Middle East - Dubai - cheap(er) hotel near The Palm?

We have tentatively booked a week at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on The Palm for later in the year. We also want to take our nanny, but without paying Jumeirah prices for her accommodation. Does anyone have any good suggestions for decent (4-5 star) hotels which are very convenient for The Palm by taxi but, because they are not on the beach, are good value?

The one that immediately springs to mind is Media One, which is probably the most reasonably priced 4-5 star in the general vicinity.

Whilst not 4-5 star the Holiday Inn Express Internet City is also very handy for the Palm, and a significant margin nicer than the chains positioning would suggest.

I agree - Media One is generally one of the cheapest-but-still-OK hotels in the area. It's certainly not 5 star and only just 4 star imo. One time when I checked out I told the receptionist that I'd had no water in my room and the A/C was stuck at 25 degrees (I arrived late at night and couldn't be bothered to get someone to fix it). He looked at me for 2 seconds, then carried on and handed me the bill as if I'd said nothing at all.

I'd almost rather be in the HIE than the Media One - that pool bar can be really very loud.

Raffles, have you considered renting aparments or villas on the Palm for a week instead, as you mentioned you have tentativily booked a place.

This website is an idea: http://www.mydubaistay.com/en/Dubai-Serviced-Villas.aspx

Generally speaking the properties are well maintained with oodles of space and most of the villas have maid's room as well so that might be an idea.

Otherwise as the others have stated, any hotels located in Media City are the closest to the Palm as everything else is far more expensive on the palm and Dubai Marina is the other option.

You are clearly out of touch with the requirements of a nanny in the UK! We are talking about someone who is paid £37,000 ($57,000) per year - a maids room will not do the trick!! And she won't do any cooking either, so a villa is out of the question! Not a bad life for a 26 year old ...

We want the kids club and the other benefits of being in a hotel anyway, even though we compromise on personal space. (That said, I also looked at the Hilton Jumeirah Residences, because they have huge 3-bed apartments which are connected to the Hilton beach-side hotel. Although that will be nowhere near as smart at Zabeel Saray.)

Thanks to everyone for their input, it is very useful.