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Dubai question for Anne (Jayayeff)


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10 hours ago, josumello said:

Another hotel question Anne. We Will be in Dubai the end of March. The two hotels I have narrowed it down to are Hyatt Regency Dubai and Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel. We like being close to airport and cruise terminal. Also we would like to be able to be fairly close to the main attractions. I realize there are many. We would probably start with hop on hop off bus to give us an overview. Is this doable and are the hotels nice?  Again thanks so much. We all appreciate your help. 

 

Sue

 

Both of those properties are in what is commonly referred to as ‘Old’ Dubai in so much as they are on the Deira side of the city (and Creek) which is where it all began!!!  Staying in this area you are close to the old gold souq, the spice souq and have easy access to The Creek for visits to the Heritage area that runs all along the opposite side of the Creek.  Personally, I always make sure I take visitors to Dubai around this area as to me it is Dubai as I’ve always known it.  You will need to use the hop-hop off buses, taxis or the metro to get to all the ‘new’ sights, The Frame, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, etc. etc. as they are all within ‘New’ Dubai which these days spreads quite a way out from the heart of Dubai.    Both hotels you mentioned are earlier 5* properties but have been renovated several times over the years and are still very popular with both visitors and residents today due to their locations, and value compared to many of the newer properties in Downtown or along Jumeirah Beach.   The Sheraton is located right beside the Creek with Creek View rooms overlooking both the Creek (so you see all the activity along the waterway) and across to the Al Seef restored Heritage Area and ‘new’ Dubai beyond.   The Hyatt Regency is located just beyond the mouth of the Creek  overlooking either ‘old’ Dubai, or the port (now the cruise terminal) and the sea... I’m sure you would be happy with either of them.....

 

Anne...

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5 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

 

Both of those properties are in what is commonly referred to as ‘Old’ Dubai in so much as they are on the Deira side of the city (and Creek) which is where it all began!!!  Staying in this area you are close to the old gold souq, the spice souq and have easy access to The Creek for visits to the Heritage area that runs all along the opposite side of the Creek.  Personally, I always make sure I take visitors to Dubai around this area as to me it is Dubai as I’ve always known it.  You will need to use the hop-hop off buses, taxis or the metro to get to all the ‘new’ sights, The Frame, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, etc. etc. as they are all within ‘New’ Dubai which these days spreads quite a way out from the heart of Dubai.    Both hotels you mentioned are earlier 5* properties but have been renovated several times over the years and are still very popular with both visitors and residents today due to their locations, and value compared to many of the newer properties in Downtown or along Jumeirah Beach.   The Sheraton is located right beside the Creek with Creek View rooms overlooking both the Creek (so you see all the activity along the waterway) and across to the Al Seef restored Heritage Area and ‘new’ Dubai beyond.   The Hyatt Regency is located just beyond the mouth of the Creek  overlooking either ‘old’ Dubai, or the port (now the cruise terminal) and the sea... I’m sure you would be happy with either of them.....

 

Anne...

Thank you so much Anne. One last question. Is it easy to access hop on hop off bus from here??

  

Sue

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40 minutes ago, josumello said:

Thank you so much Anne. One last question. Is it easy to access hop on hop off bus from here??

  

Sue

 

There are 2 ho-ho bus options in Dubai - City Sightseeing and The Big Bus, and both of them cover ‘Old’ Dubai as well as all the newer parts and along the beach, etc... This is the link to the Red Route that has stops in old Dubai... for some reasons the Big Bus Tours site is not cooperating so you’ll need to just Google that one to check the route and stops...

 

https://www.citysightseeing-dubai.com/bus-routes/red-bus-route/

 

Anne..

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On 7/25/2019 at 10:27 PM, Jayayeff said:

 

There are two distinctly different Intercontinental properties.  The Intercontinental Hotel Festival City is linked to the Festival City mall and entertainment area (as is the Crowne Plaza Hotel Festival City - the two hotels share a base podium) so apart from the in-house restaurants of both hotels you also have access to eateries within the adjoining mall.   The Intercontinental Residences is a separate building a short distance from Festival City Mall that consists of serviced suites of varying sizes.   As far as I’m aware (rented one for a visiting business exec once) they are self-catering and there is only a coffee shop on site but they do provide a shuttle between the Residences and Festival City Mall - there is nothing else within walking distance.

 

This is a photo I took of the Residences building from Al Jaddaf Waterfront on the other side of the Creek....Beautiful building but better suited to long-stays....

