Hi all. We are stopping in Dubai for a couple of days on our way to Europe. Can anyone recommend where to stay that is centrally located and won't cost a bomb? Somewhere near the beach would be nice. Budget around $150 Australian dollars a night. Also, any advice on the best way of getting around would be good. Many thanks
Elaine
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4053 posts
Tourists usually choose somewhere along the Old Creek or perhaps nearby Deira areas. Airport access is convenient and some places are close to the Metro subway. One hidden but possibly important consideration, depending on your taste, is whether the hotel has a bar. You should be aware that Dubai is a vast sprawl of a city, most of it new. The subway will carry you close to some attractions, particularly big shopping malls, but distances can be daunting on foot. In the oven that is summer, walking during the heat of the day will be a challenge even for sun-drenched Australians. Taxis are plentiful and regulated and the driver will usually understand enough English to take you from one air-conditioned location to another.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7361 posts
bealeg, I guess you're from Australia but your profile doesn't say.
It is extremely easy to find alcoholic beverages in Dubai. We stayed at the Hilton Dubai Creek, but we didn't need rock-bottom prices. There isn't a lot to see, other than tall buildings with $50-$100/drink bars at the top, and expensive international boutiques you could shop in anywhere. A 30-year old building is a very old place in Dubai. We were there in August, when rooms are the cheapest, because it's 95 Fahrenheit at dawn and 110 Fahrenheit at 2PM. Walking around was next to impossible. We saw plenty of people outdoors at the beach and the water park on Palm Island, but the atmosphere was just stifling.
Like you, we stopped there to time-adjust, in our case on the way to East Africa. But despite oil wealth, it's a rather "empty" destination. (Opinion!)