As JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai continues its property-wide enhancement, this December will see the return of Prime68 alongside the arrival of ION, marking a major moment in the hotel’s dining transformation. Prime68 has long been regarded as one of Dubai’s best steakhouses, and following a complete renovation, the destination returns fully reimagined with a fresh new look. ION, a brand-new day-to-night sky lounge, has taken over the 71^st and 72^nd floors of the iconic hotel, marking one of the most significant additions yet to its dining line-up.

Prime68 returns as a contemporary benchmark steakhouse high above the city, defined by serious cuts, serious views and a renewed sense of occasion. Building on its strong market equity and iconic skyline setting, the reimagined venue pairs premium cuts, live-fire cooking and a considered wine programme with renovated interiors inspired by “The Art of Silver,” a design narrative rooted in craft, precision and understated elegance. 

New additions include an enhanced arrival experience with an atmospheric bar, private dining rooms, a chef’s table and a wine display, with every detail carefully reconsidered to bring greater theatre, warmth and refinement to the Prime68 experience. The result is a destination that feels both familiar and newly elevated, shaped by materiality, acoustics, simplicity and the premium dining rituals that have long made classic steakhouses enduringly relevant.

ION introduces a new day-to-night sky lounge high above the city, set across the 71^st and 72^nd floors, where Dubai’s skyline becomes the starting point for a more layered social experience. Designed as “a neighbourhood in the sky,” ION brings together panoramic views, music-led energy, crafted drinks and sharing plates in a setting that evolves as the hours unfold. By day, it offers a refined place to pause above the city; as golden hour arrives, the atmosphere warms into a more social rhythm; and by night, the space becomes a cinematic lounge shaped by sound, light and connection. 

Prime68 and ION form part of JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai’s wider property enhancement, bringing two distinct new experiences to the city and signalling an exciting new era for the iconic hotel. 

Air India and Standard Chartered (the “Bank”) today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that combines Standard Chartered’s international banking and cross-border wealth capabilities with Air India’s premium Maharaja Club loyalty programme. The proposition, available in the coming weeks, is set to deliver travel privileges and access that meet the cross-border lifestyle and wealth needs of Global Indians.

Unlocking travel privileges with Maharaja Club

Standard Chartered will offer Air India’s Maharaja Club Gold or Silver status to eligible Affluent Global Indian clients in Singapore and the UAE. Air India Maharaja Club status offers exclusive travel benefits, including extra baggage allowance, priority check-in and boarding, airport lounge access, upgrade vouchers, and bonus Maharaja Points, with benefits varying incrementally from Silver to Gold tiers.

In particular, Maharaja Club Gold members also enjoy the benefits on eligible Air India journeys, as well as Star Alliance Gold status, which provides access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide, priority airport services, and extra baggage benefits, and instant recognition around the world across 25 other Star Alliance member airlines in addition to Air India.

Managing cross-border financial needs

Air India customers who meet Standard Chartered’s eligibility criteria can access the Bank’s international banking and wealth management capabilities through its wealth centres in Singapore and the UAE. Customers would benefit from dedicated relationship management support, market outlook insights from the Bank’s Chief Investment Office, invitations to exclusive thought leadership events, and tailored wealth solutions designed to support their cross-border financial needs.

Rajesh Kannan, Head, Wealth and Retail Banking, UAE & Jersey, and Head, Global Indian Clients, Standard Chartered, said: “This partnership brings together two trusted heritage brands to create a distinctive proposition for Global Indians, whose lives, business and ambitions increasingly span borders. By combining Air India’s expanding global footprint with Standard Chartered’s international network and wealth capabilities, we are delivering exclusive multi-market travel benefits to our affluent clients while supporting their broader global lifestyle, business and wealth management needs.”

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said: “As Air India continues its transformation into a world-class global airline, we are focused on deepening our engagement with the global Indian community. This partnership with Standard Chartered enables us to expand Maharaja Club across key international markets, offering customers immediate access to premium status, enhanced travel benefits and global recognition. Combined with Standard Chartered’s cross-border banking and wealth management expertise, the proposition supports the increasingly international lifestyles of our customers while strengthening their connection with Air India.”

