Pros

  • A 10-minute drive from Dubai Airport
  • Access to the Spa InterContinental, with massage and holistic therapies
  • Outdoor pool area with several lovely pools and an infinity hot tub
  • Crowne Plaza’s excellent beds and in-room aromatherapy; Molton Brown luxury bath products in Superior Rooms
  • Popular on-site Belgian Beer Cafe and two other on-site food-and-drink venues
  • Excellent on-site fitness center with extensive fitness equipment, a sauna, and steam room
  • Babysitting and same-day laundry services are available
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
  • Express check-in and check-out available
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Cons

  • Hotel is secluded from most of the city’s major sights
  • Breakfast not included in all packages
  • Shower/tubs separated from guest rooms by glass, which can compromise privacy
  • Cigarette smoke on the Belgian Beer Cafe terrace
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Bottom Line

Located outside the central city, the 316-room luxury Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City is a stylish hotel sitting alongside scenic Dubai Creek, a scenic waterway plied by traditional dhows and luxury yachts day and night. The hotel has a fitness center, and a massive outdoor pool area with multiple pools, which is particularly lovely. The on-site Belgian Beer Cafe is popular with tourists and ex-pats alike, and is an authentic spot to enjoy a craft beer or northern European meal. Rooms are inviting, even if they aren’t particularly distinctive, and Superior Rooms come with additional perks, such as Molton Brown bath products. Guests looking for a beachfront hotel with similar features and amenities might want to check out the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, though its rates are higher.

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Amenities

  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pool
  • Spa

Oyster Hotel Review

Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City

Scene

Sleek design features in a contemporary, luxury setting

From the glass-and-steel tower’s graceful curve to the silhouettes of the bright retro furniture peppered about the lobby, Crowne Plaza has paid attention to this hotel’s design. The hotel’s large lobby has plenty of places to sit amid the bright, vibrant pink rugs around the marble front desk. Sheets of crystal strands shimmer overhead, while dark hardwood beams make a statement against the white marble hallways lined with photos of the Emirati royal family. The on-site restaurants and bars present several stylish venues to relax or carouse in, all with Dubai skyline views over Dubai Creek. The liveliest venue is the Belgian Beer Cafe, a convincing reproduction of a casual European beer hall replete with distressed hardwood furniture and brass fixtures, while Zaytoun, with plenty of hardwood floors and chandeliers, provides a sleek and stylish setting for a more elegant meal. The hotel attracts primarily business travelers, though couples and families stay here as well.

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Location

Festival City complex is near the airport but far from Dubai's major sights

The hotel is part of the Festival City complex, which includes the InterContinental Hotel, movie theaters, and several stores such as Marks & Spencer and Ikea. It is, however, a bit isolated from Dubai’s major sights, and there aren't many entertainment or dining venues beyond Festival City that are within walking distance. The vibrant gold and spice souks of Al Ras and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, are both 20 minutes away by car, while the Alserkal Avenue Arts district is a 25-minute drive from the hotel. InterContinental Al Badia Golf Club is technically on the hotel’s premises but is actually an eight-minute drive away, while Dubai International Airport is 10 minutes away by taxi or car.

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Rooms

Pleasant, modern guest rooms with retro accents

Guest rooms are modern and pleasant but lack the distinctive design features of the hotel’s common spaces, instead tending toward the soft, neutral look of so many upscale hotel chains. Tiled entryways give way to tan, subtly patterned carpets and rooms filled with dark, contemporary desks and nightstands, while chestnut veneer walls hold the large flat-screen TVs. Plush loveseats have retro silhouettes and purple bedside lamps add a dash of visual flair to the rooms. Crowne Plaza prides itself on its beds, and they are comfortable, with striped purple-and-green throw pillows, duvets, satin bed runners, and padded leather headboards. In-room aromatherapy comes with all rooms, along with safes, alarm clocks with iPod docks, and minibars. Bathrooms have Rothko-esque watercolors, granite vanities, contemporary fixtures, toiletries, and bathrobes, but bathtub/shower combos are separated from the guest rooms by glass and mini-blinds, which some guests report don't always close. Superior Rooms have additional amenities like Nespresso coffee machines and luxurious Molton Brown bath products, and the hotel also offers larger rooms with extra beds as well as Suites. Turndown services are available in every room.

