I just returned from 10 days in Dubai. I didn't stay at any of the hotels along the Jumeirah Beach area (between the Burj and Jebel Ali), but rather stayed at a friends apartment just across Sheik Zayed Road next to Emirates Golf Club.

To say I was stunned at the massive amount of development now going on in that area is a huge understatement. It simply boggles the mind.

My recommendation for at least the next 12 months in that area is to simply avoid any hotel in the construction zone. The buildings are right around the 10-15 story range now and due to go higher, it will be a while before they're done. Until that time the place will be a mess. However, construction projects in the UAE get accomplished at amazing speed, so before you know it the place will look like paradise.

If I were going there I would opt for the Royal Mirage, Meridian, Burj, or really the fantastic new Madinat property. That place is simply incredible. Full of night life.