Hilton Jumeirah Dubai
Written by
Bonnie Rubin
Contact info
A good beachfront hotel in Dubai's Marina District
If you are planning your first visit to Dubai, you may be wondering, “Where is the best area to stay in Dubai?” There are an abundance of hotels in Dubai, ranging from large resorts, chain properties and smaller boutique hotels. The city of Dubai is very spread out and each neighborhood is unique.
Determining the “best location” depends on whether you are traveling for business, relaxation, sightseeing or adventure. Consider your preferences and then map them out to help determine the best location for you.
During our four-night visit to Dubai, we chose 2 different hotels. Normally, we wouldn’t switch hotels during a short visit, but due to the extensive Dubai traffic, we felt that the inconvenience of moving was worth it to maximize our ability to see more of the city.
We began our stay at the Grand Hyatt Dubai and then moved to the Hilton Jumeriah Dubai in the Dubai Marina area. A comprehensive review of the Grand Hyatt Dubai can be found here.
The Bottom Line
This hotel is in a great location on the beach and in the heart of the Marina District. We recommend staying here for a few nights as base for activities in the Marina District and for some relaxing afternoons by the pool or beach.
The property itself is a bit dated in some venues but offers a mid-range beach-resort vibe for a reasonable price.
Hotel Brand Affiliation
Hilton
Bookable with approximately 80,000 points or a standard room (subject to availability)
Hotel Review
This hotel is in a great location on the beach and along the beach walkway with numerous restaurants. It is also easy walking distance to the Marina for more restaurants, boat rides and the Dubai Marina Mall. This hotel’s location provides a gorgeous view of Ain Dubai (the worlds highest observation wheel which, unfortunately, isn’t currently operational)
This property is a little dated in it’s décor, and has a more casual “beach resort” feel (especially compared to the Grand Hyatt!), but we would still categorize this as a 3+ star hotel.
The hotel is directly on the beach and has its own private beach area. Given the crowds on the public beach, this roped off section is a great benefit. One caveat; the lounge chairs fill quickly, so get up early if you plan to spend the day at the beach. We went about an hour before sunset and had no problem getting chairs and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset and light show from the Ain Dubai.
Hotel Lobby
View of the Hilton from the water - Great beachfront location!
Dining Options
The breakfast buffet was satisfactory, similar to the Grand Hyatt with various options for different ethnicities; however, they did frequently run out of items and were slow to replace them and the quality was mediocre.
The Dinner buffet at the hotel has a different theme each night. We were there for “Arabian” night which offered a wide selection of local food selections. Although the food was all well presented, we personally didn’t care for food and wished we had checked out the new Trader Vic’s restaurant instead.
Part of the extensive breakfast & dinner buffet
View from our "Partial Ocean View" Suite
Diamond Member Benefits
The staff were wonderful about recognizing us as Hilton Diamond members. They upgraded our room to a partial ocean-view suite and offered us the dinner buffet at a reduced price of 89 AED vs. 250 AED . In addition, as Diamond members, we were received 2 complimentary breakfast buffets each day.
We also had access to the Executive Lounge which is a pleasant space with a outdoor seating area. The Lounge was open for a limited breakfast and afternoon tea.
They did a great job of acknowledging my birthday with some decorations and treats in the room upon our arrival. The also offered me a 30% discount at any of the on-site restaurants, including Trader Vic) (valid only on the actual day of my birthday).
Pros
- Ability to walk to many restaurants, shopping and activities
- Only about a 20 min drive to the Palm, Atlantis, The SkyPool and Mall of the Emirates
- A lovely pool area and private beach
- Rooms have been remodeled and offer a nice beach feel
Cons
- Approximately an hour drive from the Dubai International Airport
- Quality of service was inconsistent and was very poor on some occassions
- The spa and locker rooms are extremely basic and dated and not comparable to the quality level of the remainder of the hotel
Travel Tips
- One way to easily become a Hilton Diamond is through opening the Hilton Aspire Credit card (click here for an application link)
- The Marina is only a 10 minute walk from the Hilton and is a great place to catch a boat tour. We did an hour tour of the Marina and it was a great way to see the area. There are longer tour options available as well as dining boat tours.