Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter 89/w26

Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 26, Edition 89

Here’s your latest edition of Dubai news, deals & tips, every Friday, in 10 mins or less.

👁️ FCDO updates. Keep calm.

🔍 Discover Old Dubai.

🏨 There’s more than just hotels in Dubai.

🛩️ DXB peak travel period.

🧳 Luggage delivery.

💁‍♂️ Radisson Blu Media City.

🪪 Smart Gates.

💸 Free nights with IHG Hotels.

🤑 Buy Points/Miles (Virgin, Marriott, Hilton).

Thanks for all the feedback on the poll last week; especially the comments! Keep them coming, I love reading them - cheers 👏

So I’ll now send out on Fridays rather than Thursdays. I’ll experiment with sending times over next few editions, then go firm on one.

PS. You can always email me here also.

Please note: some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, and will be denoted with an asterisk (*). This is a link to a partner site that may pay me a commission - at no further cost to you - and if so, helps to support me & this newsletter. For more info, please see Disclosure and Policies

DUBAI NEWS

Keep Calm. Don’t Panic. Breathe, and Relax

Since last week’s edition, FCDO advice has changed a few times including once to make people aware of ‘Shelter in Place’ due to Qatar and the expected threat there of an impending attack. Which happened, therefore proving how valuable the advice is!

(Point to note - clearly those people playing golf and taking photos of the ‘incoming’ hadn’t read the advice, or ignored it 🫨)

The most important thing I’d suggest in times like this is, trust the objective advice and take it in a measured way. If you’re due to travel to or through the region, definitely keep across the latest travel advice, information from your carriers and suchlike.

Flighty is a great app, especially with a temporary trial, for keeping track of your flight. I’ve found it consistently better informed and faster than airline or airport specific apps.

With situations like these, it’s a balance between being alarmed and panicky versus keeping calm and carrying on. There are all sorts of reasons beyond the scope of this newsletter about what’s happened, happening or may happen, but I’d still say - there’s a very, very strong chance you could visit Dubai and not notice much difference, apart from minor flight disruptions due to re-routing.

Even with the events in Qatar, life still carried on and Dubai airspace was not ‘officially’ closed down. Be wary of taking ‘news’ from social media, as many ‘experts’ jumped to comment on airspace closures - though diversions are not the same as closures.

As I type this on Friday afternoon, one European carrier that had suspended direct flights to Dubai has restarted its one flight daily, and more carriers may also do now there’s an apparent ceasefire in play.

Talking of travel disruption, be aware it’s a very busy time of the year for Dubai International Airport (DXB), as they anticipate 3.4 million guests will pass through between 27 June and 09 July.

They have issued the following guidelines as they expect an average of 265,000 people will pass through the airport daily, as large sections of locals jet out.

Emirates have issued their own advisory, for between 26 and 30 June, as they expect 30,000 daily passengers to depart.

Yet another Dubai Metro Station changes its name, as Jebel Ali Metro Station is now renamed to National Paints Metro Station (and will be for the next ten years).

KNOW MORE ABOUT DUBAI

No Need to Wait at Dubai Airport to Collect Luggage

Whilst DXB is one of the most efficient airports around, it can still be a bit of a wait to collect your luggage in the arrivals hall, especially after a long haul flight.

So why not skip the wait, head straight to your hotel and have your luggage delivered to you?

Marhaba - part of the Emirates Group who also offer lounges, visa, and transfer services at DXB - offer a service called “Land and Leave” via DUBZ. Their aim is to collect your luggage, clear it through customs and deliver it your accommodation within six hours.

DUBZ also offer the reverse service, i.e. check-in for your Emirates flight at home and they collect your luggage, rather than you take it to the airport. This service is complimentary for First Class passengers with Emirates.

🔗 Land and Leave (DUBZ, Marhaba)

🔗 Home Check-In

How to Use the Smart Gates at Dubai International Airport (DXB)

DXB has Smart Gates at Terminal 3, and they’re not just restricted to Dubai Residents, Citizens or GCC Travellers.

