Dubai October 2015

Whatever you have heard about Dubai, you will not be wrong. It is whatever you want it to

be, glitz, glamour, opulence, relaxing beaches and sightseeing. The shopping is fantastic,

both for authentic goods and convincing copies.

For children it has water parks, the themed Atlantis Hotel and indoor skiing!! Dubai is a very

safe destination with an extremely low crime rate. This makes it very appealing to single

travellers or ladies travelling together.

Dubai is truly a world class city: in addition to being an international air, cruise and trading

hub, this city is a leading hospitality and entertainment centre. Home to some of the

world’s finest hotels and restaurants and the world’s largest shopping malls, Dubai also

plays host to many top sporting events. This wasn’t always the case, and the story of

Dubai’s rise from humble origins is as fascinating as the city itself. This emirate, one of

seven which comprise the United Arab Emirates, was nothing more than a pearl fishing

village in the early 1900’s. With the discovery of oil as recently as in 1966, Dubai’s

transformation began, but today oil accounts for just 5% of Dubai’s income. Dubai gained

its own currency, the Dirham, in 1973 and Emirates Airline, widely acknowledged as one of

the worlds finest, began in 1985 with two leased aircraft. With landmarks like The Palm, a

huge manmade island, the iconic and luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel, the tallest free-standing

hotel in the world, and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010,

Dubai continues to wow visitors, and the pace of development is so fast that the city is

virtually unrecognisable from just 7 or 8 years ago! One of the best ways to experience

Dubai’s origins is by visiting the Dubai Museum, situated in the historic Al Fahidi Fort,

Dubai’s oldest building. From here, a ride across the creek in a traditional ‘abra’ boat takes

you to the souks, to immerse yourself further in Dubai’s culture which co-exists side by side

with modern, glittering skyscrapers and international commerce.

FLIGHTS

Dubai is an easy seven hour flight from the UK, especially if you travel with Emirates on the A380.

The aircraft is very comfortable, even in economy, and Dubai airport is modern and efficient. The

weather in our winter months is a huge attraction.

Dubai is an easy seven hour flight from the UK, especially if you travel with Emirates on the A380.

The aircraft is very comfortable, even in economy, and Dubai airport is modern and efficient. The

weather in our winter months is a huge attraction.

Virgin and British Airways also fly direct to the Emirate State which means a massive choice of flights

and probably one of the first questions you will need to address is when do I fly? At night or during

the day and if you give us a call we will be happy to go through all of the options with you.

Dubai is not only a standalone beach venue as Emirates Airlines has a huge network of flights,

especially its partnership with Qantas. Therefore, it lends itself as a stopover destination. I would

suggest stopping over en-route i.e. the Indian Ocean, Indonesia or even Australia. Stay in a

downtown hotel as a contrast as the beaches in Dubai do not match up to these destinations, so it is

better to have the diversity of a downtown location.

WHEN

Dubai is seen as an all year resort however it does get cooler around New Year and it is very

hot in the summer months, so hot many of the restaurants are air conditioned indoors but

go then and you get grate savings on some of the best hotels in the world

WHERE

You have five distinct areas of Dubai and the first decision you have to make is where.

Downtown is the commercial and shopping district of Dubai and is home to the famous

Dubai Creek. Most clients choose the Jumeirah Beach area or the Palm to relax on. If you

want to walk to restaurants then you have the relatively new Walk area or if you want to

get away from it all Jebel Ali Beach or the stillness of the Desert. Ask any one of the four

Westway staff that has just returned from Dubai for their advice

I would say the message is if anyone would like to go to Dubai there are no bad Hotels, it is

easy to get around and taxis are reasonably priced so book the right location and the best

Hotel available for the budget and have a good time. Yet if we had a choice here are some

of our favourites.

Grosvenor House - Marina

An Older style high rise development by the Marina and the Walk with the use of the Royal

Meridian Beach. You buy this one because you want quality and space. Great for families because it

has apartments from one to three bedrooms. For young adults, try The Embassy Club in Tower 2, it

feels like your own private House Party

Le Royal Meridian - Jumeirah Beach

An old favourite right on Jumeirah Beach which is not surprising as it offers lots of water sports and

Camel Rides!!!. Good location for the Malls, the Marina, the Walk and the beach.

The hotel has 13 restaurants to dine in as part of a half board arrangement and toy wake you up in

the morning try one of their 'Eye Opener drinks' as you go into breakfast,

Jumeirah Beach - Jumeirah Beach

Probably most famous for being the shape of a breaking wave but it does have more to offer

than just that. All rooms face the sea with floor to ceiling glass, you have a choice of larger

suites for families and a real tip is that the superior rooms have been renovated and the

Deluxe not.

