Dubai Boutique Hotels

[lealea]

Is anyone familiar with the Bastakiya district. I gather it is next to the Creek and is the old residential part of town, "wind towers, 100 year old homes, etc. My wife and I were interested in a small boutique hotel called the XVA Art Hotel which has received some good write-ups. We had thought this might give us a better appreciation for Dubai that some of the Western hotels.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this hotel or similar?

[Jayayeff]

Is anyone familiar with the Bastakiya district. I gather it is next to the Creek and is the old residential part of town, "wind towers, 100 year old homes, etc. My wife and I were interested in a small boutique hotel called the XVA Art Hotel which has received some good write-ups. We had thought this might give us a better appreciation for Dubai that some of the Western hotels.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this hotel or similar?

 

I'm familiar with the area but not the hotel however, I'll ask around and see if any of my friends/colleagues know anything about it...How unusual to see a post asking for info on a boutique hotel in a little known part of Dubai - it's usually about the latests all glitz and glamour place to have opened (which happens to be Atlantis but that's another story).

 

Anne

[Jayayeff]

Having now done a little research, I'd say give it a try. Althoughh I don;t know anyone who has stayed there, the hotel is a restored 'Windtower' house in the Bastakia area, which is the original part of Dubai that grew up around the Creek trading post. I know one of the other restored houses - it also has an art theme, if you check out The Majlis Gallery. Back in the late 80's or early 90's this are was due for redevelopment but in the end was granted a reprieve and restored but instead of the houses being restored as purely residential properties several have become commercial properties but inkeeping with their origins. In fact that whole area of the Creekside is known as the Heritage area. The properties are quite large with rooms built around a central courtyard. I would definitely recommend visiting friends looking for something different to try it - although the area isn't bursting with 5* restaurants etc. there are several within close proximity and the hotel is within walking distance of the Museum, Creek waterfront, and on the route of the Big Bus Tour (a hoho sightseeing bus), etc. etc.

 

Hope that helps...

 

Anne

[lealea]

Having now done a little research, I'd say give it a try. Althoughh I don;t know anyone who has stayed there, the hotel is a restored 'Windtower' house in the Bastakia area, which is the original part of Dubai that grew up around the Creek trading post. I know one of the other restored houses - it also has an art theme, if you check out The Majlis Gallery. Back in the late 80's or early 90's this are was due for redevelopment but in the end was granted a reprieve and restored but instead of the houses being restored as purely residential properties several have become commercial properties but inkeeping with their origins. In fact that whole area of the Creekside is known as the Heritage area. The properties are quite large with rooms built around a central courtyard. I would definitely recommend visiting friends looking for something different to try it - although the area isn't bursting with 5* restaurants etc. there are several within close proximity and the hotel is within walking distance of the Museum, Creek waterfront, and on the route of the Big Bus Tour (a hoho sightseeing bus), etc. etc.

 

Hope that helps...

 

Anne

Thanks Anne for your research & replies. We were attracted to the area simply because it wasn't reworked glitz. We will certainly be visiting this particular area for both its older architecture as well as wanting to try some local food that is not 'reworked' Western cuisine. However, we may end up staying in a more Western hotel simply because we havn't seen this hotel in person or heard from any others who have stayed there. We find it too 'open-ended' to commit to a hotel in such a foreign land without hearing back from other travelers who have been there. Thx again for your responses.

ps. I see you are a 'Crystal' cruiser.

We were on the last cruise of the Crystal Harmony. What a fabulous line this is!

 

Wendell

[Jayayeff]

You're very welcome and if you need any other info please post and I'll be more than happy to help...

 

Yes, I've done a few Crystal cruise but have a mix next year as I need to pick suitable itineraries that fit around time off from work so I have one Regent in the Med. and then one Crystal to the Amazon on the Symphony...

Are you cruising into or out of Dubai or doing a land tour??

 

Anne

[lealea]

I'm cruising out of Dubai, terminating in Rome. Then week in Rome and week in London before home in Victoria,BC,Canada. Am taking day tours at various ports, non overnight.

I certainly agree with you that the itinerary is paramount in picking a cruise.

 

Wendell

[havepassportwilltravel]

Hi -- We were in Dubai at the end of March, before boarding the Queen Victoria, and stayed just down the street from the hotel you asked about. In fact, we had lunch next door to it upon our arrival. The windtowers are fascinating.

 

However, we stayed at the Arabian Courtyard, facing the museum, and had a fabulous experience in the old part of town. It was convenient to the Creek and was a great experience of "old Dubai." It doesn't have a beach or lots of western glitz, but it was a wonderful experience and felt a lot more "authentic." We found it on Trip Advisor and have nothing but good to say. After arriving on an early morning flight, we were not able to get in to our room for a couple of hours, so we went to tour the mosque and could have been in our room before noon.

 

Be sure to check out the offerings at the Sheikh Muhammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. We did their mosque tour as well as the breakfast, and it added so much to our days there. Also, my husband did a "desert safari" and I wandered the souks and stores within several blocks of the hotel alone on a Friday night with no problem. We also rented a car and drove over to Abu Dhabi for a day and enjoyed that a lot, as well as having breakfast at the Burj.

 

Dubai is an incredible experience. Just be sure to plan for traffic whenever you have to get across town! Have a great trip.

[lealea]

Hi -- We were in Dubai at the end of March, before boarding the Queen Victoria, and stayed just down the street from the hotel you asked about. In fact, we had lunch next door to it upon our arrival. The windtowers are fascinating.

 

However, we stayed at the Arabian Courtyard, facing the museum, and had a fabulous experience in the old part of town. It was convenient to the Creek and was a great experience of "old Dubai." It doesn't have a beach or lots of western glitz, but it was a wonderful experience and felt a lot more "authentic." We found it on Trip Advisor and have nothing but good to say. After arriving on an early morning flight, we were not able to get in to our room for a couple of hours, so we went to tour the mosque and could have been in our room before noon.

 

Be sure to check out the offerings at the Sheikh Muhammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. We did their mosque tour as well as the breakfast, and it added so much to our days there. Also, my husband did a "desert safari" and I wandered the souks and stores within several blocks of the hotel alone on a Friday night with no problem. We also rented a car and drove over to Abu Dhabi for a day and enjoyed that a lot, as well as having breakfast at the Burj.

 

Dubai is an incredible experience. Just be sure to plan for traffic whenever you have to get across town! Have a great trip.

 

Thanks for your helpful information. I had seen the Arabian Courtyard listed along with the XVA Art Hotel and wondered what both might really be like. I read some other reports from users of the XVA hotel and they talked of the 'futon like' thin mattresses and 'padlocks' being used to secure one's room - didn't seem like the place I would want to stay. However, I like your comments about the Arabian Courtyard and just wanted to confirm that their beds are what a Westerner would expect.

 

I also wondered about your 'breakfast' at the Burj Al Arab. Would you recommend the breakfast over the 'high tea' they also offer? What price bracket were their breakfasts?

 

We are also looking at the Desert Safari experience and are quite excited after reading so many positive comments about it. Finally, many thanks about the 'traffic' tip and leaving lots of time to get anywhere.