Hotels in Dubai

Dubai has hotels to cater to every taste and budget. The Dubai Tourism website currently lists a total of 317 hotels and 151 hotel apartments. In recent years hotel occupancy rates have consistently hit 80% or more. Dubai never falters in its quest for superlatives - Burj Al-Arab, its flagship hotel, is the tallest in the world and is often called the world's first 7 star hotel (listed as unclassified by Dubai Tourism). Dubai also has the world's highest density of 5 star hotels - 1.1 hotels/km².

Broadly speaking, hotels in Dubai are located in six areas - Airport, Deira, Bur Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah and Dubai Marina. The two latter areas have most of the upscale hotels, including Burj Al-Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Deira and Bur Dubai offer a good mix of budget hotels as well as more upmarket ones.

General Hotel Tips

• The 1 & 2 star hotels are best avoided. If on a tight budget consider the Youth Hostel instead.
• 4 star hotels tend to be reasonable.
• With a few exceptions 5 star hotels have good standards.
• "Hotel Apartments" are not given a star rating by Dubai Tourism.
• Journey times to/from the airport are not reliable.
• All hotels are obliged to take a copy of your passport at check-in.

Read up a few independent traveller reviews before you book a hotel in Dubai - unless you happen to choose one of the very upmarket hotels. Choose your hotel location wisely - journey times to/from the airport can easily exceed 30 minutes during hours of peak traffic even if the hotel is located in one of the areas adjacent to the airport.

It is advisable to steer well clear of the many 1 and 2 star rated hotels. Unwashed sheets, smelly rooms & dirty bathrooms are just three of the many unpleasant surprises that await the unwary traveller who chooses to alight there. Caution is advisable when booking a room in a 3 star hotel. It is best check for independent traveller reviews on the Internet rather than relying on the information provided on the hotel website or by online hotel booking services.

If you happen to be on a really tight budget a better option is to stay at the youth hostel run by the UAE Youth Hostels Association. Room rates vary from 170 to 230 Dhs for members - membership costs 200 Dhs. The rooms are clean, the cafeteria serves edible food and breakfast is included. There is a bus stop opposite the main entrance and the fare to the Gold Souk is a mere 1 Dirham. Should you hire a taxi you might have to help the driver find the hostel - between Al Mulla Plaza and Al Bustan Centre on Al Nahada road.

The 4 star category of hotels in Dubai are, generally speaking, reasonably priced and offer a satisfactory degree of comfort. Nevertheless, it is advisable to seek out independent traveller reviews before you book and be prepared for a few unpleasant surprises - typically sheets and towels that appear to have been "recycled" from another room. Most hotels in this category offer a complimentary coach service to Deira City Centre and/or the Nasser Square area. Few offer an airport pickup/drop off service - thanks to the current state of Dubai traffic.

Do not be surprised if the desk clerk asks for your passport when you check-in - hotels in Dubai are obliged to get a copy. It is not unusual for hotel reception to retain the passport for a few hours in order to make a copy unless you insist on having it returned at once.

Most 5 star hotels in Dubai offer good service, well appointed rooms and complimentary airport transfers. However it is worth noting that some of the newer hotels list facilities that are not yet operational.

Hailing a taxi at these hotels can be easier since many of them have a taxi pool. Even so, if you are visiting Dubai with the express intention of going shopping it is best to avoid the traffic jams by staying at a hotel attached to a shopping mall.

• Deira City Centre - Sofitel
• BurJuman Centre - BurJuman Rotana
• Emirates Mall - Kempinski

If, on the other hand, you want to explore the older parts of Dubai and visit its famed souks it is better to stay at a hotel in Deira. Choose one of the fine hotels overlooking Dubai Creek if money is no object or a cheaper hotel in the Nasser Square area if you are on a more frugal budget.

Sharjah Hotels

If you happen to be on a budget - or simply want to get off the beaten track - consider staying at a hotel in Sharjah instead. Sharjah has a small number of upscale hotels as well as a selection of cheaper beachfront properties. Most Sharjah hotels offer a complimentary coach service to Deira City Centre and Nasser Square.

In the UAE tourists appear to congregate at certain hotels based on their nationality. This is particularly the case with the cheaper beachfront hotels in Sharjah.