The hotel has 5 Pools, plus its own 1km stretch of beach, so enough room for everyone and if that is

not enough you have Complimentary access to Wild Wadi water park with the hotels own private

entrance

Managed by the Jumeirah hotels group gives you a choice of 50 restaurants in Dubai that you can

visit as a Jumeirah Guest

We would say that the Jumeirah Beach is ideal for those guests who like a lot going on and like the

feel of a busy hotel the

The Madinat Jumeirah Hotels

Mina A ’Salam, Jumeirah Al Qasr and Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf are amongst our favourite

beach Hotels. They are in a good location and have very good facilities but the main

attraction is the half board dine around rates. There are 44 Restaurants in total most of

which are included in this huge resort. You don’t book one hotel you are booking three and

some of the highlights are shown below.

What sets this hotel apart from many others is the Souk- 75 shops fully air conditioned, based on the

Souk market, open 10am-10pm

Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf - Jumeirah Beach

• Our favourite of the 3 hotels in the Madinat

• We recommend the Arabia Summerhouse Suites, they are villas that sleep up to 10, and you

can have one as a group or book individual rooms. You have a butler for the villas as a whole

and your own courtyard.

• Feels small and intimate

• The Gulf Summerhouse suites are by the sea.

• Every 3 villas has 1 pool/1 lifeguard

Jumeirah Mina A Salam - Jumeirah Beach

• This hotel has had a big makeover

• All rooms have a balcony

• They offer guaranteed interconnecting

• Closest out of the 3 to the beach

Jumeirah Al Qasr - Jumeirah Beach

• Built on a hill

• On arrival 18 Golden Horses greet you, symbolising transport

• The lobby lounge has won awards for Afternoon tea and, something different to do in

Dubai??

• Style of hotel traditional Arabic, maintaining Middle Eastern flavour

• Try the Pier chic restaurant. It’s at the end of the pier, with great views and fantastic fine

dining, (Seafood) Pre book to avoid disappointment.

The One & Only Royal Mirage - Jumeirah Beach

Again like the Madinat the One and only is a group of three hotels set directly on the beach and all

walkable so you can use the facilities of all three hotels. This is a really great choice and in our

opinion one of the best holiday hotels Dubai has to offer. It has Amazing grass gardens which so

many in Dubai don’t have so book this one and use their Complimentary shuttle to the Palm if you

have a restaurant booking

Arabian Court

• Nestled in 65 Acres of landscaped gardens, gives the feel of seclusion

• We like the fact that it is low rise, quiet a feel of seclusion

• Beautiful Arabic furnishings throughout

• We recommend drinks at 'The Jetty' on the beach, a great atmosphere with

The Palace

• All rooms sea facing, but can be obscured by palm trees.

• Bed colours changed daily, to give the customers the feel of new each day

• Complimentary access to Atlantic Aqua park

The Residence

• An intimate retreat, the most exclusive of the three hotels

• The highest repeat guest percentage of the three hotels

• Great for Honeymooners, Couples with a feeling of Serenity and romance.

• Boutique hotel with 4 buildings, 12 rooms in each.

• This hotel grounds are exclusive to the guests staying here

• Great choice of restaurants on the One & Only HB option

JA Ocean view - The Walk

A surprise inclusion to the list as it is not directly on the beach buts on the walk with easy access to

The Mall and restaurants we recommend booking B&B unless there is a HB offer, as so much choice

for eating out

The hotel had a fresh open European feel, It was inviting and had a great buzz/atmosphere outside

and we thought it was a really good 4* and one of our best value hotels in Dubai, I would happily

book this in a heartbeat.

Manzil Hotel - Downtown Dubai

Centrally located in the Old Town District of Downtown Dubai this hotel sits within walking distance

to the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, The Dubai Fountain and the Souk Al Bahar. It has complimentary

shuttles to various beaches. Great for a stopover venue enrooted to the Far East or Australia and if

you want a special stop over ask for a room with a view of the Burj Khalifa

The manzil is Arabic in style and linked to a sister hotel the Vida which is more contemporary

The Palace - Downtown Dubai

Dubai’s social scene happens here from our stylish rooms to our unique choice of modern

outlets, ideal for everything from a social cup of coffee to our fabulous brunches, exquisite

dinners and the best late night venues.

Whether travelling to Dubai on business or leisure, The Address Downtown is the premier all

around destination for this vibrant and energetic city. The hotel's spacious and bright rooms

offer a dynamic sense of style and a striking design that appeals to all tastes across the

international travel market.