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Features

Popular Belgian Beer Cafe on site and excellent outdoor pool complex

The hotel has three dining and drinking venues on-site, the standout being the Belgian Beer Cafe, which draws a crowd from around Dubai to its huge selection of craft brews and Belgian specialties in an authentic cafe-meets-beer-hall setting, though the outdoor terrace is one of the hotel’s few smoking areas, and it can get smoky. Zaytoun offers good Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and serves the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which is included only in certain room packages. The Skyline Lounge has an extensive cocktail list and shisha options, and all three venues offer great views of the Dubai skyline across Dubai Creek. The hotel has an excellent 24-hour fitness center with a large selection of modern cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines, as well as a sauna and steam room. The hotel has a large outdoor terrace that’s lined with palm trees and lounge chairs, and has several pools, including an 82-foot heated pool, an infinity hot tub, a kids' pool area, and a plunge pool that hangs off the side of the hotel and has a glass bottom, providing a fairly spectacular mid-air illusion. Guests can use th the Spa InterContinental in the adjoining InterContinental Hotel, which offers massage and holistic therapies until late in a stylish, tranquil setting (the twinkling starlight effect in its entryway is quite memorable). There is plenty of free self-parking on site and the hotel also offers valet parking services for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and there are nine meetings rooms on-site, the largest of which can hold 1,400 guests. Babysitting and laundry or dry cleaning services can also be arranged.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City

Scene

Sleek design features in a contemporary, luxury setting

From the glass-and-steel tower’s graceful curve to the silhouettes of the bright retro furniture peppered about the lobby, Crowne Plaza has paid attention to this hotel’s design. The hotel’s large lobby has plenty of places to sit amid the bright, vibrant pink rugs around the marble front desk. Sheets of crystal strands shimmer overhead, while dark hardwood beams make a statement against the white marble hallways lined with photos of the Emirati royal family. The on-site restaurants and bars present several stylish venues to relax or carouse in, all with Dubai skyline views over Dubai Creek. The liveliest venue is the Belgian Beer Cafe, a convincing reproduction of a casual European beer hall replete with distressed hardwood furniture and brass fixtures, while Zaytoun, with plenty of hardwood floors and chandeliers, provides a sleek and stylish setting for a more elegant meal. The hotel attracts primarily business travelers, though couples and families stay here as well.

See More Scene

Location

Festival City complex is near the airport but far from Dubai's major sights

The hotel is part of the Festival City complex, which includes the InterContinental Hotel, movie theaters, and several stores such as Marks & Spencer and Ikea. It is, however, a bit isolated from Dubai’s major sights, and there aren't many entertainment or dining venues beyond Festival City that are within walking distance. The vibrant gold and spice souks of Al Ras and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, are both 20 minutes away by car, while the Alserkal Avenue Arts district is a 25-minute drive from the hotel. InterContinental Al Badia Golf Club is technically on the hotel’s premises but is actually an eight-minute drive away, while Dubai International Airport is 10 minutes away by taxi or car.

See More Location

Rooms

Pleasant, modern guest rooms with retro accents

Guest rooms are modern and pleasant but lack the distinctive design features of the hotel’s common spaces, instead tending toward the soft, neutral look of so many upscale hotel chains. Tiled entryways give way to tan, subtly patterned carpets and rooms filled with dark, contemporary desks and nightstands, while chestnut veneer walls hold the large flat-screen TVs. Plush loveseats have retro silhouettes and purple bedside lamps add a dash of visual flair to the rooms. Crowne Plaza prides itself on its beds, and they are comfortable, with striped purple-and-green throw pillows, duvets, satin bed runners, and padded leather headboards. In-room aromatherapy comes with all rooms, along with safes, alarm clocks with iPod docks, and minibars. Bathrooms have Rothko-esque watercolors, granite vanities, contemporary fixtures, toiletries, and bathrobes, but bathtub/shower combos are separated from the guest rooms by glass and mini-blinds, which some guests report don't always close. Superior Rooms have additional amenities like Nespresso coffee machines and luxurious Molton Brown bath products, and the hotel also offers larger rooms with extra beds as well as Suites. Turndown services are available in every room.

See More Rooms

Features

Popular Belgian Beer Cafe on site and excellent outdoor pool complex

The hotel has three dining and drinking venues on-site, the standout being the Belgian Beer Cafe, which draws a crowd from around Dubai to its huge selection of craft brews and Belgian specialties in an authentic cafe-meets-beer-hall setting, though the outdoor terrace is one of the hotel’s few smoking areas, and it can get smoky. Zaytoun offers good Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and serves the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which is included only in certain room packages. The Skyline Lounge has an extensive cocktail list and shisha options, and all three venues offer great views of the Dubai skyline across Dubai Creek. The hotel has an excellent 24-hour fitness center with a large selection of modern cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines, as well as a sauna and steam room. The hotel has a large outdoor terrace that’s lined with palm trees and lounge chairs, and has several pools, including an 82-foot heated pool, an infinity hot tub, a kids' pool area, and a plunge pool that hangs off the side of the hotel and has a glass bottom, providing a fairly spectacular mid-air illusion. Guests can use th the Spa InterContinental in the adjoining InterContinental Hotel, which offers massage and holistic therapies until late in a stylish, tranquil setting (the twinkling starlight effect in its entryway is quite memorable). There is plenty of free self-parking on site and the hotel also offers valet parking services for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and there are nine meetings rooms on-site, the largest of which can hold 1,400 guests. Babysitting and laundry or dry cleaning services can also be arranged.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Beauty / Hair Salon

  • Business Center

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Children's Pool

  • Concierge

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Golf Course

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Mini Bar (with liquor)

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Spa

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.