There is no contest between Hilton Jumeirah & Fairmont the Palm. Fairmont beats Hilton hands down both in terms of hard product & service. Hilton desperately needs a refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards as far as decor & facilities are concerned. Its in very good order, just old. The pool is way too small for the number of users.

The location wins out for the Hilton though as its right on The Walk, which has dozens of cafes/restaurants/coffee shops plus many hotels (Sheraton/Moevenpick/Sofitel/Rotana/Ritz Carlton/Le Meridien) all fairly close for alcoholic options & better dining than The Walk. Bear in mind that July will be red-hot so walking far to these places for food/beverages (even at night) will be tough.

Having said all of that The Fairmont is very much out of the way, so taxis will be required for all decent options outside the property. Taxis are very reasonable though.

Hope that helps.