www.dubaifaqs.com
Dubai Hotels (Hotels in Dubai)
General Hotels in Dubai information
Most hotels quote a price per room (not per person) per night and usually
include breakfast. There is an additional 10% service charge and another
10% municipality tax added to Dubai hotel bills. Check in time is around
2pm and checkout at noon but late checkouts are normally available.
Prices range from 100-150 dhs per night for bargain basement hotels
(not easy to find many this cheap) to several thousand dhs for the most
luxurious rooms. For overseas travellers, the best deals are usually
found by booking a flight with an accommodation package included. It's
usually difficult to find a good room for much less than AED 400-500
per night (as of end 2006 but see cheap
hotels in Dubai for a list to
try).
The standard of rooms in Dubai hotels ranges from adequate to mind-boggling
with a higher proportion of 4 and 5 star hotels than in many other cities.
Facilities often include swimming pool, gym, restaurants and bars, and
other sports facilities such as tennis and squash courts. Most of the
better hotels have good supervised facilities for children staying there.
The mind-blowingist hotels in Dubai during 2007 are the Burj
Al Arab and Al Maha Resort. The Al Maha sounds expensive
but is worth every penny. Or fil, in local currency.
Along the coast from Jumeirah and Umm Suquiem to Jebel Ali you'll find
many of Dubai's more well-known hotels and beach resorts for example the
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the Sheraton, the Metropolitan Beach Resort, the
Royal Mirage and a many other hotels. A number of high profile hotel brands
have announced developments in Dubai including Versace, Armani (in the
Burj Dubai - tallest tower in the world), and Donald Trump (the original
design appeared to be in the form of a tulip but has since been changed
to something a little more plain).
When checking in, it is normal to be asked to show a passport - some
Dubai hotels will just make a copy, others will retain during the guest's
stay. Although, technically, unmarried men and women should not share
a hotel room, it is almost unheard of for a hotel to even ask if their
guests are married. Having different surnames does not cause any eyebrows
to be raised since it is normal in Arabic culture for the wife to keep
her own name after marriage.
Usually the 4 and 5 star hotels (and some of the 3 star hotels) can
arrange tourist or visit visas for
guests, they will also do airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
Dubai hotel ratings
The Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) assigns hotels
a 1 to 5 star rating based on criteria established in 1998 (6 and 7
star hotels such as the Burj Al Arab and
Al Maha desert resort are not given a DTCM rating). As of 2008, a new,
more stringent system is expected to be put in place with old hotels
retaining their star classification under the old system but new hotels
being measured under the stricter criteria.
August 2006 information
Dubai has a wide range of hotels and places to stay ranging
from the
Dubai Youth Hostel to the self-rated
7 star Burj
Al Arab (see the list of cheap
hotels in Dubai page for less expensive
options). Many more hotels are planned or being built including 100 or
so hotels on the
Palm
Islands,
and another 150-200 hotel plots on Dubai Waterfront. There are about
30,000 hotel rooms available in Dubai as of mid 2006, another 8,000 hotel
apartments
with a further 18,000 rooms being added by mid 2008. Total
number of rooms is expected to increase to 80,000 by 2010*. Despite these
impressive
figures, during 2006 there is a bit of a shortage of hotel rooms in Dubai
and it can be difficult to find one especially during major events, conventions
and conferences for example GITEX (an IT junket) and the Dubai Shopping
Festival. Hotel room prices have been soaring through 2005 and 2006 with
4 and 5 star room rates of 800-1000 dhs per night, and sometimes double
that or more at peak times. With occupancy rates of 80-100% most of the
time, prices will remain high and probably increase further during 2007.
*September 2006 - Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels update
Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels announced
they would build another 55,000 hotel rooms by 2011 (across the UAE,
not just
Dubai).
Compare these numbers to Las Vegas - 42,000 rooms under development,
Macao with
27,000, and Beijing & Shanghai with just over 10,000 rooms each
(figures from Sep 2006).
25 November 2006 TRI Consulting report
A report released by TRI Hospitality Consulting said that by 2010 there
would be 130 new 5-star hotels in Dubai, in addition to the total of 48
by the end of 2006 (there were 35 at the end of 2005). Other increases
from 2005 to 2010 are four-star hotels from 35 to 51, three-star hotels
from 39 to 50. It appears Dubai is concentrating on the posh tourist market.