If you are eligible for Visa on Arrival (VOA) and have a biometric passport, you can use them - and you should, as they make things a lot easier and swifter.

Check your eligibility to use Smart Gates at General Directory of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai.

If you really want a ‘Priceless’ tour of Dubai, please check out this ‘Discover Old Dubai’ experience via Nada of Wander With Nada, courtesy of Mastercard Priceless.

This is an exclusive guided walking tour including Arabian Fish House, Al Shindagha, the souks, an abra ride and finishing off at Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant specialising in Emirati classics.

ONE BIG DUBAI TIP

Explore Diverse Accommodations Beyond Just Hotels in Dubai

According to the latest Tourism Report by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai there are currently :-

• 168 x 5 star hotels, offering 54,108 Total Available Rooms (TAR)

• 198 x 4 star hotels, offering 44,2200 TAR

• 276 × 1-3 star hotels, offering 29,255 TAR

As if it’s not already a bit overwhelming choosing hotels in Dubai (this will be the subject of a future ‘One Big Dubai Tip’ so keep an 👁️ out), this week’s tip may seem bad news at first (i.e. more choice, possibly more overwhelm) but read on - it’s not all bad, and far from it.

More Room Categories

For many reasons, not least cultural and commercial, Dubai hotels tend to offer a far wider range of room categories than hotels in other areas. These could be more suites, more multi-bed rooms, or just more family rooms with different layouts. (This was covered under the ‘Max Occupancy’ tip a few week ago).

Many of these will be similar to normal hotel rooms, i.e. bed, bathroom and perhaps a living area if it’s a Suite.

Some may also be Studio-type (i.e. a combination of hotel room with some apartment features, such as a basic cooking area e.g microwave and/or a hob) or even a fully-fledged apartment, aimed more at families with appliances such as bigger fridges or a dedicated kitchen (possibly including an oven, microwave and more hobs/hotplates).

Residences

In addition to ‘normal’ hotel rooms though, hotels may also offer ‘residences’, aimed more at the long-term guest or regular, returning visitor. Residences will often be fully-furnished and include a wider range of appliances.

Grosvenor House is a good example of a property offering hotel rooms, suites, apartments, and residences. Residences may be a bit more expansive and may offer more crockery, cutlery, dishwashers and the like.

Residences may often be in the same block as the main hotel, or a separate building.

An important point to check is sometimes, as they are aimed more at long-term guests or long-stays, Residences may not always offer the same access to facilities of the hotel (e.g. pools, beach, facility to charge payments at F&B outlets etc.) so always check before booking.

Hotel Apartments

A Hotel Apartment (or ApartHotel) is when all the rooms on-property are only apartment style (i.e. either multiple bedrooms, or different layouts to conventional hotel rooms which may include more appliances in the kitchen, even perhaps laundry facilities).

Al Barsha and Tecom/Barsha Heights have a high proportion of Hotel Apartments, as they are both more akin to ‘dormitory suburbs’ within Dubai than touristy areas like Marina or Palm Jumeirah.

Serviced Apartments

Although these are very similar to Hotel Apartments, the main difference is their business model. They’re generally aimed more at long-stay guests, and could have a minimum stay duration. They will often have more restrictions on facilities and may include less regular housekeeping services than hotels. They often will not be available on Online Travel Agents (OTAs) as they prefer to deal direct and for block rates.

Residential Short Stay Lets

Residential Short Stay Lets are residential buildings (apartments or villas) which may be up for ‘holiday lets’ via platforms such as Sonder, AirBnb or otherwise. These will often have a far wider range of accommodation, and can vary from expats letting out their furnished homes to dedicated holiday-let-only properties.

As there is a wider range of properties available, there is often added complexity to these options. Taking JBR as an example, there is a massive amount of apartments up for holiday lets via agencies and OTAs, and sometimes, the more parties involved the more hassle and confusing it can be.