We would recommend booking a table in the Asian restaurant, Zeta. It has a good

reputation and it is outside overlooking The Burj Khalifa Tower with a good view of the

fountains in the evening.

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray - The Palm

Inspired by the imperial palaces of the Ottoman era, the spectacular Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

offers limitless views of calm, azure waters from the sanctuary of its private beaches.

The imperial hospitality experience is expressed in the design and scale of the property and

in the thoughtfulness of the service. Each guest room is tastefully and luxuriously appointed

with fine furnishings, soft linens, luxury amenities and superb views across the Arabian Gulf.

Spectacular restaurant serves equally impressive cuisine, believing it doesn’t have to be a

grand occasion to enjoy a grand meal. The Rib Room is perfect for meat lovers, while Al

Nafoorah is earning a reputation as one of the best Lebanese restaurants in Dubai. Stay on

Half Board and 'dine around' at over 50 restaurants throughout the Jumeirah Resorts.

The resort offers the ultimate in relaxation with its Beach Butlers, the spectacular Talise

Ottoman Spa, and wide variety of water sports. Located within easy reach of Dubai’s

offerings such as world-class golf courses, theme parks, shopping malls and traditional

souks, this resort offers the perfect blend of sightseeing and beach-side relaxation

Atlantis the Palm - The Palm

The second most recognisable hotel in Dubai and best summed up like this

• 2 main towers east & west. West is quieter, so recommend to clients who would prefer

Less busy.

• Aqua park to non-guests is 1000 AED (£177.00) for a family of 4 and Atlantis guests get free

and Unlimited Use

• 90% of deluxe rooms interconnect, great selling point

• Kids club up to 18yrs

• Monorail stops at Atlantis and ends at the end of the Palm

• Gordon Ramsay opens his restaurant in October 2015 'Bread Street'

• New hotel 'Royal Atlantis' being built next door.

• The hotel is huge, best suited to families because of what it offers.

The Sofitel- The Palm

Be thrilled by a sunny Polynesian island theme, with vertical gardens, fresh flowers and

artworks bringing elegance to luminous interiors at Sofitel Dubai the Palm Resort & Spa.

All 361 comfortable rooms have balconies, while guests staying in a suite will benefit from a

24-hour butler service and a private lounge. Indulge in a Beach Villa with a roof terrace and

pool, or for longer stays in Dubai, a hotel apartment.

Dine in a different part of the world every night with 8 restaurants and 7 bars and lounges.

Dance in one of Dubai's most popular nightclubs or sip a sunset cocktail overlooking the

beach.

Just steps from Aqua venture Waterpark and with a children’s club to keep younger guests

entertained, this resort is perfect for an exciting family holiday. Enter a world of relaxation

at So SPA, a unique spa experience on The Palm Jumeirah.

The One & Only the Palm

Probably the top Hotel apart from The Burj Al Arab is One & Only the Palm. This is a small

intimate Hotel on The Palm with a very nice ambience, very nice for couples. The Palm has

a more peaceful environment than the rest of Dubai but they have a private water taxis and

limousines to take clients to other areas.

JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel AND JA Palm Tree Court

We stayed at JA Palm Tree Court and visited JA Jebel Ali, it is important to understand that

these properties are about 50 minutes away from Dubai. They do offer shuttles to the

shopping malls etc. The accommodation is of a very good standard and the restaurants are

good but the view from the beach is quite ugly, there is a dock to one side and an

incomplete flyover stretching out to sea.

What's great about this property is it's between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so you can fly into either

Airport, and obviously see which one offers the best fare..

It is difficult to see the attraction of staying in this area except if you are looking for a keenly

priced option with good temperatures, good food and facilities with fairly short flight

duration. Having said that the all- inclusive option at Jebel Ali together with the number of

interconnecting rooms available at a good price make this an attractive option for families.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED SINCE YOUR

LAST VISIT

Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building. Work started in 2004, building opened in 2010.

As you say the monorail is a great way to get around- clean, efficient and economical.

There is now a tram which operates around the Jumeirah area.

The whole of the Downtown Dubai area, which includes the Burj Khalifa, the fountains (designed and

built by the same people as the ones at the Bellagio in Vegas) and Dubai Mall (largest shopping mall

in the world) didn't exist 10 years ago and

WHO TO SPEAK TO

Michelle Newton Thorpe Bay 01702 588555 or email

michellenewton@westwaytravel.co.uk

Jenny Green at Upminster 01708 224000 or email

JennyGreen@westwaytravel.co.uk

Trevor Dexter at our private client department 01708220800 or email

TrevorDexter@westwaytravel.co.uk

Louise Kewell at Wickford 01268 735301 or email

louisekewell@westwaytravel.co.uk