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Where to stay in Dubai?

Spending 3 days in Dubai next August, en route from Melbourne to Copenhagen.
Got no idea about the place, but been looking a bit around for hotels.
Seems like massive price differences.
Found a good one (according to reviews), Hilton Sharjah.
Very very cheap, which makes be a bit concerned. Sounds too good to be true (A$93 per night = £54)
It's located in (surprise surprise) Sharjah.
What's this area like?
OK for families (with 2 kids).
Or have we got far to travel to see and do things + shopping?
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Comments

  • edited November 2013
    If you are coming to Dubai, you do NOT want to end up staying in Sharjah. Sharjah is the Emirate next door to Dubai but, to put it simply, it is a dump!! It is a very Islamic place, with close ties to Saudi Arabia, and there is no alcohol at all allowed. It is a pretty grim environment actually. Lots of people live there & commute to Dubai because it is so much cheaper but I wouldn't recommend anybody go there by choice.

    There are many, many hotels in Dubai for a variety of budgets but the better ones are all pretty expensive. You can't go wrong if you choose a hotel run by the Jumeirah Group, but they may be outside your budget.
  • Dubai in August will be a few degrees hotter than hell
  • edited November 2013
    Nice one, Red Pete.
    Will definitely avoid the area, as I need my beers (especially when I'm on holiday).

    What's Deira like?
  • We stayed at Le Royal Meridian Beach Resort last year. It's near the Marina. Right on the beach with large grounds and fairly close to everything. Not tooo pricey.

    Was also the scene of my second spotting of Carlton Palmer. Saw him the day before in a restaurant. Dont let that stalker put you off though.
  • Dubai in August will be a few degrees hotter than hell

    Your not wrong not the most enjoyable experience.

    Try the jumeirah beach residence. or

    www.mydubaistay.com
  • We stayed at The Atlantis located on the Palm.

    Great hotel with free entrance to the aquarium and the water park (which might not be bad in view of the temperatures you can expect in August!)
  • We had dinner in one of the restaurants in The Atlantis. Awesome place.
  • We stayed in the Shangri-La on our honeymoon this year and it was pretty fantastic. Close to the Burj Khalifa and the big malls.
  • If you're going in August, then you'll need somewhere big with a nice pool to lounge around, but the older areas by the creek are much more interesting to stay in, with the souks and dhows on the water
  • How old are your children? Do you need water park access, included? Do you need to be near a shopping mall? Do you need a private beach?

    Avoid Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah. They are not in Dubai.

    Atlantis, stands on its own at the end of The Palm. OK, if you want to stay in the hotel (and pay the prices for their captive market food and drink). Has its own water park. Is a pain if you want to go out in Dubai. Very expensive.

    Jumeirah Beach Hotel (or its sister hotels Mina Al Salam, Al Qasr and Dar Al Masayaf) are all in one complex, share a water park, private beach and you can eat in all the restaurants use all of the pools. They are beachfront, in front of Burj Al Arab. Also very expensive.

    Hotels in Downtown Dubai have best access to Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa and some will run shuttle buses to the beach. Best is The Address Downtown, then The Address Dubai Mall and Sofitel Old Town and then Al Murooj Rotana.

    Of the other beach hotels, Le Royal Meridien and Ritz Carlton are the best but more expensive, next are Hilton and Sheraton Jumeirah Beach. Amwaj Rotana is a good hotel but has a tiny swimming pool. These hotels are on a mile long stretch of (alcohol free) restaurants and cafes, so good for eating out.

    In the city, so near the airport, the best hotel for me, is Grand Hyatt as it has a great lagoon pool but it only has expensive restaurants. After that, Raffles and Jumeirah Creekside are good and new, Hilton and Sheraton have good Creekside hotels but are very old.

    It all depends on what you want to do and where you want to go and what you want to see. Taxis are cheap but traffic is a nightmare, so best to stay nearest to what you want to do.

    It will be 50+ degreezs in August and you won't be walking anywhere in that heat / humidity.

    Don't forget that you can only get alcohol in (mainly 5*) hotels, but you can buy it at the airport on the way in and drink it in your room. You can't buy it in the supermarkets or shops.