According to the report, there will be a supply shortage until 2008. Their
calculation is that total rooms available by 2010 will be about 65,000
- a little below the governement estimate of 80,000 rooms.
09 July 2007 - DTCM update on tourist and room numbers
In 2006, Dubai had 415 hotels and furnished
apartment providers with a total of about 40,000 rooms available
for visitors. Hotels in Dubai received about 6.5 million guests (6.1 million
in 2005) in 2006 with occupancy rates over 90% and room rates soaring
due to the shortage of rooms. Dubai's hotels and serviced apartments
will add about 10,000 rooms in 2007. Number of hotels in Dubai in
2007 is 325 (there were 303 hotels in Dubai in 2006). Dubai will add another
22,000 hotel rooms by the end of 2008 says the Dubai Department of
Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). In 2015 Dubai expects to have 15
million tourists coming to visit, some of whom will stay in 389 hotels
and 131 hotel apartments. The rest will have to sleep on the beach or
in bus stops. By 2016 the DTCM says there will be about 94,000 hotel rooms
in Dubai including almost 30,000 rooms in the Bawadi
tourist development. This information from Gulf News article 09 July
2007.
Guesthouses and Boutique Hotels in Dubai
There are a couple of small boutique hotels that have sprung up in the
Bastakia area of Dubai - something a little different from the glitz
and marble
of the usual run of the mill five-star accommodation.
- Arabian Courtyard Hotel - main hotel building in Bur Dubai next to
Dubai Museum but they have a small guesthouse in the nearby Bastakiya area with
rooms with TV and brightly coloured bedspreads for 700-800
dhs
per night. Tel +971-4-3519111 (main hotel), www.arabiancourtyard.com.
- XVA - an art gallery with a handful of rustic rooms for 700-800 dhs
per night. No TV but you have a nice range of paintings to look at.
Tel +971-4-3535383, www.xvagallery.com.
List of hotels in Dubai (Dubai hotel list)
These are some of the popular hotels in Dubai.
- Admiral Plaza Hotel - near the Bur Dubai souk area.
- Airport Meridian Hotel - opposite the airport, very comfortable.
- Airport Millenium Hotel - near the airport, very comfortable.
- Al Khaleej Hotel
- Al Khaleej Palace - Deira
- Al Bustan Rotana Hotel - near the airport, very comfortable, good
restaurants.
- Al Maha Resort - expensive but one of those 'worth every penny' (or
fil) type deals. Vastly superior to Bab Al Shams. A definite highlight
of a trip to Dubai. Expensive.
- Ambassador Hotel
- Astoria Hotel - iconic hotel in the middle of the Bur Dubai souk
area. Ancient by Dubai standards.
- Avari Hotel
- Bab Al Shams - a five star hotel in the desert but not the same as
Al Maha.
- Burj Al Arab - the
symbol of Dubai around the world.
- Capitol Hotel
- Carlton Tower Hotel
- City Centre Hotel - next to Deira City Center, handy for shopping.
- Copthorne Hotel (163 rooms) - Sharia compliant meaning no alcohol,
and separate swimming times for men and women. Marriage certificate
not required for couples though. General Manager is
Reda Mukhtar. Owned
by
Dhabi Islamic Bank, managed by
Millennium
Group. Open 19 January 2008. Location is Port Saeed area in Deira, near Deira
City Center, tel
+971-4-2950500.
- Corp Executive Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha - for trendy executives
(rooms have game consoles). Close to Mall
of the Emirates. Opened July
2007.
- Crowne
Plaza - on Sheikh Zayed road near the Trade Center.
- Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City (open November 2007)
- Dubai International Hotel - Airport transit hotel inside the Dubai
airport terminal.
- Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa - on the beach in Jumeirah,
well known for Sho-Chos bar and Boudoir nightclub/lounge.
- Dubai Park Hotel
- Emirates Towers Hotel - tall twin towers on Sheikh Zayed Road, great
views.
- Fairmont Hotel - Sheikh Zayed road, high standard.
