Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 22, Edition 33

So here is this week’s digest of the ‘Dubai news worth knowing’, all in 10 minutes or less of your time.

This week, let’s focus on day passes and beach clubs in Dubai. They really are a thing these days, and not always a bad thing, as there can be lots of value to be had.

A few things worth knowing this week ⤵

⛱ Beach Clubs and Day Passes in Dubai

🏕️ Glamping in Dubai and UAE

🗞 Roundup: Five Guys to open at DXB, Jumeirah rebrand, Dubai 3 day Super Sale, 2025 Public Holidays confirmed

PS. Yes I know, this week’s edition seems a bit light, but it’s half term and some of us may be travelling 🙏

Back to the deals next week!

Cheers

If you enjoy this newsletter, have any feedback or suggestions or just way to say 👋, feel free to drop me an email by clicking here

Spoiler Alert: You can save a lot of money, and still create big value, by using day passes or beach clubs.

Why pay to stay as a guest at over-inflated beach resorts and hotels, when you can stay somewhere cheaper and still use the beach, pool, facilities?

Back in the dark days of the pandemic, Dubai hotels pivoted to ‘ancillary revenue’ - that is, to make up for dropped occupancy by bringing in revenue from elsewhere, ie day passes for guests who would pay to use facilities such as pools and beaches.

There are standalone beach clubs that aren’t part of a hotel - eg Zero Gravity - but also, some hotels have a beach club on-property. And if they don’t, many are looking into developing one.

This is why it’s a top tip to look into any prospective hotel you may be staying at, in terms of if they offer day guests to access and if it impacts staying, paid overnight guests. Occasionally, a hotel may sell off its pool or facilities to an external company to manage, either for parties or pass access, and sometimes this may impact overnight paying guests as they may not be entitled to access as a matter of course. Similarly, if you’re looking for a ‘drop and flop’ peaceful resort you may find you’re unwittingly trapped up at an Ibiza-style late nighter!

Day passes have quickly turned into the ‘Golden Goose’ for the hotels…. how much do they focus on the ancillary revenue they bring, if it’s at the expense of paid overnight guests? In some cases, certain hotels are less bothered about overnight guests as the revenue some clubs and day passes bring is sometimes astonishing especially when it comes to bottle service, minimum spend etc.

Palazzo Versace is a good example of this - the day passes and parties there brought in massive coin, but as a hotel, it’s seemingly not performed that well on the overnight guests aspect. Maybe why there was that recent drama about an on-off auction?

The good news is though, as happens a lot in Dubai, is that whilst many chase what everyone else is doing, it often creates a lot of opportunity for deals because there is only so much demand vs an increasing oversupply. They won’t all be successful.

Consequently, venues will offer things like redeemable F&B (i.e. the amount paid for the pass translates to an on-property credit against drinks or food) or buy one get one free etc.

If you’re looking for a hotel, think about if they do offer day pass or beach club access, it could either affect your experience or the ‘value proposition’ (i.e. if you’re looking to access the pool or beach, why pay more to stay at hotel if there’s a better deal staying elsewhere and using that money saved to pay for day use?)

Do shop around and delve into the details, as there are a wide range of offers around - especially as we move into Summer - and there is something for everyone. Not all beach clubs are banging parties, for instance, especially during the week or less busy times of the year.

Have a look through these links to see what takes your fancy.

The best beach clubs in Dubai (Time Out)

31 beach and pool passes in Dubai (Visit Dubai)

7 best beach clubs for an evening out (Khaleej Times)

40 pool passes and deals (Time Out)

27 fully redeemable pool and beach day passes in Dubai (Whats On)

24 fantastic pool and beach day passes in Dubai (Near + Far)

As you may be aware, I’m always keen for feedback especially regarding creative direction of this newsletter.

I’d like to take any opportunity I can to invite you to reply with feedback, questions, even criticism in the hope that future editions (and readers) may benefit.

This week, I’d like to ask two quick questions.

I ask this because I’m contemplating restricting anything that appears to be ‘sponsored’ or disingenuous influencer-type ‘content’, for instance ‘reviews’ that are really just hosted hotel stays or fluff pieces.

Feel free to reply with your thoughts by clicking here

Five Guys to open at Dubai International Airport (DXB) in June 2024

Official opening date ‘to be announced’ - but who doesn’t love Five Guys?

Glamping with kids at the Nest by Sonara (T&L Asia)

It’s often overlooked but there are many great opprtunities for ‘glamping’ around Dubai and UAE.

Check out these lists for a start 👉 Glamping in Dubai (Visit Dubai) and 25 unique glamping gems across the emirates (Fact)

Jumierah rebrand?

Really? I can’t say I’d noticed…

Maybe that’s where all those inflated hotel prices are going - to the ‘creative agency’ 🙂

Dubai 3 Day Super Sale Starts tomorrow (up to 90% off?)

UAE Public Holidays for 2025 confirmed

It’s now been confirmed that the promo code EDSD24 will work on all Entertainer products, including Dubai 2024, Abu Dhabi 2024 and GCC 2024.

Initially, it worked for a 10% discount on all products except Dubai 2024, but since Ramadan it’s now been allowed to work on Dubai and also again for GCC 2024.

Click the banner below, or use this link, to go direct to Entertainer to purchase and don’t forget to enter code EDSD24.

If you need any help how to checkout, see this link.

🔗 Entertainer Promo Code EDSD24 for 10% Discount