Dubai Hotels

Recommended Dubai Hotels

Dubai

Dubai is an amazing place to visit, a city of contrasts, where East meets West and old meets new. Situated on a coastal strip bordered by majestic desert and calm blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, Dubai offers year-round sunshine and a unique Arabian experience of fantastic scenery, world-class shopping, luxurious hotels and fabulous dining. Dubai has been transformed from a small fishing village to a modern vibrant city where celebrities holiday and the Dubai skyline competes to be the world's biggest, brightest and tallest.

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. Dubai operates as a constitutional monarchy ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. The current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.

While Dubai's economy was built on oil wealth, it does not have the oil reserves of Abu Dhabi. In the 1990s, Dubai launched an ambitious campaign to become one of the world's top tourist destinations supported by a huge program of hotel building and the launch of its Emirates airline. Today, Dubai is known for its man-made islands in the shape of palm trees and the map of the world and the reputation as an international shopping destination. It makes for a perfect stopover destination when travelling between Asia and Europe.

Dubai Hotels

Dubai City (Deira) is the area around the Dubai Creek offering a blend of modern shopping centers, many dubai hotels, the Gold and Spice Souk and museums. Most city hotels are only 10 - 15 minutes from Dubai Airport.

Dubai Festival City is a new development on Dubai Creek located minutes from the airport. There are many dubai hotels, shopping malls and waterfront promenade with cafes, bars and restaurants.

Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai is Dubai's major arterial road running from the city to the Jumeirah beach hotel Dubai area. Many skyscrapers housing Dubai's major corporations and 5 star Dubai hotels line the road.

Jumeirah Beach is Dubai's playground where visitors can reside in beautiful 5 star Dubai beach resorts, Dubai apartments, enjoy fabulous facilities and dine in Dubai's finest restaurants. The

Shopping Dubai

Dubai is known as a shopper's paradise, whether it's designer label products, gold and jewellery or a range of locally-made souvenirs, the choice is endless. There are many modern and magnificent shopping malls as well as traditional souks (markets). Shopping hours are 10am to 6pm, however during Ramadan when shops are closed for large parts of the day, many shopping malls open to 10pm. Prices in the malls and other Western shops are not negotiable but bargaining is acceptable in the markets.

Shopping Dubai Festival was launched in 1996 and is the biggest shopping and entertainment event in the Dubai Middle East during January and February each year. Almost every retail outlet takes part with everything on sale from gold and perfume to electronics and textiles. There are many events including fashion shows, fireworks and the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, takes place during the festival.

Mall of the Emirates is one of the largest shopping malls in the world with the widest variety of shopping, including luxury designer brands, international high street outlets, teen fashion, furniture, electronics, accessories, jewellery, shoes, bags, toys, books…everything you could possibly wish for! There is also a cinema complex and the Dubai Ski Centre. [Open Sunday - Wednesday 10am - 10pm, Thurs - Saturday 10am – midnight, Carrefour opens 9am – midnight every day. Mall of the Emirates offers a complimentary shuttle bus service between Dubai's major hotels and the mall.]

Deira City Centre is a large and very popular mall in Dubai. There are over 370 retail outlets including cinemas, restaurants, cafes and a Carrefour hypermarket. [Open Sunday to Wednesday 10am to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday 10am to midnight]

Emirates Towers Boulevard is part of the Jumeirah Emirates Tower Hotel complex, Dubai's finest city hotel, located on Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai in the centre of Dubai's commercial business district just 12 km from Dubai International Airport. The mall is considered the most expensive in Dubai with very high class shops merchandising international luxury designer brands. This is a popular nightlife spot with many restaurants, bars and nightclubs. [Open Daily 10am-10pm, Fri 4pm-10pm.]

Mercato (Italian for market) is a large themed mall which brings together the choicest lifestyle offerings from the Mediterranean, in addition to many exclusive international brands, restaurants, cafes and cinemas. The mall is based on a distinctive Renaissance architectural concept capturing Italian, French and Spanish influences. It is ideally located on Jumeirah Beach Road, one of the fastest growing residential and retail districts in the city.

IBN Battuta Mall is a large themed shopping mall revolutionizing the retail and entertainment experience in Dubai. Uniquely designed to celebrate the travels of the famous Arabic explorer Ibn Battuta, it is an exciting mix of over 275 retailers, 50 restaurants and food outlets, 21 cinema screens including an IMAX theatre. [Open Sun-Wed 10am -10pm, Thu-Sat 10am - midnight, Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai between interchanges 5 and 6]

Town Centre Jumeirah, located on Jumeirah Beach Road, is a great place to shop, relax and casually dine. As well as many shops, there is an indoor/outdoor food court with a large selection of international cuisine.

Wafi Mall indulges in a unique up-market shopping experience, with over 350 stores offering the world's most original and influential brands within an Egypt-themed architecture. The mall has many upmarket restaurants and bars which are licensed. The mall is conveniently located just south of the Creek and only 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport. [Wafi operates complementary shuttle buses to and from a number of Dubai hotels, open Sat to Wed 10am to 10pm, Thurs and Fri 10am to midnight]

Festival City is another amazing mall which has 550 shops including Ikea and many electronics stores.

Burjuman Centre is a shopping mall situated on the Trade Centre Road in Dubai Bur, and has over 300 retail outlets. If you like designer then this is the place to visit with household names such as Saks 5th Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, DKNY, Polo and more. [Sat-Thu 10am-10pm, Fri 2pm-10pm]

Souk Madinat Jumeirah opened in 2004 and is part of the Madinet Jumeirah complex located on the beach next to the world famous Burj Al Arab hotel, and is designed in traditional Arabic fashion. Visitors will enjoy a night out within the complex as there is a vast choice of restaurants and bars, where you can sit alongside the waterfront and enjoy the atmosphere and the setting.

Dubai Outlet Mall is marketed as the first dedicated shopping Dubai mall for all factory outlets and the biggest outlet mall in the world.

Markets

Gold Souk is a historic market located at the mouth of the Dubai creek. Visitors are amazed by the large quantities of gold for sale. Gold items are sold by weight at the current international gold price with a markup for the workmanship. Shoppers can bargain the markup but generally not the price of the gold.

Spice Souk is a historic market located at the mouth of the Dubai creek near the gold market. The market is declining in popularity as supermarkets are more convenient and the market is not air-conditioned.