Perfect location if you have a late evening flight into Dubai
One question we frequently hear is, “What area of Dubai is the best to stay?” There is a plethora of hotels in Dubai, including all major chains as well as boutique hotels. Dubai is a city that is very spread out and each area of the city is unique.
The “best location” in Dubai depends on whether you are traveling for business, relaxation, sightseeing or adventures. Then, evaluate the places you want to visit and map them out to help determine the best location.
We chose 2 different hotels for our 4 nights in Dubai and felt that the hassle of moving to different locations was worth it. There is A LOT of traffic in Dubai and it can take a long time to get around the city.
The first few nights we stayed at the Grand Hyatt Dubai and then moved to the Hilton Jumeriah Dubai in the Dubai Marina area. A full review of the Hilton Jumeriah Dubai can be found here.
The Bottom Line
This hotel is in a great location at the edge of Dubai’s historic creek, approximately 15 min from the airport. This is a good choice if you are getting in late and want a short ride to your hotel after a long flight. The service and atmosphere is elevated and makes this a very good option.
Hotel Brand Affiliation
Hyatt, Category 4, approximately 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Point redemptions will vary based on availability and season, but standard redemption is 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night
Hotel Review
The first thing that stands out at this property is the service: Everyone from the Front Desk personnel to the restaurant staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. We stayed there on my birthday and the room was decorated, complete with some yummy birthday treats, when we arrived.
The Grand Hyatt is a large property with a convention center attached, but it is very spacious. They were at high occupancy during our stay, but the hotel did not seem crowded. The lobby is large and modern and there are various restaurants on property.
There is also very large fitness center with plenty of equipment, and a beautiful indoor pool. The Ahasees Spa offers a full assortment of treatments and guests can use the spa facilities even if they haven’t booked a service (very unusual for a hotel and a great offer).
Typical King Guest room
Beautiful indoor pool
Large lobby courtyard
Fitness center
In addition to the indoor pool, there is a large outdoor pool area with plenty of seating areas. A large waterpark is currently under construction, (we couldn’t get a definitive answer for when the waterpark would be completed: 2024? 2025?) Once completed, this will be an excellent amenity for children.
There is an added bonus of a Peacock Sanctuary with about 10 of these beautiful birds. If you wait a few minutes, one may spread it’s tail!
Dining Options
The Grand Hyatt has several dining options, ranging from the Arabian themed Awtar to a sports bar. Due to it’s isolated location, the on-site restaurants are convenient. For a full list of the dining venues, visit the Grand Hyatt Dubai’s website here.
Breakfast is included if you reserve with a breakfast package or are a Hyatt Globalist. It is a buffet and offered a wide variety of selections, including many local and Asian options. The buffet was pleasantly arranged with high quality food options and also included coffee drinks and fruit smoothies.
We rank this as one of the better hotel breakfast buffets we have experienced!
Pros
- Relatively close to the airport
- Amazing service
- Excellent breakfast
- There are a variety of on-site restaurants (click to see options)
Cons
- Property is located between districts making it difficult to walk to sights or restaurants. Fortunately, taxis are plentiful relatively inexpensive.
- Location is far from beach, the Palm, Marina and other southern areas of Dubai
Exterior of the Grand Hyatt Dubai
One of the beautiful resident peacocks
Travel Tips
- Great use for a category 1-4 free night certificate that comes with the World of Hyatt credit card: Click here for a full list of recommended hotel credit cards, including the World of Hyatt card.
- Closer to sightseeing locations such as The Frame, Museum of the Future, Mall of the Emirates, The Burg and the Al Faidi (Historic area with the various souks).
- We booked this private tour of Al Faidi with Pri through Viator and highly recommend it!
- It is easy to take a cab from the Grand Hyatt to The Frame, then get a cab from there to the Museum of the Future. Note: Museum of the Future tickets sell out, so book in advance. Even if you can’t get tickets, it is worth a visit to the building and you can enter the Lobby for no charge.