 

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C4CB14AD-A139-4DD0-A8B6-7382F733A5E5.jpeg

Thanks, Anne. I really appreciate your knowledge and help.

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Anne, would you ,please, help me again?

Our planned cruise will be finished in December, morning time, as usual. We have 2 options to fly back home- midnight or 3 am next morning. Question- what to do in Dubai  for this long day? If you aware of some luggage storage for one day? Or we need to get hotel room for this day? In this case- do you know which hotel allowed to book day room? Or we need to book usual way and just leave room at evening or at midnight? And what's about taxi for midnight ride to airport? Actually, is taxi available in this time?

Thanks 

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12 hours ago, kurgan said:

Anne, would you ,please, help me again?

Our planned cruise will be finished in December, morning time, as usual. We have 2 options to fly back home- midnight or 3 am next morning. Question- what to do in Dubai  for this long day? If you aware of some luggage storage for one day? Or we need to get hotel room for this day? In this case- do you know which hotel allowed to book day room? Or we need to book usual way and just leave room at evening or at midnight? And what's about taxi for midnight ride to airport? Actually, is taxi available in this time?

Thanks 

 

I am not aware of any luggage storage options so my suggestion would be to try and book a day-use room at a hotel so you have a base for the day before your night flight out of Dubai.  There are several options for this - if you have booked a pre-cruise hotel then you could email that hotel and ask if they could also offer you a day-use room rate for the disembarkation day, alternatively you could check with some of the hotels near the airport if they offer day use rooms.  Several of these hotels are used by airlines for transit passengers with long layovers so may be willing to accommodate individual guests with late flights too.  My suggestions for those would be Le Meridien Hotel & Conference Centre, Roda Al Bustan Hotel or Millennium Airport Hotel, all of which are very close to the airport.  Finally, if you can't get a day-use rate at any of those then you could just make a regular booking at one of the 'budget' hotels at the airport, either the Premier Inn or the Holiday Inn Express which are beside each other opposite T3 and close to the Metro if you want to go out and about during the day.  Finally, taxis to or from the airport are not an issue in Dubai at any time of the day or night - unlike many city airports that have restricted night time hours Dubai International operates 24/7.....

 

Anne...

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been researching the apartment hotels, at your advice.  We have some ideas, but they are all over. Some by the Creek, another a metro stop away from the Mall of Emirates, and more near the World trade center. We found a perfect one by the fountains, but of course for a lot more money. I am curious if you believe taxis/ uber or the metros and buses are more convenient for the value.  Is it worth paying more to be at a hotel by the Mall and fountains? It appears my kids have a charge (7 both) for the metro system, but I am not easily finding child rates so that may make public transport less appealing.  I have read than taxis are reasonable, but my idea of reasonable be different than theirs.  All this rambling and I am trying to decide if I should pick a hotel based on location, near the fountains/mall, near a metro, or the property meeting my needs better.

 

There are so many options at so many price points it is dizzying to narrow it down.  Thanks in advance! 

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We were in Dubai last Christmas/New Year. I picked the Holiday Inn at Al Barsha (but wouldn't again for other reasons), because it was 200 yds from a Metro station and 5 minute walk to the Mall of Emirates. Metro was really handy...we went straight there from the airport, having bought a silver NOL card each (which are good for buses and water taxis too). I think it was 42AED each (about £8) and that lasted us the 6 days. This may be partly due to the fact that I picked being near the MoE as both HOHO companies have a hub there, so having pre purchased a 5 day ticket on Big Bus, we used it as transport from MoE up to the Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa area. Taxis are cheap! Within the city, not much more than 30AED maximum (£6!). We even got a taxi to our hotel in Abu Dhabi. He charged 270AED, but I gave him 300 (£60 for a 90 min journey!) and they are not allowed to pick up a return fare in Abu Dhabi!

 

Simon

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16 hours ago, bearette said:

I have been researching the apartment hotels, at your advice.  We have some ideas, but they are all over. Some by the Creek, another a metro stop away from the Mall of Emirates, and more near the World trade center. We found a perfect one by the fountains, but of course for a lot more money. I am curious if you believe taxis/ uber or the metros and buses are more convenient for the value.  Is it worth paying more to be at a hotel by the Mall and fountains? It appears my kids have a charge (7 both) for the metro system, but I am not easily finding child rates so that may make public transport less appealing.  I have read than taxis are reasonable, but my idea of reasonable be different than theirs.  All this rambling and I am trying to decide if I should pick a hotel based on location, near the fountains/mall, near a metro, or the property meeting my needs better.

