Choosing the right hotel in Dubai for your stay is a difficult task! Especially with so many great options available!
As someone who’s had many guests over the years and personally stayed in many hotels across Dubai. I’ll help you navigate the diverse range of hotels for the perfect place to stay that suits your needs!
Summary of how to choose a hotel in Dubai
For choosing a hotel in Dubai, it’s best to first decide what activities are more important to you. South Dubai or Dubai Marina is a more casual but lively area with beach parties. Central Dubai called Downtown offers a sophisticated city break, while Northern Dubai or Dubai Creek offers a historical and cultural adventure. Based on the activities, you can select the nearest area before narrowing down the hotels based on amenities, price, proximity to transport and reviews.
Things to consider when deciding your hotel
Which area do you want to stay in?
This is one of the most important factors of deciding where to stay and so I recommend to first plan out what attractions and activities you’d most like to do on your holiday in Dubai.
The Downtown area, Business Bay, Trade Centre, Dubai Creeks and surrounding areas are perfect for those who want a city break. Visiting restaurants, wandering around the malls, seeing the history of Dubai and enjoying the night life.
The more southern areas of Dubai such as Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lake Towers, are perfect for those who want more of a beach vacation.
Finally you have the areas at the back
For a more in-depth Dubai area guide and deciding which area is the best to stay in Dubai? Make sure to read here or alternatively take my fun quiz that will decide for you based on your answers:
If you want a full guide to all the areas in Dubai, then, make sure to read my previous article which goes into all the main areas of Dubai in much more depth.
Hotel guides for different areas in Dubai
Will you hire a car or use public transport?
It can be quite far to walk from your hotel to the metro, depending on your location in Dubai and some places aren’t accessible by metro at all. There is also a bus network so it is possible to rely only on Dubai’s public transport if you’re looking to save money.
If you’re planning to visit during summer or the months either side of summer, then you may find it too hot to walk to bus stops or metro stops unless the hotel has a fully connecting air conditioned tunnel. These are mostly hotels connected to malls where you can get to the metro via the mall.
Finally, some roads are difficult to cross, with bridges for pedestrians being very far away from where you need to cross. This can greatly increase the walking time, and overall, Dubai isn’t a very pedestrian-friendly city.
Are you travelling with kids?
As any parent knows, travelling with children definitely has a huge impact on the type of hotels you choose.
There are quite a few options in Dubai that include water park access, babysitting services and other useful extras for parents.
There are also options such as hotel apartments, where you’ll have a kitchen in the room along with a washing machine. Perfect for travelling with small children who constantly spill things down them or have accidents! You won’t have to worry about an expensive dry cleaning bill or
Here are some of my favourite hotels in Dubai with kids:
- Jumeirah Beach Hotel – Free access to Wild Wadi along with great beach access and several different pools for the kids to choose from. You can also get a golf buggy to connected resorts.
- Atlantis The Palm – An expensive but incredible hotel for families who don’t want to give up on luxury. You’ll get free access to the Lost Chambers Aquarium and Atlantis waterpark by staying here with lots of options.
For a full guide with more options, along with the pros and cons of each hotel. Then I highly recommend to read my full guide to the family friendly hotels in Dubai.
Are you travelling with a pet?
You’ll be happy to know that Dubai has a good selection of pet-friendly hotels. Some hotels have doggy play areas, and others provide handy extras for your pets, such as water and food bowls, so you don’t need to pack them with you!
It’s too much to write in one post, so I’ve created this handy full guide to all the different pet friendly hotels in Dubai. Along with their positives and negatives!
How much would you like to spend?
There are a range of hotels for every budget in Dubai, from the more affordable to the ultra-luxury. You’ll also find a good range in nearly all areas.
There are two main areas which I find tend to be more affordable and that’s Dubai Creek area close to the airport along witb Al Barsha or Barsha Heights close to Mall of Emirates.
What amenities does the hotels have?
There’s a wide range of hotels in Dubai, if you’re travelling as a family you can find hotels with kids clubs or babysitting services.
Many resorts such as Atlantis and Jumeirah’s hotels in Umm Suqeim are huge resorts that means you don’t even need to leave your hotel if you don’t want to. You’ll find everything from shops, hairdressers to restaurants and night clubs.
Is the hotel dry?
Firstly, what is a dry hotel? A dry hotel is a hotel that doesn’t serve alcohol.
These are that common in Dubai compared to other Gulf countries however you may still find the odd hotel that is a dry hotel. Usually they’ll make it very clear on the website that they don’t serve alcohol but make sure to check the booking fully just in case.
What reviews does the hotel have?
It can sadly be common for reviews to be fake across the entire world and I’m sure you’ve experienced visiting either a restaurant or hotel to only find out the reviews don’t quite match what you expected.
So make sure to read the reviews in detail before you book, genuine ones will tend to include more detail and I tend to distrust ones where I see a lot of the same staff mentioned many times. Usually this means the staff are pushing guests to do reviews and asking to include their name.
I hope these tips help you find the right hotel in Dubai for you!
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