Thanks everyone for the advice!

My desire has been to check out the St. Regis hotel in Habtoor City. According to the hotel its about 20-25 minutes. I've been to Dubai to do the touristy things before and don't really have a desire to roam the city. With that said, would you still recommend not leaving the airport?

I don't get a hotel through Emirates as I'm booked on 2 separate tickets, so if I pay for a hotel I might as well choose one that I want and will enjoy.