I will do a future ‘tip’ about Residential Short Stay Lets and the pitfalls that can occur, but simply speaking, they take a lot more ‘due diligence’ to research, shop around and check if you want to avoid issues. Of course, you can get lucky and everything go swimmingly, but also when it goes bad, it can really go bad e.g. a ‘lockout’ (where you pay up, book, then arrive and can’t get in), or you can’t use the facilities or you end up ‘gazumped’ where a higher booking gets access instead.

When talking about apartments as 'Residential Short Stay Lets’, the key difference between hotel apartments is that the latter will be dedicated to guests whereas the former may have a mixture of residents and tourists living there and certainly not everyone will be visitors. Hotel Apartments tend to have a dedicated manned Reception, whereas residential blocks will likely not.

Another key ‘red flag’ for Residential Short Stay Lets in Dubai is holiday homes, as they are known, need to be registered as such and there are strict rules regarding certification.

Conclusion

I’ve tried to keep this tip as simple as possible, and whilst it can seem confusing, it’s worth taking the time to read through and understand the different types of accommodations in Dubai.

This is before we get to the usual variables - including time of year, how you’re booking, how much time you have to research etc.

My tip would be - know what’s available to you, think about your needs, and only then go into the ‘bucket’ or category of accommodation to search what’s right for you. It’s always easier to find deals and have less hassle if you search with some ‘hard edges’ in terms of needs, categories, priorities, shortlist of properties etc.

For instance, if you want the widest range of rooms (supply) available, stick with hotels as they win on simplicity. You have the reassurance of dealing direct with dedicated, on-site teams and will be familiar with what’s on offer.

If you are a group or family, and need bigger rooms or more beds, you may still be able to achieve this with hotels, just in a different room category (multi-bed room, suites, apartments etc). You could also consider Residences at hotels, but check and compare carefully.

If you’re a tourist, I wouldn’t suggest Serviced Apartments are worth your time. You may find the terms too restrictive, and the choice of properties more limited as they often aren’t in tourist area.

Hotel Apartments can often work out good value, especially for larger groups, or if you’re not bothered too much about dining packages. You may have more options to cook for yourself, or even have dining facilities for takeaways and the like.

Residential Short Stay Lets can seem enticing and good value, but be sure to do your due diligence on things like the terms, if there’s an on-property or local contact, and most of all, the pitfalls eg access, registration, certification etc.

Above all, whilst it’s another case of ‘slicing and dicing’ including research and shopping around, it’s easier and likely better value to winnow down your options in the first place somehow.

By deciding if it’s a hotel, a residences, a hotel apartment or whatever, chances are you will save money and be more satisfied if you only search for what you need, rather than being ‘sold to’ by suggestions from a random search on a website.

HOTEL NEWS

JA Resort & Hotels Announce Senior Leadership Appointments

Rene D. Egle will be Cluster General Manager for its flagship beach properties (JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court).

I mentioned Dubai Media City, specifically Media One Hotel, as an ‘under the radar’ hotel that could be a leftfield pick for a cheaper hotel if you didn’t have to be in Marina, but still close enough.

So it’s only fair I shout out the other main* hotel there, ie Radisson Blue Hotel Dubai Media City. I’ve stayed there a few times and it’s decent enough, has a nice Italian restaurant, and will often have some good deals going such as those via Radisson Rewards.

Like several hotels in Dubai, they offer a 24-hour rate whereby your stay is a rolling 24 hours from whatever time you check-in at, which can be a good way to get value for your spend as opposed to the usual 3pm-12pm cycle. Especially if you are landing well before the ‘normal’ check-in time, as you can get the room earlier.

I also appreciated the noon-to-closing happy hour, but of course, as it’s not a main touristy area it doesn’t really have comparable facilities to Marina hotels - so manage expectations.

*I say ‘main’ hotels as there are other properties around Media City, but they may be select service such as the Holiday Inn Express, or hotel apartments.

Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah’s new Hotel Manager says “Emotional Intelligence is as important as operational knowledge”.

FOOD AND DRINK

McGettigans Moving Away From Guinness?

I thought this was a wind-up at first, but it’s true - McGettigans are stopping serving Guinness (from Dublin), in favour of Murphys (from Cork).