 

There are so many options at so many price points it is dizzying to narrow it down.  Thanks in advance! 

 

I can understand your dilemma, the more you look, the more options you find, especially now in the run up to Expo2020 there are new hotels/aparthotels and residences opening all the time!!!   Dubai is now quite a large city that spreads over not insignificat distances however, with two young kids I would suggest sticking to the Downtown/Business Bay/Sh.Zayed Road areas as they are easily accessed by public transport or taxis or the hoho buses, and not too far from the Creek area if you did want to check out ‘Old’ Dubai.    With regards to kids on the Metro, I believe they travel free up to 5 years of age or under 90cm in height, above that then the fares are the same for all.  The exceptions being students who are UAE residents and senior citizens who are UAE nationals and carry specially approved photo id Nol cards.   Difficult to say which mode of transport is better value as I think you’ll find you’ll need to use more than one as the Metro only has two lines so doesn’t cover all areas of the city and as Simon mentioned above RTA taxis are relatively inexpensive especially if you are travelling as a family.   Uber, whilst convenient is relatively new here and is more like a premium taxi service than a ‘cheaper’ alternative to regular taxis..... If you have any particular properties on your shortlist you need any advice on please let me know...

 

Anne...

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16 hours ago, bearette said:

Thansk!  My short list is Ramada downtown and Roda So Murooj, or an Airbnb in that area.

 

I know the Roda Al Murooj, but not the Ramada Downtown however, the location looks good as it’s on the Boulevard beside Dubai Opera, which is a great location as there are lots of restaurants and bistros etc, all around the Boulevard and it’s walkable to the fountains and the small park beside them.  The Roda is a large complex but not as pedestrian friendly as the Ramada as it’s the other side of a busy two level road from Dubai Mall.... However, either would be good choices as a base for your stay....

 

Anne..

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HI Anne. I've settled on staying at either The Oberoi or Al Bandar Rotana Creek. We are not going to do a half board meal package, although, Al Bandar Rotana Creek does offer a Club Room rate with lounge access with snacks in the evening and a breakfast buffet, while The Oberoi offers a breakfast buffet package, but no Club service. In your opinion, are dining options in each location comparable? Does each location offer comparable accessibility to HOHO bus, Metro, etc?

Edited by clojacks
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On 8/28/2019 at 9:27 PM, clojacks said:

HI Anne. I've settled on staying at either The Oberoi or Al Bandar Rotana Creek. We are not going to do a half board meal package, although, Al Bandar Rotana Creek does offer a Club Room rate with lounge access with snacks in the evening and a breakfast buffet, while The Oberoi offers a breakfast buffet package, but no Club service. In your opinion, are dining options in each location comparable? Does each location offer comparable accessibility to HOHO bus, Metro, etc?

 

I can’t give an opinion on hotel dining options as I haven’t dined in any of the outlets of either of them however, I am familiar with other Rotana properties and have always been pleased with any dining experiences.   The Oberoi location in Business Bay probably has access to more outside dining options as it’s within a newly developed part of the city, the Rotana is close to the Creek and the original CBD where there are other hotels (Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson Blu) but not many independent cafes, bistros etc.    The Oberoi probably has better access to the Metro as the Business Bay station is quite close, the Rotana doesn't have a Metro station in the immediate surroundings.  They are both close to stops on the HOHO bus routes...

 

Anne..

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6 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

 

I can’t give an opinion on hotel dining options as I haven’t dined in any of the outlets of either of them however, I am familiar with other Rotana properties and have always been pleased with any dining experiences.   The Oberoi location in Business Bay probably has access to more outside dining options as it’s within a newly developed part of the city, the Rotana is close to the Creek and the original CBD where there are other hotels (Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson Blu) but not many independent cafes, bistros etc.    The Oberoi probably has better access to the Metro as the Business Bay station is quite close, the Rotana doesn't have a Metro station in the immediate surroundings.  They are both close to stops on the HOHO bus routes...

 

Anne..

Thank you Anne...I should have been more clear on my dining question, as we prefer to dine outside the hotel properties as much as possible in the evenings. Sorry about that.

