good bed linen, including marshmallow-
soft feather pillows. You’ll find an adequate
gym, a small pool, a hot tub and restau-
rants, including the excellent Antique Ba-
zaar Indian restaurant (see p70).arabian courTyard
hoTel & spa hoTel $
Map p210 (%04-351 9111; http://www.arabiancourtyard
.com; al-Fahidi St; r from Dh500; is) Located
opposite the Dubai Museum, this hotel is an
excellent launch pad for city explorers. The
Arabian theme extends from the turbaned
lobby staff to the design flourishes in the
rooms, which are decent-sized (although
the bathrooms are on the small side). Ask
for a room overlooking the Creek. Overall, a
good-value pick in a central location.four poinTs by sheraTon
doWnToWn dubai hoTel $
Map p210 (%04-354 3333; http://www.starwoodhotels
.com; 4C St, off al-Mankhool rd, Mankhool; r from
Dh475; iWs) The stark-white chrome-and-
marble lobby can’t quite decide what it’s try-
ing to be – contemporary Italian or 1970s
disco – but rooms at this midrange hotel
are spacious enough for a small family. The
location is a bit nondescript, but extras such
as comfy mattresses, big flatscreen TVs, and
rooftop gym and pool compensate.dubai noVa hoTel $
Map p210 (%04-355 9000; http://www.dubainovahotel
.com; al-Fahidi St; r from Dh450; i) This mod-
ern block won’t win any awards for decoror design, but the rooms are spacious,
squeaky clean and simply decorated in red
and white with pine furnishings. A couple
of minutes from the Dubai Museum and
close to the souqs, abra rides and plenty of
restaurants, Nova is popular with Indian
families and businessmen.4 Sheikh Zayed Road &
AroundoJuMeirah eMiraTes
ToWers luXury hoTel $$
Map p216 (%04-330 0000; http://www.jumeirah.com;
Sheikh Zayed rd, Financial District; d from Dh950;
iWs) Housed in one of Dubai’s soaring
steel-and-glass buildings, this is one of the
Middle East’s top business hotels. Glide
up to your room in the panoramic lift for
incredible views. Throughout the 52-floor
hotel, the black-and-grey aesthetic is ultra-
masculine and heavy on angular lines
while the room layout is sleek and busy-
exec-orientated. Solo women travellers
should book the Chopard ladies’ floor, where
pink replaces grey and in-bath fridges
let you chill your caviar face creams. Serv-
ice here is among Dubai’s best.arMani hoTel luXury hoTel $$$
Map p216 (%04-888 3888; http://www.dubai.armani
hotels.com; burj khalifa, Downtown Dubai; r from
Dh1700; iWs) The first hotel to carry
the Armani name, the decor here is theairporT opTionspremier inn (%04-885 0999; http://www.premierinn.com; airport rd; r from Dh475; iWs) If
your plane lands late or leaves early, this surprisingly stylish place just outside
Terminal 3 is a convenient place to check in� The third Dubai property of this huge
uK-based budget hotel chain delivers modern yet pocket-sized digs appealingly
accented with the company’s trademark purple� Plane-spotters can indulge their
obsession while floating in the rooftop pool�
dubai youth hostel (%04-298 8151/61; http://www.uaeyha.com; 39 al-nahda rd, al-qusais,
btwn lulu hypermarket & al bustan Centre; dm/s/d/tr hi members Dh90/170/200/270,
nonmembers Dh100/190/230/300; is) Dubai’s only hostel has facilities more typical
of a hotel, including a pool, gym, sauna, Jacuzzi, tennis court, coffee shop and laun-
dry� However, being located north of the airport, towards Sharjah, makes it a less
than convenient base for extensive city exploring� Private rooms in the newer wing
(Hostel A) come with Tv, refrigerator and bathrooms, but the dorms in the older
wings (Hostels B and C) are more basic� To get to the hostel from the airport take
bus 34 from the Terminal 1 departure level; it runs every 30 minutes between 7� 45 am
and 10� 15 pm (15 minutes, Dh3)� A taxi should cost about Dh35 to Dh40� Check-in
time is 2pm�s
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