We spontaneously decided to spent our Christmas holidays in Dubai because we were sick of Berlins cold and grey weather. It also was a destination that was on our bucketlist for years and it seemed like the perfect fit for a 1 week relaxing holiday. So we booked our flights and I started looking for hotels. Since it was our first time we wanted to explore as many places as possible so location was key. We didn't chose a hotel on the beach because in that case we probably would ended up doing nothing but lying around.
After a quick research Crowne Plaza Dubai was our final choice since its good reviews and its excellent location on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai's main road.
So here are some facts about the hotel which I can highly recommend.
Location
As mentioned the hotel is centrally located on Sheikh Zayed Road. The beach and cool places like the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, City Walk, La Mer, DIFC and Boxpark are less then 10 minute drive away. JBR, Burj Al Arab and The Palm take around 20-30 Minutes. The Airport is also very close and it only took us 10 Minutes. If you prefer public transport you can take the Metro stations World Trade Centre or Emirates Towers which both are around a 15 Minute walk away.
Rooms
We stayed at one of the Executive Club Suites, the Captain's Suite in particular, which was overlooking the busy Sheikh Zayed Road. It was spacious and comfy and most important it was very clean. If you stay at one of the Club Suites you also have all day access to the Executive Lounge and complimentary transfer to/from the airport. Club Suites costed around 200 Euro when we stayed and the Standard Rooms 150 Euro. Of course prices vary on season and time of booking but as said we booked very short notice and during peak holiday season.
Dining
You may have already noticed that I spend a lot of time eating while travelling so it's always important to me to explore new restaurants. Our breakfast was included in the room rate and we had the chance to have our breakfast in the Executive Lounge on the 17th floor which was a real treat. While the main breakfast menu has definitely much more choices, the lounge was perfect for a calm and more 'boutique' breakfast experience. Besides the buffet options you could also order your choice of eggs. During the day you can also have complimentary snacks and drinks in in the Lounge.
Another great thing was that the hotel is home to 15 different restaurants and bars and also a nightclub, Zinc. When we heard that there was a Brazilian Meat Restaurant called Chamas we directly booked. We had luck since it was Samba night (every Wednesday) when we where there. Read all about it here.
There is also a Wagamama inside the hotel which is a restaurant I loved back in Istanbul but unfortunately we don't have it here in Berlin :(
We also had a Lunch at the hotels Italian restaurant Al Fresco. While we were expecting a basic Italian lunch we ended up having a 4 course culinary experience. Read all about it here.
Facilities
The hotel has a pool on the terrace and also a gym, sadly I didn't have time to benefit from.
Last but not least I was very much impressed by the kindness and friendliness of the staff. I especially remember our driver and the staff from the Executive Lounge who gave us great recommendations for Dubai.
Hope to be back soon!