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Hi Anne,

 

Looking through Trip Adviser I picked the Al Seef Heritage Hotel because of its ambiance, finding this discussion group, I saw that you stayed there last year; your photos looked great, by the way. We will be there from Dec 28 or 29 (haven't made the airline reservations quite yet) and will be boarding our ship on the 2nd, but leaving the afternoon of January 3. I realize that the hotel is not near any of the big tourist spots, but we prefer taxis and small group tours to HOHO, so do you think the location will be a problem for us? Also, the hotel has just responded to me, stating that the NYE fireworks would be visible from many nearby restaurants.  Does that sound realistic to you?

 

We plan on taking a tour to Abu Dhabi one day, then filling in with all the usual sites 65+ year old tourists want to see, LOL.  Would we be pushing it to arrive on the night of the 29th and be able to see the Burj Khalifa, Desert Safari, etc., giving us 4-1/2 days in Dubai, but 1-1/2 living on the cruise ship, (so we probably will be spending more time on the ship than we would in a hotel room, thus fewer hours for sight seeing)?

 

Thanks for all the information you have previously posted, it's so valuable.

 

Linda

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5 hours ago, btlover said:

Hi Anne,

 

Looking through Trip Adviser I picked the Al Seef Heritage Hotel because of its ambiance, finding this discussion group, I saw that you stayed there last year; your photos looked great, by the way. We will be there from Dec 28 or 29 (haven't made the airline reservations quite yet) and will be boarding our ship on the 2nd, but leaving the afternoon of January 3. I realize that the hotel is not near any of the big tourist spots, but we prefer taxis and small group tours to HOHO, so do you think the location will be a problem for us? Also, the hotel has just responded to me, stating that the NYE fireworks would be visible from many nearby restaurants.  Does that sound realistic to you?

 

We plan on taking a tour to Abu Dhabi one day, then filling in with all the usual sites 65+ year old tourists want to see, LOL.  Would we be pushing it to arrive on the night of the 29th and be able to see the Burj Khalifa, Desert Safari, etc., giving us 4-1/2 days in Dubai, but 1-1/2 living on the cruise ship, (so we probably will be spending more time on the ship than we would in a hotel room, thus fewer hours for sight seeing)?

 

Thanks for all the information you have previously posted, it's so valuable.

 

Linda

 

Linda,

 

The Al Seef Heritage Hotel is now part of the Zabeel House management group (the second tier of Jumeirah Group Hotels), which actually makes more sense as the other two properties within the Al Seef Heritage development are also under Zabeel House management.  The location is not a problem for getting around, it is close to one of the RTA water taxi stations and the Bur Juman Metro station plus taxis are also readily available within that area as it is very popular with visitors.   With regard to NYE fireworks, there are usually displays in several locations not just the Burj Khalifa, and one is the Al Seef/Creek area so if you find an open or elevated viewing position then you would see those, and maybe the Burj Khalifa from a distance.   Although I did go up to the second floor of the ‘Bayt’ I stayed in when there, I can’t remember what the view towards the Burj Khalifa area was like from there.   I know one of the other Zabeel House properties in the Al Seef development (Zabeel House or Zabeel House MINI) have a rooftop restaurant bar which would give a view towards Burj Khalifa but with it being NYE there may be a minimum charge or reservations required to get in there... 

 

I think 4.5 days in Dubai is a good amount of time to spend in Dubai, and staying in ‘old’ Dubai saves you taking a tour of that area as you would be staying in the middle of it and can wander around at leisure.   It will be busy in Dubai during those days though as Dubai is a popular holiday destination for Europeans and other Middle East countries over Christmas and New Year...

 

If I can be if any further help, let me know...

 

Anne.. 

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17 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

 

Linda,

 

The Al Seef Heritage Hotel is now part of the Zabeel House management group (the second tier of Jumeirah Group Hotels), which actually makes more sense as the other two properties within the Al Seef Heritage development are also under Zabeel House management.  The location is not a problem for getting around, it is close to one of the RTA water taxi stations and the Bur Juman Metro station plus taxis are also readily available within that area as it is very popular with visitors.   With regard to NYE fireworks, there are usually displays in several locations not just the Burj Khalifa, and one is the Al Seef/Creek area so if you find an open or elevated viewing position then you would see those, and maybe the Burj Khalifa from a distance.   Although I did go up to the second floor of the ‘Bayt’ I stayed in when there, I can’t remember what the view towards the Burj Khalifa area was like from there.   I know one of the other Zabeel House properties in the Al Seef development (Zabeel House or Zabeel House MINI) have a rooftop restaurant bar which would give a view towards Burj Khalifa but with it being NYE there may be a minimum charge or reservations required to get in there... 

