Jumeirah Creekside Hotel

There’s a post-industrial feel to the Jumeirah’s cavernous lobby, which is formed by an atrium overlooking the interior hallways of the property and composed of glass, metal, and lattice structural pieces. Because the hotel doesn’t have direct access to the beach and is close to the airport, it tends to attract business travelers and those looking for a chic, somewhat understated environment. Floating staircases and exposed structural elements lend a modern, corporate feel that extends to the outdoor grounds by the small waterway known as Dubai Creek. The hotel maintains a bricked-over deck with picnic tables that feels like it could be part of a large mall.

On one side of the hotel is a slip road next to the very busy E11 highway. On the other side are smaller but busy streets serving local offices and businesses. Although perfectly pleasant, there’s not much to explore on these local streets, with mostly everything in the area focused on servicing the airport. Still, there are a number of local eateries as well as chain venues, including Chili’s and a bar popular with guests called The Irish Village. A car or taxi provides easy access to downtown Dubai, which is about 15 minutes southwest. Wild Wadi Waterpark is 25 to 30 minutes away by car, with hotel guests receiving free passes for entry. Dubai International Airport is just a few minutes’ drive east.

Wood paneling, red leather padding, and slanted lines in furnishings make for a novel (if slightly weird) setup in rooms that generally receive praise for their beds and overall comfort. Chrome fixtures, wall-to-wall carpeting, recessed lighting, and shiny plastic red bathroom doors lend a contemporary, mod feel to the units. Some guests have noted that rooms are a bit on the dark side despite floor-to-ceiling windows in most. Walk-in rain showers are separate from curtained full baths, with the latter jutting into rooms in a novel configuration. All rooms also have tea/coffee facilities, in-room safes, hairdryers, minibars without alcohol (common for hotels in Dubai), widescreen interactive HD LCD TVs, laptop connectivity to said TVs, and iPod/iPhone docking stations.

The Jumeirah has several dining options that include the hotel’s rooftop Cuban restaurant, nestled among shaded chairs and an attractive water feature overlooking the city. There are a few other eateries on-site with varying cuisine and degrees of formality along with an extensive fitness center with several banks of machines, a large spa, and a rooftop pool with a swim-up bar. The pool has a swimming lane section as well and is flanked by a kiddy area and shaded deck. Squash and tennis courts round out the sporting possibilities. The property also has an extensive amount of space dedicated to business meetings and special events, and is thus able to host everything from weddings to film screenings.