    Hope that helps
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  • Mrs Davo and I are going to stay at the Royal Mirage hotel in Dubai in January. It is part of the "One and Only" group of hotels. Fairly pricey but super. We last went there 10 years ago and are really looking forward to the repeat visit.
  • If you get a chance to visit the One & Only hotel on the Palm then go for it. It is the most beautiful hotel I have ever visited. Go for an evening & see the pool, which is absolutely stunning, & then head for the bar on the quayside. The whole experience is just superb.
  • On the other hand. Do not stay at the Broadway with family. It is a barely disguised knocking shop!!!!
  • edited November 2013
    Danepak said:

    Nice one, Red Pete.
    Will definitely avoid the area, as I need my beers (especially when I'm on holiday).

    What's Deira like?

    Deira is one of the cheaper areas of Dubai. The hotels are less expensive but also of a generally lower standard. It would be a bit like staying in a Travel Lodge in the UK, OK but pretty basic. Do read the reviews on Trip Advisor though, because some of these hotels have night clubs going on till the early hours, which are just places to pick up hookers.

  • Thanks for all the info.

    Red Pete, I found the Metropolitan Palace, which is in Deira.
    5 star hotel, booze, bar (but no nightclub).
    Might be a winner.
  • From my experience, stay on the plane....
  • If you get a chance to visit the One & Only hotel on the Palm then go for it. It is the most beautiful hotel I have ever visited. Go for an evening & see the pool, which is absolutely stunning, & then head for the bar on the quayside. The whole experience is just superb.

    Great. Thanks for the heads up. They were just building the palm last time we were there so it will be good to see it anyway.
  • Jumeirah beach is great with free access to an attached water park
  • Jumeirah Beach?
    I assume something like JA Ocean View Hotel would do then.
  • Is it an issue for an unmarried couple? I have heard that some hotels won't allow unmarried couples to share a room - any truth in that?
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  • By Jumeriah Beach I'm guessing he means the actual Jumeriah Beach Hotel as you can access the wild wadi water park directly from there as a guest . I have stayed there a few times and it's superb , plus they've just done a lot of the rooms up . Any hotel along that strip overlooking the Burj is decent though .

    Have stayed at Jebel Ali also which is one of very few all-inclusive hotels in Dubai and is excellent value for food and drink as the restaurants are all pretty good - it's just the hotel is a bit out of the way from anything else . Esp if you're only there for 3 days

  • "Jumeirah Beach" is a 50 mile long stretch of beach, with many hotels on it.

    The "Jumeirah Beach Hotel" and its sister hotels have a (free to guests) water park attached.

    It is against the law for unmarried couples to share a room. However, unless you tell them that you aren't married, how will they know. (Not all countries / religions share a surname, when they get married). They don't ask to see a wedding certificate.

  • Jumeirah Beach Hotel (or its sister hotels Mina Al Salam,

    Is this the hotel with Gondolas and turtles floating around I think I have done brunch here a couple of times?

    360 bar just along the front from it?

  • Jumeirah Beach Hotel (or its sister hotels Mina Al Salam,

    Is this the hotel with Gondolas and turtles floating around I think I have done brunch here a couple of times?

    360 bar just along the front from it?
    Yes, 360 bar is at the end of the pier around the marina amnd is part of JBH.

    The Abras (Gondolas) are part of Madinat Jumeirah (Shopping Mall) and the 3 other hotels.

    All very expensive, but you do get what you pay for.
  • I've only done brunch there a couple if times and followed on at 360 but I must say the quality of food and the setting followed by drinking at the bar 360 is a fantastic experience
  • I've only been once and I stayed in the Burj Al Arab. It's not, exactly, cheap, but it was rather nice and if you're only staying for a few days then it might be worth a look.
  • OK, so basically staying in the Jumeirah Beach area is better than Deira?
  • some great advice on here guys
  • Danepak said:

    OK, so basically staying in the Jumeirah Beach area is better than Deira?

    Only if beach access is a requirement. If you are only interested in going shopping (and some people are) then Downtown Dubai is better. If you are more interested in sight-seeing (historic Dubai), Deira or Bur Dubai.

    Most people seem to be swayed by what they children want. If that is swimming / water park, then you are best off at the beach
  • its a shame the rattlesnake is no longer good bar to drink in
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