 

I think 4.5 days in Dubai is a good amount of time to spend in Dubai, and staying in ‘old’ Dubai saves you taking a tour of that area as you would be staying in the middle of it and can wander around at leisure.   It will be busy in Dubai during those days though as Dubai is a popular holiday destination for Europeans and other Middle East countries over Christmas and New Year...

 

If I can be if any further help, let me know...

 

Anne.. 

Thank you, Anne. I feel better about my hotel choice now. Can't wait to start our vacation in Dubai.

 

Linda

 

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Jayaeff - Anne - We are Frank and Sarah from San Francisco and will be arriving in Dubai by on the morning of March 17, 2020 and sailing NCL, Jade on March 18.  We will be leaving San Francisco on Sunday, so when we arrive I know we have a lot of 'jet lag".  Can you suggest a reasonable hotel, close to a Hob on/off Bus stop?  Because of the jet lag I am unsure about how much site seeing we will be able to do.  At least the off and on bus will give us an option to see part of Dubai.  Thanks for your help.  Frank and Sarah.  cheerytrekker@yahoo.com

 

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4 hours ago, sfjakey said:

Jayaeff - Anne - We are Frank and Sarah from San Francisco and will be arriving in Dubai by on the morning of March 17, 2020 and sailing NCL, Jade on March 18.  We will be leaving San Francisco on Sunday, so when we arrive I know we have a lot of 'jet lag".  Can you suggest a reasonable hotel, close to a Hob on/off Bus stop?  Because of the jet lag I am unsure about how much site seeing we will be able to do.  At least the off and on bus will give us an option to see part of Dubai.  Thanks for your help.  Frank and Sarah.  cheerytrekker@yahoo.com

 

 

Have a look at the hotels that are in Festival City.  There are 3 all of which have easy access into Festival City Mall which is on the City Sightseeing HoHo bus route.  Festival City is close to the airport so no long ride upon arrival and it is also easy to get across to the cruise terminal from there.   The 3 hotels are the Intercontinental Festival City, Crowne Plaza Festival City and Holiday Inn Festival City....  Even if you don’t take the HoHo bus Festival City is a nice location to spend the day as it is beside the Creek and is much less busy than being around Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates....

 

Anne...  

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1 hour ago, sfjakey said:

Jayaeff - Anne:  Thank you very much for your help. 

  Is there a hotel with an underwater resturant that yuoi take a submarine too? Frank

 

That would be the Al Mahara restaurant in the Burj Al Arab however, as with everything associated with the Burj Al Arab it is very expensive and would have to be reserved in advance in order for you to pass security to get across the causeway to the hotel.  The ‘submarine’ is actually a simulator ride as contrary to popular belief the restaurant is not really underwater, it’s all an illusion and what you’re seeing is a huge aquarium!!!  Oops, sorry to ‘burst the bubble’ there...😱

 

Anne...

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Hi Anne,     Thanks you so much for all the information you are sharing.  I am really enjoying this thread.  We will be visiting when our cruise stops in November.   As we do in many ports, we figured we would use the hop on hop off bus.   I was going to purchase our tickets ahead of time but I am totally confused at all the different types of tickets available.   I am use to just purchasing the one day pass if visiting for one day and a three day pass when we are staying at a hotel.   Admission to attractions were always extra but not sure if it is a better deal to purchase ahead of time.   We really have no idea which sites to visit.    We usually do the entire route and then decide which to stop at.   We will be there from 7 am until 11 pm.   The night tour might be cool to see but  we probably would try to get back to the ship around 7pm.  Might feel a little uncomfortable trying to get back to the ship after dark - I hear the traffic is very busy.    Someone posted that the bus stop closest to the cruise terminal is a long distance away.   Is that true?     The cruise is included in some tickets, I think that might be nest to do.      Do you have any hints what might be the best ticket to purchase?    Would purchasing one with several attractions be best?      Thanks you so much for any help you can give me.

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We were in Dubai last Christmas and used Big Bus on a 5 day ticket and we were very pleased with them. So you know, Big Bus will be at the cruise terminal when you dock in Dubai. Unless they have changed how they do it, they run a shuttle from the terminal to Wafi mall (stop 9 on the red route). According to what you want to do, you can either do the red or change to green at stop 10 (Dubai mall). We never got round to doing the night tour in our 6 days there, but be aware it doesn’t stop anywhere and starts around 1930, so could be pushing time to get back to the ship.

 

Simon

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