- Golden Tulip Al Barsha - near Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha,
open 01 June 2007, 125 rooms, owned by Noor Capital. Has
Chinese, Indian & Lebanese restaurants, sports bar, night club, pool and usual
other facilities.
- Grosvenor House - in Dubai Marina with the splendid Buddha Bar.
- Le Meridian
Dubai - otherwise known as the Airport Meridian Hotel.
- Le Meridian Jumeira Beach
- Four Points Sheraton - Bur Dubai.
- Grand Hyatt Dubai - near Garhood Bridge.
- Hatta Fort Hotel - just before the border to Oman, a weekend getaway
about an hour's drive from Dubai in chalet style accommodation with golf
driving range and archery. Tel +971-4-8523211. Rooms 600-1000 dhs including
an unspectacular dinner and band/duo but the surroundings are pleasant
and scenic. Almost a historic landmark having been in operation for
30 years.
- Hilton Dubai Jumeirah
- Hilton Dubai Creek
- Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - 400 rooms, scheduled to open second half
of 2008. Will be Sharia compliant - no pork or alcohol available.
- Hotel Inter-Continental
- Howard Johnson Hotel
- Hyatt Regency - Deira, on the corniche. Home of the well-known revolving
restaurant, another famous Dubai landmark.
- Imperial Suites Hotel - 'friendly' ladies seem to congregate here.
- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) at Dubai Festival City (open
November 2007) -
InterContinental Hotel (498 rooms), Crowne Plaza (316 rooms) and InterContinental
Residence Suites (212 studio, 1, 2, 3 bdrm apartments)
- Jumeirah Beach Hotel - next to the Burj Al Arab on Jumeirah Beach
Road, distinctive wave shaped building.
- Jumeirah Beach Club - a beach club with accommodation on Jumeirah
Beach Road near Safa Park.
- Jebel Ali Hotel - closer to Dubai than several years previously.
Famous for its pleasant gardens with wandering peacocks.
- JW Marriott - home to a popular steakhouse restaurant.
- Kempinski - overlooks Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates.
- Metropolitan Resort & Beach Club - one of the older
beach resorts near Dubai Marina - existed before any other development
in that area.
- Metropolitan Hotel - another well-established hotel in Dubai. Opposite
Safa Park on Sheikh Zayed Road.
- Marco Polo hotel
- Novotel - next to the Dubai Conference Center.
- Palace Hotel, The - The Old Town, Downtown Burj
Dubai. Next to Souk Al Bahar (open December 2007).
- Palazzo Versace Hotel - under development (Emirates Sunland Group)
- Radisson SAS Hotel
- on the beach near Dubai Marina.
- Raffles Hotel, Wafi Center (owner, Raffles is the operator). Partly
open 12 Oct 2007 with some rooms, 1 cafe and 1 restaurant.
Official opening date 20-22 Nov 2007.
- Ramada Hotel - one of the older hotels in Dubai, near
the Bur Dubai souk area.
- Renaissance Hotel - Deira.
- Regent Palace Hotel - in Bur Dubai opposite
the Bur Juman Shopping Center, home of the infamous Rock Bottom bar
and nightclub.
- Regent Beach Resort - good value for money beach (almost) hotel near
Open Beach in Jumeirah.
- Riviera Hotel
- Royal Mirage Hotel - on the beach near Dubai Marina,
one of the nicest places to stay in Dubai.
- Rydges Plaza
- Samaya Hotel Deira - open November 2007, near Dubai Creek, Perisan
restaurant, 5 star.
- Shangri La Hotel - high class hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road
just before Defense Roundabout.
- Seashell Hotel - one of the older
hotels in Dubai, near Bur Dubai souk area.
- Sheraton Deira - on the
Deira side of Dubai Creek.
- Souk Madinat - next to the Burj Al Arab. A complex of shops, restaurants,
bars, hotel rooms with a traditional souk theme and canals with electric
gondolas. Magnificent, a place worth visiting.
- St George Hotel - in the Bur Dubai souk
area, seems to have been there forever.
- York International Hotel - near the Bur Dubai souk area on Bank Street.
Somewhat infamous due to the hospitable nature of the female patrons
in the bar.
- Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina - open 03 January
2008, a beachfront resort.
