Dubai has fast emerged as one of the best cosmopolitan on the world map. And it’s also one of the favourite tourist destination. From the old town to modern skyscrapers, waterparks, adventure parks, cruises and yatches, historical buildings, religious places of all communities as well as desert safari in the largest desert of the world – there is a lot of places to explore in Dubai and experiences to offer for all kind of travellers. With varied localities that have emerged in Dubai over the last decade, an obvious question that pops in most of the tourist’s mind is – where to stay in Dubai when visiting Dubai?
And we had the same question popping in our mind when we did a 6 days trip to Dubai with kids recently. So, here I compile not just the list of best localities to stay in Dubai. But, I will also tell you the factors I considered while choosing the locality in Dubai where I stayed. And what factors you should consider yourself. With that, let’s get started.
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Factors to consider when deciding on best localities to stay in Dubai for tourists
Every tourist have some unique requirements of their own. Some prefer to backpack and avail of cheap public transport. Others prefer home cooked food on their travel. While still others might have a time crunch and hence want to stay at a walkable distance to most of the attractions. Some might keep their itinerary and plan their activities on a day on day basis. While others might have an action packed packaged tour to Dubai. All these factors play a role in deciding where to stay in Dubai for tourists.
- Are you on a shoe-string, mid-range or splurging budget?
- Would you crave your native cuisines or you are fine with local food?
- Will you be cooking while staying in Dubai?
- Do you want to be at walkable distance to city attractions?
- How often do you plan to step out on your own for exploring the surroundings?
- Do you have packaged tour or activities booked with pre-planned pickup and drop?
Depending on the above factors, you can choose to stay in a particular locality in Dubai. And in fact, if you plan to stay for 7 or more days, you can stay in more than one locality. By planning your trip accordingly. For instance, on a 10 days trip to Dubai, you could spend a couple of days in the Dubai Parks & Resorts, a day in a beach resort and the rest of the days in the city.
Now that we know what factors to consider while staying in Dubai as a tourist, lets explore the different localities of Dubai. And find out which locality would suite your needs.
Read : Obtaining Dubai Tourist VISA for Indians
Best localities to stay in Dubai for tourists
Downtown Dubai
The downtown locality is the truly modern and cosmopolitan area of Dubai that has developed over the last few decades. It is buzzing with skyscrappers, high end restaurants, hotels and malls. When staying in this locality, you will be definitely at walking distance to some of the major attractions and must visit places in Dubai like the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Fountain, Museum of Future etc. But, do remember that this is one of the most posh and luxury areas to live in.
Some of the hotels in Downtown Dubai include Address Downtown, situated at a walking distance to Burj Khalifa. Armani Hotel which is located inside Burj Khalifa, the Palace Downtown besides Burj Lake, The Address Dubai which connects directly to the Dubai Mall and Vida Dubai – a boutique hotel near Dubai Mall.
Dubai Marina
Another of the luxurious localities to stay in Dubai for tourists is the Dubai Marina area. It provides for a wonderful nightlife, yatch and cruise experiences that mostly depart from here, lots of waterfront restaurants that keep open till late night. So, it is a perfect locality for those seeking late night adventures, cruise experiences etc.
The Address Dubai, Ritz Carlton, InterContinental Dubai, Grosvenor House and J W Marriott are some of the most favourite luxury hotel options in Dubai Marina region.
Jumeirah Beach, Palm Jumeirah or the Jumeirah residence
One more of the posh residential localities that also has some luxurious resorts and hotels, the Jumeirah area is another favorite among tourists. Due to it’s proximity to the Jumeirah beach, it is a perfect unwinding and relaxing locality. It is also very near to kite beach. Which means proximity to water sports and beach activities. This locality has plenty of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. If you want to slow down for a few days on your Dubai trip, then do spend a day or two in this locality.
For a bit of luxury and splendour, the Jumeirah area is definitely one of the top localities to stay in Dubai for tourists.
The Atlantis – one of the oldest luxury hotels in Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel – which is uniquely spread like a breaking wave, Madinat Jumeirah – which is a resort with several hotels inside, Jumeirah Al Qasr – whose ambiance will remind you of a traditional Arabian Palace, Burj Al Arab – one of the most luxurious hotels in Dubai and Jumeirah Al Naseem are some of the hotels in this area to choose from.
Old Dubai (Deira and Bur Dubai)
The most economical of all areas to stay in Dubai is Old Dubai. Bur and Diera are two famous localities in old Dubai area. This area is marked with budget restaurants, 24/7 supermarkets, many economical apartments, airbnbs and hotels that start from budget as low as INR 2000 per night. And also budget hostels. When you are on a budget, this is definitely the area to live in. But, do choose an accommodation in this area near to the metro or bus stand. So that your budget doesn’t get offset by the cost of hiring taxis for your commutes. The economic choices available definitely make it one of the best localities to stay in Dubai for tourists.
Raffles Dubai, Grand Hyatt Dubai and Sheraton Dubai are some of the high end hotels you can find in this locality of Dubai. While Movenpick & Arabian Courtyard and Hotels are some of the more economical options. If you are looking for an apart-hotel where you get a studio, 1 bhk or 2 bhk option with fully furnished kitchen, then go for Golden Sands Apartments in Bur. They have a lot of different room options to pick from at a very suitable budget.
Dubai Creek
The Dubai Creek is located next to Old Dubai. As such, it is like a hybrid area that provides a mix of both old and new charm. It has budget hotels as well as luxury accommodations. Also it has metro and bus connectivity to the rest of Dubai.
Hyatt Regency Dubai, Park Hyatt Dubai, Radisson Blu Dubai, Sheraton Dubai and Al Bandar are some of the best hotels in Dubai Creek area.
If you want to enjoy luxury without breaking your bank, the best option is to choose a luxury hotel in Dubai and book it well in advance so that you can get the best possible deal.
Dubai Parks & Resorts
The Dubai Parks & Resorts is a large entertainment complex. That houses several theme parks like Legoland Dubai and Motiongate Dubai , along with other waterparks and adventure parks. If you intend to spend more than a day in this region covering 1-2 theme parks then best is to stay in this area itself. As it is almost an hours drive from the main town of Dubai to the Dubai Parks & Resorts.
Some of the hotels in this area include the Rove At The Park and Lapita which give very easy access to the Dubai Parks and Resorts.
Where we stayed on our trip to Dubai
On our own trip to Dubai, we stayed at Golden Sands Apartment 5. This variation of Golden Sands Apartments had studio rooms with mini kitchenette which was equipped with a 2 burner induction stove, pots, pans, spatula, plates, bowls and cutlery which were sufficient for our family of four to cook simple meals. The hotel-apartment also had a restaurant of it’s own at the first floor, a gym and two swimming pools. And right in front of the apartment was an Indian Restaurant named “Aashi’s restaurant” and a supermarket besides it. On the corner of the street was another Indian restaurant – Atithi, and there were several 24/7 open supermarkets in the area at walking distance.
The only con was that the metro or bus stop was not very nearby. But, it was not a big issue for us as we mostly had our daily tours booked in advance along with pickup and drop to the hotel. On a couple of occasions that we did step out, we hired a taxi. And we moved in the radius of 10-15km from our apartment. So, it was ok for us.
Being able to cook for my kids, particularly the younger one. And access to Indian food were two major factors based on which we decided to zero down on this apartment-hotel for our 5 nights stay in Dubai. However, if public transport was our main deciding factor, then we might have stayed elsewhere.
Read my complete guide to visit Dubai to get all the other information that you will require to plan a successful and fun filled trip to Dubai.