chris1922Mk2

Looking for some advice on IHG hotels for a first time visitor to Dubai. I’m planning a trip next February, assuming we can travel, and have a a stash of points and a free night voucher. The trip will be an early celebration of a milestone bday, so no HIX or budget options, ideally looking at Crowne Plaza and InterContinental. Of which there are several. And maybe a few other options too, such as Voco. Is the Marina a good location ?
The trip will mainly be to just relax as a couple minus our children, a bit of sight seeing and general tourism stuff, dining and some shopping maybe. Pool a given, beach access a bonus. And obviously I’ll need availability for free nights.
Also, with Dubai being such an international city, and flights coming and going at all hours of the day, are there any arrangements for check in/out at odd times, or is just standard times ? I’m Plat if that makes any difference. For instance my flight may land at around midnight, so wont arrive at the hotel some time later. It seems such a waste to book and pay for that night when I would get so little use of the room ! I did see someone suggest booking a close by budget hotel in this instance, then try to check in to your nicer hotel early, later that day. Similarly, my return will leave around 3am. Is the HIX at the airport a good idea for this ?
Suggestions and advice welcome. I’ve read through the previous threads on this, but they are a bit out of date now.

KLflyerRalph

IHG is really missing a beach property in Dubai. I quite like the Marina for a leisure stay, although it is not very centrally located for Downtown and the old city centre. It's a vibrant area, also in the evening, where you can take a stroll along The Walk promenade on the beach, the marina itself or visit the Marina Mall. There are ample shops, restaurants, cafes etc. in the area. The tram stops right in front of the IC Marina which will connect to the metro and from there you can visit the Mall of the Emirates, Burj Khalifa, Deira relatively quickly.

IAN-UK

I far prefer the Deira area, but recognise it might not be much fun for a family break looking for beaches - and IHG hotels there are limited to a an ancient and very badly located CP.

The best Dubai IC is Festival City, with a CP and HI close by. But for a holiday trip the location isn't brilliant.

IC Marina is good for the ritzy seaside life, but you might find the glitz of malls tiresome after a day or so. And rooms are small. and unless you have status you might well end up sans the view you might expect. There's CP nearby as well.

There's a HI in the "embassy district", downtown and handy for the metro. It can be very good value unless your dates coincide with whatever fills the hotel.

The airport HIX is fine for a one-nighter. Not accessible on foot from the airport (unless you really know your way around!), but I think there's a shuttle bus and you can get to it through one stop on the metro and a bit of a walk.



Don't expect any status benefits above and beyond the absolute minimum.



I don't know if you've considered Abu Dhabi for all or part of your stay. It has a grande dame style IC which I rate highly (though im aware that's a verdict not universally held). It's got a pool and it's own beach: the club lounge is terrific. There's also a city centre CP and HI. Abu Dhabi (blessedly) lacks the bling factor of Dubai, and it's a more manageable size, has cultural attractions including the sublime Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque and a Louvre among other museums on Saadiyat island, linked to the city. Saadiyat also has beaches and an upmarket beach club.

Unterwegs

If you have time you could also spend a few days in Oman. There is a nice beach CP in Salala. No bling and no shopping malls.

IAN-UK

Absolutely!! Oman is the place to escape to from UAE

And Muscat itself sports a seaside IC and CP: not the best of beaches but lots of other stuff to do

chris1922Mk2

Thanks all for all your responses so far. I had actually considered Abu Dhabi, simply for the fact that I'll be redeeming BA Avios for flights, so need availability on there too, but could intermix both destinations for arrival and/or departure, I gather they are not too far apart, via a reasonably priced taxi ride. So yes, that's an option. I've not visited there either.

Oman is on my list to visit, but redemption seats are like hen's teeth, especially in Club World.

The IC at the marina sounds good, and the list of places to visit via the Metro is probably exactly what I'd want to do ! I work in rail, so would be interested to use the metro and compare ; )

Will post back once booked.

fotographer

and dont forget to do a dune ride... forget right now what its called.. I think its dune safari or something... its lot of fun, taking the afternoon one..
you will have a wonderful sunset to see over the sands, and a pretty decent meal too.... by the way.. you can buy beer during your meal.. which you know is
a plus in Dubai..
Abu Dhaibi you can also do the dune buggy thing.. my wife and I have spent time in both cities.. so if you feel like it.. you could visit both.. not to long of a taxi ride

IAN-UK

Just for interest, Muscat is easy to reach from Dubai. Cheap flight, drive or even bus. And if you have a Dubai entrance stamp in your passport, you can get visa-free entry into Oman.

Atacama40

ICDFC whist a tad disconnected in a super hotel. They treat folks well especially if you have status. GM is a super responsive guy ... previously GM of IC Budapest and Moscow.

Pool is a little meh. Lounge is still good though not what it was. Taxi's are cheap and you travel out cheaply to pretty much anywhere. Concierge are excellent and go the extra mile. Ask for Kamal ... he's the guy you need know if you want a true Dubai first time experience.

Ian is right, they need a beach front property. they should have had that plot that was JBC and became Four Seasons. Was a no brainer. Given they have not then ICDFC is first class.

Abu Dabhi IC is old school but nice. Management are solid there and will look after you but is now an old hotel...early 80's ...time for redevelopment. Beach front is nice and the fish market restaurant excellent.

Oman IC needs work but is a nice location.

Stick with Dubai as core of your trip ... use ICDFC as your base. Marina is ok but over developed and little to see in reality.

Concerto

Are you sure that still works? I think I read somewhere that this offer was discontinued.

IAN-UK

The infamous 21A visa

I keep reading it is defunct, and I think it never worked at the land borders, but it conrinued to work for me last year at Seeb. It sometimes took a bit of discussion, calling a supervisor over, and sometimes there was typical Omani generosity (allowing it once, even though arriving from Sharjah). Perhaps they have finally got rid of it: I'll check later.

One thing for sure, it doesn't work at the moment !!!

IAN-UK

https://evisa.rop.gov.om/en/types-of...n=visaSubtypes

It's still on the ROP website, not that that means very much.

Concerto

It says "ViewVisaTypes is temporarily unavailable" here.

Anyway, I would very much like to go back to Oman so I don't mind paying for the visa. But if getting it for free coming from Dubai is a viable option, I will do it. Always enjoy a couple of days in Dubai on the way somewhere.

Oh dear, I just checked the subject of the thread and have seen that we are miles off topic. Just to add an on topic comment, I haven't personally found any hotel in Dubai that I really like so far. With IHG the only place I spent time in was the CP Deira which I actually thought was ok for a couple of nights. A new Hampton Hilton at the airport was really good with an excellent: my pals said it was the best hotel of the whole trip!

Abu Dhabi is a completely different beast and a place I much prefer to Dubai. I found a few hotels there that I would like to return to (such as the Traders Qary'at al Beri, near the great Mosque). But once again, none of the IHG properties blew me away.

IAN-UK

If it's got to be IHG, and not break the bank, the HI Embassy District might be worth a look now that the HI Deira has moved on from IHG (I might well be the only one who actually liked the place). Hilton has a neat Garden Inn in Deira and a small but delightful Hilton with (sometimes) friendly rates.

Andrew_G

Don't keep us in suspense! "An excellent" ... what? An excellent selection of the finest wines available to humanity? An excellent view of herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain? I think we need to know!