Originally Posted by RadioGirl

I can't really help here, but probably others can. My trips with Emirates (so far) had a 3- 4 hour stop on the way out and a 10 hour layover (~11 pm to 9 am) on the way back. So I haven't had the chance to leave the airport.

Also, my employer is cheap (but the work is worth it) so I fly at the back of the bus, and I'm not as young as I used to be, so generally I just want to shower and then sleep when I get to DXB.

While the airport hotel is comfortable, I expect you can find as good or better for the same price or less downtown, and if you're leaving the airport anyway, you'd have more options. It would depend, too, on what time of day you arrive; if your flight arrives very late in the evening, by the time you get downtown it's a very late check-in, where the airport hotel copes with people arriving at 1 am and will (I believe) allow for corresponding late check-out.