ft101, thanks for your comments; I appreciate your response. You are right, it is the same trip, and all being well, I'll be in the car riding the car to Haneda very soon.
Actually, the motive for trying Dubai Connect is not about getting sleep. With the long flight from HND to DXB in J I expect that I'll get some sleep on the flight, and also there should be chance to get some shuteye on the next leg to Manchester, also in J. I usually find the 777 J seats plus mattress fairly comfortable.
The motivation is curiosity. I fly TYO - MAN several times a year with EK, but have never exited the transit area. Recent schedule changes have extended the transfer time to 7 - 8 hours on HND itineraries, which qualify for Dubai connect. I'd like to find out what Dubai Connect is like, have a look at the hotel, and to experience the airport's groundside.
Also, a hotel room seems like a better place than the lounge to get a comfortable relaxed shower, pick my nose and scratch my bum, and generally take it easy. An hour or two would be fine. Since it costs nothing, I think I'll give it a go once. And it seems a good idea to get the Skywards card validated for egates, so that if I want to use Dubai Connect on trips later this year I'll be able to bypass the immigration queue.

I do appreciate the response and advice, thank you, but what I'm hoping for right now is some idea of what happens and where the services that I'll need are located once I step off the plane and head for the exit... Can anyone out there assist?