With a simplified structure, a host of customer-friendly features, renamed tiers, and an updated identity, Maharaja Club has added millions of new members since the programme was redesigned in 2024. Maharaja Club members are now able to earn and redeem Maharaja Points on flights operated by Air India and Air India Express to and from 104 destinations across North America, Europe (including the UK), Australia, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, in addition 25 other Star Alliance member airlines. Maharaja Club’s partnerships with over 100 other brands across categories, including hospitality, retail, lifestyle and financial services, also enables members to earn Maharaja Points across a broad range of travel and everyday spends.

Benefits on eligible Air India journeys include complimentary seat selection, applicable fee waivers, additional baggage allowance, lounge access, priority airport services, upgrade vouchers and bonus Maharaja Points, subject to subject to the programme’s terms and conditions.

By: Ivica Miloshevski, Venue Manager at Uptown Social

Several flavours associated with cooler weather are deeply connected to childhood experiences bound to seasonal occasions. Gingerbread cookies, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, roasted nuts and warm chocolate can immediately transport us to a beloved memory. They remind us of family kitchens, festive gatherings, and the excitement of waiting for celebrations to arrive. These flavours are powerful because they are not simply ingredients – they are memories.

Today, as coffee professionals, we have an opportunity to take those memories and reinterpret them for a new generation of drinks.

A gingerbread-inspired latte, for example, does not need to simply reproduce the flavour of a traditional cookie. It can become something more contemporary: espresso layered with ginger, cinnamon and subtle caramel notes, finished with textured milk and perhaps a delicate spice garnish. The drink still carries the essence of gingerbread embedded in our memory, but its presentation, balance, and technique belong to today.

This is what I mean by memories infused into new-era drinks.

The modern customer is increasingly interested in experiences. They want to understand where ingredients come from, how a drink is conceptualized, and why certain flavours work together. Seasonal beverages give coffee professionals an opportunity to tell that story; in fact, coffee itself can be part of that narrative. In the UAE, we are fortunate to have access to an incredibly diverse coffee culture; specifically Uptown Social enjoys the benefits of a varied coffee selection through the DMCC Coffee Centre. Green coffee beans arrive from producing regions around the world, bringing with them different origins, varieties and flavour profiles. They are then roasted here in Dubai, allowing us to connect global coffee origins with a local roasting culture.

That connection is particularly exciting when creating warm seasonal beverages.

A naturally sweet coffee with chocolate and nutty characteristics can become the foundation for a luxurious winter-style mocha. A coffee with brighter fruit notes might work beautifully with ginger and orange. A more caramelised, full-bodied roast can support cinnamon, vanilla and toasted spices without becoming overwhelmed.

The key is balance.

Seasonal drinks should feel indulgent, but they should still respect the coffee. Too much syrup or spice can overshadow the character of the beans. The best warm serves allow the coffee and seasonal ingredients to complement each other rather than compete.

Hot chocolate is another perfect example. It has always been associated with comfort, but today’s version can move far beyond a simple sweet drink. The quality of chocolate, the texture of the milk, the temperature, and even the aroma can transform the experience. Add cinnamon, ginger, vanilla or a touch of toasted marshmallow, and the familiar hot chocolate becomes an elevated sensorial experience.

Then there is mulled non-alcoholic wine – a drink that captures the festive season almost entirely through aroma. Warmed with cinnamon, cloves, orange, star anise and other spices, it creates an atmosphere before the first sip. It reminds us that beverages are not only about taste. Aroma, temperature, presentation, and memory all contribute to the experience.

Ginger is particularly interesting because it bridges memory and modernity. It has warmth and natural spice, but it can also feel fresh and vibrant. Combined with citrus, honey, cinnamon or coffee, ginger can create drinks that are comforting without becoming heavy.

This season, I believe the strongest beverage menus will not simply follow trends. They will create rituals.

A warm drink enjoyed after work. A hot chocolate shared between parents and children. A spiced coffee ordered during a festive shopping afternoon. A gingerbread latte that becomes the first sign that the holiday season has arrived. These are small moments, but they can become traditions.

Perhaps that is a renewed opportunity for coffee professionals – to not simply create seasonal beverages but rather new ways for people to experience familiar emotions.

The future of seasonal drinks is not about forgetting the past. It is about taking the flavours, aromas and memories we grew up with and giving them a new expression. From coffee beans sourced from around the world and roasted here in Dubai, to ginger, cinnamon, chocolate and festive spices inspired by childhood, every cup can tell a story.

Warm drinks are becoming more than accompaniments or trends. They are new rituals – familiar memories, reimagined for today.