Margaret Dabbs's salon, you'll have the feet to show off in them.

You enter the spa via a long, bright-white corridor, all glimmery lights and general Dubai bling (below) - and hey, presto:  foot heaven. This being Dubai, there are areas set aside for men, and for women - which is just fine by us;  we loved the girly, giggly vibe in the women's zone.

We're massive fans of Margaret Dabbs's medi-pedicures, booking in with their podiatrists for a once-a-month treatment, back in the UK, which blitzes every atom of hard skin off the feet, leaving them velvety. Frankly, because we walk everywhere, these treatments are mentally filed by us under 'health' rather than 'beauty indulgence', because we're great believers in keeping feet in tip-top condition.

A traditional Margaret Dabbs medi-pedi includes foot buffing, nail-trimming, cleansing, massaging (with her signature emu oil), and a general foot MOT.  Then, if you choose, you can add a polish at the end (this is done by nail technicians rather than the pedicurist herself/himself).  Jo went for a stunning combo of red nail polish, with particles of gold painted over the top - very 'Chinese New Year', that effect - and all holiday long, she was looking down at her feet and smiling.

We're really not surprised that the standard of treatment is just as high in the Emirates as at home:  it's a discerning clientele, and Margaret's shipped out some of her best people to staff the Sole Lounge.  This is a fantastic location, and we're really rather proud that Margaret's metaphorically waving a little Union Jack, in this cosmopolitan destination - really a global hub, nowadays.

If you're in the area, we can't recommend it enough. (And we'll be booking in advance, when next we head Dubai-wards - so we're ready to hit the sunlounger...!)

Telephone:  +971 4 5016688 www.margaretdabbs.co.uk