The Deira area these days is a bit of a run down location, but this hotel stands out for service and value for money. Very handy for being so close to the airport; only 8 minutes by cab. It is presently under going a major refit altho that did not cause too much of a distraction or annoyance. The staff are there to serve and boy do they do that well. Food is great and just about all staff know you by name shortly after check in, I have travelled to many worldwide locations over the last 20 years and I have always found hotel service in the UAE to be up there at the top of the class, this recent visit simply confirmed that experience.

Pre-Booking: I contacted the hotel as I have no shame and ask about upgrades for Priority Club Platinum members and they informed me that until the end of the year they would be upgrading Platinum members to the Club floor. I assume this to be a gesture for elites to get to know the hotel better. I am sure this policy will change after the rooms are redone but until then it is a great perk. I had originally planned to stay the Crowne Plaza Festival City on points but given that I got a rate of less than 400AED per night here and a club floor upgrade, this changed my mind.

Arrival: We arrived on a Friday night at about 9PM and after a quick ten minute taxi ride from the airport we were greeted by an energetic bell staff and after they took our bags we were shown the way to check in the lobby at the top of the escalators. I was worried that the taxi driver would not be familiar with the hotel since it had change over from another property change lately but that was not a problem at all.

Check-In: Check-in was just as pleasant as the arrival down stairs. I was informed that we were upgraded to a club floor and explained the benefits and I was then told that as a Platinum member that I would get free internet. Now, I am not sure that internet is a benefit of being Plat but possibly a Club floor benefit. At any rate it was MUCH appreciated as it saves me some money as I need to do work when I am traveling and have to have internet. It is a must. I would clarify with the hotel before expecting free internet as Priority Club Platinum member as it may well just be a benefit of the club floor which is more typical.

The Room: The room is dated but……it is very clean and well maintained. It is good size and the bed has a feather bed topper that makes it very comfy. Now, if you are one of those folks that like sleeping on a rock then you may want to see about having it removed during you stay but we liked it and slept very well. There were plenty of TV channels in various languages and also a good sized LCD TV. There were two chairs in the room and I prefer a chair and an ottoman. There are no real views to speak of but you will get a good view of the planes departing/arriving as you are in the flight path but I did not hear any flight noise during hour stay so the rooms are well insulated. The bathroom was good sized and had a bidet if that is important to you and plenty of toiletries and the only complaint is lack of vent in the bathroom. The lighting in the room was a bit dark. The internet was fine during off periods but during typical heavy periods (after people came in from working all day) the internet struggled to keep up. I would not have been so happy had I paid the 100AED per day for it. That is the UAE though in my experience so not just this property.

The Club Lounge: The club floor was better than expected. I am not going to say anything crazy like it is the best ever but it was decent enough. Breakfast has your typical continental offering and also included two hot dishes including and egg dish and a meat dish. Worked for us. In the evening during happy hour there were some sweets and hot dishes that were pretty good but we only hit happy hour one day so can’t comment beyond that one day. Service in the Club was very good. The club floor attendant had trouble keeping up during peak periods but they held up quite well and I don’t think we wanted for anything. If you have it in your budget, I think it would be good value to book the club floor.

Pool and Fitness: Spent a good amount of time at the pool. Keep in mind this is not a resort so although the pool area is not what you would find at the beach resorts in Dubai you also do not have to deal with a packed pool area. It was never too busy when we were there. The pool is good sized and great for laps but there is limited shallow water so if you don’t like a deep pool this may not be for you. There is a kiddie pool though if you have children. There are separate health club facilities for men and women and I did not hit the gym but the sauna, steam room etc looked recently renovated and pretty solid. If you like to watch the planes overhead then it is nice to sit out at the pool and watch them fly pretty close overhead but if you do not fancy that……it might not be so pleasant. The food service at the pool was via a phone and you basically called room service and the one time we ordered it took quite a while so be warned.

Restaurants: There is Spice Island which had buffet for dinner and breakfast and I think ala carte during part of the day but not sure of the times. There is another place called Sails but it was not open during our stay, perhaps when they finish the renovation? There is a place next to Spice Island called Tikis which I did not see on the web site but it was basically a nicer bar with some appetizers etc. There was rarely anyone in there when we walked by. Finally there is Harrys Place which is where we did our dining when we ate at the hotel. It is a sports bar type place but a nice place with good service and decent food. I don’t think I had a bad dish there. Prices are reasonable and it is fine for a decent meal at a reasonable price. Nothing fancy but they do have some dining specials, steak special when we were there that looked to be good value. We dined at Spice Island one morning for breakfast and it wasn’t the greatest but it was cheap. I would say in the scale of breakfast buffets is it in the average category but ok for the price.

Location: I am not an expert on locations in Dubai and reading reviews before booking it appeared there was not a perfect area to stay in. This property is very close to the airport (about 10 minutes with no traffic) and given the relative low cost of taxies in Dubai it is easy enough to just take a taxi to wherever you want to go. I did read some reviews on the property pushing the hotel taxi but I did not experience that. Every time I asked for a taxi they went out and got a regular taxi. Now one evening they did give us a hotel taxi and when I ask the price it was about the same as what I paid the previous day to the same location via a regular taxi so I went for it as it was a nicer car. I think in that instance they just didn’t want to go get a regular tax and cut me a deal. I am sure that if they offer the hotel car and you refuse it will be no problem at all to get a regular taxi.

Summary: I liked this property. The place is not the fanciest place and I am sure it is not as nice at the Crowne Plaza Festival City but the lounge is a nice benefit and the staff are great. This is definitely a solid business hotel but it is also fine for the leisure traveler as well especially on a short stopover given the close proximity to the airport. I think the meter on the way to the airport was about 15AED which is pretty cheap. I cant remember the exact cost of the trip to the hotel but it should have been about 20AED more as the meter starts at about 20AED more. I look forward to returning

I stayed for 2 nights for a conference. The conference was well run.
The rooms were spacious and very clean. The service from the front desk and the door staff was excellent. I used the shuttle to the Deira City Center several times which was a real bonus as I was trying to squeeze some shopping in. Overall I would recommend it as a good affordable stay in Dubai.

I had once visited this property before it became a Crowne Plaza. It was better this time.
Close to airport, but traffice can cause delays.
Lobby is on upper floor so you enter and take escalator up. Staff are present to assit with bags.
I was upgraded due to my Prioritt Club status which I appreciataed.
The room was clean and maintained, but I struggled to understand if it was renovated. I was on Club floor.
I found the lighting to be too dark unless I turned on all table lights.
It was hard to find and use available electric to charge laptop and phones etc.
Nice flat screen.
No wifi- my internet was supposed to be more than $25 per day, but was included. I would have been very very unhappy to pay $25+.
Bathroom was very dark in the shower due to light being over the main area.
Food was good and I liked the various restaurants and bars. The band playin at Harry Place bar was very enjoyable. Staff were excellent everywhere in hotel.
I looked at the pool and I wish I had time to use it.
I will stay again if interent is not being charged.