Some of the franchised McGettigans - such as McGettigan’s The Factory on The Palm and the Dubai Production City venue - will still continue serving Guinness, fear not.

It’s not clear if this is due to the supply problems Guinness has faced over recent times, but Dennis McGettigan did a great job from establishing first contact with Murphys to the first in-pub pour within 21 full days.

The very first time I visited Dubai, the first two places I went to were Buddha Bar and Barasti - and they’re still going great guns today.

Buddha Bar has had a recent facelift, and is in My Emirates Pass via More Cravings for a 20% discount until 30 Sep 25. A nice spot to drink and eat, especially with their brunches, and they often have some great DJs playing their distinctive Buddha Bar beats (see below)

Barasti is in Entertainer (Dubai 2025) for BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) Main Course - 3 vouchers - for all of 2025

Pool, Beach Club and Day Passes

SAL, Jumeirah Burj al Arab, are offering a pool day pass with 50% redeemable against F&B, for 500 AED (Mon-Thu) or 800 AED (weekends).

If that price is a bit peaky, or you fancy somewhere different, try these pool days or these ‘destination’ beach clubs (i.e. themed to evoke a particular destination such as Bodrum or Sardinia).

HOTEL OFFERS

IHG Stay a Little Longer: Stay 4, Pay 3/ Stay 8, Pay 6 Nights

IHG are offering a promotion for 1 or 2 ‘free’ nights when staying for 4 or 8 nights.

These are for Premium Rooms or Suites, across Middle East, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, India, Thailand and Australia. Book now for stays through to 31 October.

Members can also save 25-30% on dining, and points earned will qualify for status benefits.

🎩 Hat-tip to reader M for flagging up this great deal 👏

🔗 IHG Stay A Little Longer

FLIGHT DEALS

Etihad Continue to Offer Superb Value for Premium Seats

If you’re only looking to transfer through Abu Dhabi (AUH) en route to somewhere else, and if you’re flexible about departure destination (i.e. taking a ‘positioning flight’ to get to a cheaper departure airport/country), Etihad could be worth looking at.

1. Some flights ex-Rome may be serviced by Wamos Air which isn’t quite the same as Etihad, although with lie-flat seats.

2. Lounge access may not always be included if these fares are ‘unbundled’, but can be purchased separately.

Put it this way, of all the ‘cheap’ and ‘deals’ I regularly see for airfares, the vast majority seem to be Etihad - especially from the traditionally cheaper departure points.

UK departures tend to be more expensive, especially with Air Passenger Duty (APD) which is higher for premium seats. It’s certainly possible to get a cheaper return flight to ‘position’ to a cheaper country/airport, include baggage and charges, even get a cheap airport hotel if needs be, and still have spare change than it would have been flying ex-UK to final destination. The Singapore flight below for instance is easily cheaper by €1,000 or so.

🔗 Business Class: Paris to Singapore from €1,912

🔗 Business Class: Rome to Phuket from €1,701

LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Current Buy Points/Miles Bonuses with Marriott, Hilton, Virgin

Following on from last week’s ‘One Big Dubai Tip’ about buying loyalty points and miles, and that you’ve until 16 July to buy Marriott Points at up to a 40% bonus, here are some of the best hotels in Dubai you can book with points according to Nerdwallet.

As mentioned last week, do consider the points vs cash rate as dynamic pricing can change the value proposition tremendously.

Although not as ‘flexible’ as Marriott Bonvoy, Virgin Atlantic/Virgin Red Miles have up to a 60% bonus for purchasing, available up to 18 July.

Hilton Honors also has a bonus currently for purchasing points, which could rise up to 100%.

EMIRATES

Looking To Fly First Class on Emirates? Try Fifth Freedom Flights

I’ve mentioned ‘Fifth Freedom’ flights a few times, and Emirates have several great options - including two from Europe to USA, one from Barcelona to Mexico and one from Miami to Bogata. These will often be comparatively cheaper cost than UK to DXB, and you can find some real bargains.

How about $1,499 RT First Class Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG)?