My wife and I will be transiting through DXB on a Tuesday evening in October, CDG-DXB-SFO in EK F. We arrive DXB at 8 pm and depart the next morning at 9:10 am. I assume we're not eligible for Dubai Connect, as these are award tickets.

So a few questions about staying at the Dubai International Hotel vs. going to a hotel near the airport:

1. If we stay at the DIH, do we have access to the EK F lounge the evening we arrive, such as for dinner and drinks?
2. If we instead head to a hotel near the airport, is there one that would be nice in terms of a bar with a good view, a nice place for an evening walk, or a nice nearby restaurant for dinner? We'd be particularly interested in a hotel associated with a major chain, as we have points with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, etc.
3. Since we also have AA miles that we could use to stay at the DIH fairly inexpensively (miles-wise), any recommendations on whether we should do that versus going to a hotel near the airport? FWIW, we have already been to Dubai a few times and liked it, but don't feel a need to try to squeeze in a bit of an exploration on such a short stay.

Thanks for any advice.