Serviced Apartments in Dubai
- Better Homes
- Nuran Serviced Residences - launched by Emaar Properties Sep 2007
with 90 serviced apartments available in
Nuran Al Majara Residences in Dubai Marina (location
map). Sizes from
studio to 3 bedroom, fully furnished including hairdryer, satellite TV, & safe.
Building has conference room, pool, gym, jacuzzi. Rates are 650 dhs to 2700
dhs per night (depending on room type and length of stay) as of Sep 2007.
Tel +971-4-4223666, email reservations@nuran.com, web www.nuran.com.
- Rahat Service - launched by Jamal Al Habtoor Real Estate Sep 2007
with 15 one, two & three bedroom apartments available in Dubai Marina
for short term lets. Fully furnished, internet, cable TV, telephone,
housekeeping, 24 hr security. Tel +971-4-3639800, web www.habtoorhomes.com.
Abu Dhabi Hotels
- Emirates Palace Hotel - at the end of the corniche, a spectacular
place worth having a look at if you're in the area. Has hosted several
exhibitions and concerts since it opened including Justin Timberlake,
a troubador of some repute, on 06 December 2007. Emirates Palace
won a couple of World Travel Awards in December 2007. One for
the World's Leading Conference Hotel, and one for their grand suites being named
the World's Leading Suites. The Emirates Palace auditorium is claimed
to be the largest in the Middle East and Northern African Region
(MENA) with an audience capacity of 1100.
- Eva Hotel, expected opening 2010, 4-star, location Mina Street, operator
Southern Sun Hotels.
- Hyatt International (2009) will open a 200 room 5 star hotel in Capital
Gate, part of
the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Named 'Hyatt at
Capital Centre', it will be the first Hyatt in Abu Dhabi. There
are already 3 in Dubai - Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency.
- Jebel Dhana Resort - an isolated 5 star resort 240 km west of Abu
Dhabi, part of Danat Hotel Group. Excursions to
Sir Bani Yas Island, a sort of wildlife sancturary (closed for redevelopment
through 2007). Drive along the E11 past Ruwais and look for the Danat
Resort turn-off. Weekend rates 650 dhs per night plus taxes during
August 2007. Tel +971-2-8012222, www.ncth.com.
- Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi opened August 2007. Rooms,
suites, villas and serviced apartments (studio to 4 bdrm).
Fujairah Hotels (Fujeirah Hotels)
- Al Aqah Beach resort (Le Meridien), 5 stars, tall building that stands
out 30 min north of Fujairah on the coast.
- Fujairah Hilton - on the beach close to central Fujeirah. Opened before
anyone lived in the UAE.
- Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa - 5 stars and 5 floors, opened April
2007, on the coast, a 30 min drive north of Fujairah (or 10 min south
of Dibba). Free watersports (some) at their marine center, including
glass-bottomed boat rides to Snoopy Island. Two restaurants and a
bar.
- Oceanic Hotel in Khorfakkan is actually in the emirate of Sharjah
but is up the coast from Fujairah
Sharjah Hotels
- Oceanic Hotel in Khorfakkan - on the east coast of the UAE.
Tel +971-9-2385111, www.oceanichotel.com.
- Samaya Hotel Sharjah - open by June 2008?
Rotana Hotels scheduled to open in the UAE
These dates from a press release dated Aug 2006. It would be prudent
to confirm opening dates, or assume that there is a 6 month delay. Rotana
Hotels are also opening some "Centro
by Rotana" budget hotels in the UAE, during 2008.
- Khalidiya Palace Rotana Resort, Abu Dhabi - early 2008
- Park Rotana Hotel & Suites, Abu Dhabi - mid 2008
- Amwaj Rotana Resort, Jumeira Beach, Dubai - end 2007
- BurJuman Rotana Suites, Dubai - end 2006
- Media Rotana Hotel, Dubai - mid 2007
- Rose Rotana Suites, Dubai - mid 2007
- Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, Fujairah - January 2007
- Fujairah Rotana Suites, Fujairah - mid 2008
- The Cove Rotana Resort & Spa, Ras Al Khaimah - mid 2008
This information last updated
Wednesday 28-May-2008
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