Dubai is an amazing vacation destination from its beaches to its desert, from the skyscrapers to the souks, and let’s not forget the unbelievable artificial palm-shaped islands. Whether you are traveling on a budget or are wealthy enough to blow the budget, here is our pick of the best hotels to earn and redeem rewards points and miles in Dubai.
The best beach hotels to earn & redeem rewards points in Dubai are the Grosvenor House and Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort Dubai. Your preference between these hotels will probably be determined by whether you are traveling as a family or as a couple. Both hotels represent great value at just 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy Rewards points per night.
For complete luxury on the beach, you need to collect and redeem Jumeirah Sirius points and spend them at the Madinat Jumeirah Al Qasr vs. Al Naseem vs. Mina A’Salam vs. Burj Al Arab. Madinat Jumeirah is one of the most luxurious beach resorts in Dubai, but the prices are high, hence their positions at 3, 4, and 5.
For dessert, try the Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa at 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, and for golf, it has to be the Park Hyatt Dubai at 30,000 points per night, which sits right by the creek, near the airport and right in the center of a stunning golf course.
If you want to stay on The Palm Jumeirah, the tree-shaped artificial island located just south of Jumeirah Beach, you could try the Atlantis The Palm and Fairmont The Palm, but neither of these hotels is our top choice.
1. Grosvenor House Dubai
Located next door to the beach but a maintaining sophistication, the Grosvenor House Dubai feels like a proper Luxury Collection hotel. While it is across the road from the beach, it also sits next to the marina walk and with plenty of great bars and restaurants.
Overall, this is your best option if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member and are looking for luxury. This is definitely one of the best Marriott or SPG Starwood properties to earn and redeem your points at, particularly if you are traveling as a couple. You also get access to all the beach and pool facilities at Le Royal Meridien via a free and regular shuttle between the two hotels, or you can just run across Al Sufouh Road between the hotels, so you get the best of both worlds.
With rates in the summer starting at around 450د.إ AED per night or a stay on points for around 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. This is a great choice, and be sure to indulge in breakfast here. It is so good that the locals and ex-pats come here for breakfast too.
2. Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa
If you are a family, the best beachside Marriott Bonvoy hotel choice is the Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort & Spa. Both this hotel and the Grosvenor House feature in our best Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Dubai for families.
This hotel has large free-form pools with bridges, gorgeous grassy lawns adorned with palm trees, and a beach alongside. The decor in the rooms is fresh and modern, and the balconies in the rooms are large with lovely views, the best of which looks over the gardens and beach. There is a large club lounge here that serves breakfast but do bear in mind that it does get very busy at breakfast. The breakfast in the lounge is extremely good, much like you would expect in a normal restaurant, with a vast buffet. After breakfast, the lounge quietens down, and you can enjoy snacks and drinks. It picks up again and gets busy at happy hour when they serve free drinks and light bites.
For a family, the pool at the Royal Meridien and having a beach will add to your holiday. If you are traveling as a couple or on business, you may well prefer the pool at the Grosvenor House over the beach at Le Royal Meridien. Le Royal Meridien beach and the hotel itself tend to be full of holidaymakers who have booked packages from all over the world, as well as lots of kids and, sometimes, mosquitos in the greenery. It doesn’t feel exclusive. The pool at the St Regis Saadiyat and at the Grosvenor house feel more exclusive, and the latter could be considered as an alternative if you are set on a beachside resort.
This is easily one of the best luxury beach hotels in Dubai to redeem points. With rates in the summer starting at around 500د.إ AED per night or a stay on points for around 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, this hotel is a solid choice for families and couples alike.
3. Jumeirah Al Qasr
There are six hotels on the premises of the Madinat. Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Al Naseem, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Three of these hotels have some of the best hotel club lounges in Dubai, and you can earn and redeem Jumeirah Sirus points at all of these hotels.
Jumeirah Al Qasr in Dubai offers some of the nicest and best rooms within the Madinat Jumeirah hotel complex, showcasing Arabian Palatial luxury. Designed in the style of a Sheikh’s summer residence, palatial guestrooms decorated in the traditional Arabian style offer stunning views of the sea and the resort in opulent surroundings.
Jumeirah Sirius is Jumeirah Hotel Group’s complimentary loyalty program. This luxury hotel brand developed this loyalty program so that guests can earn and redeem valuable rewards when they stay at one of many Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in the world.
Jumeirah Sirius Points can be exchanged for rewards and privileges. You can earn Jumeirah Sirius points by spending your money at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts. The problem with this loyalty scheme is that Jumeirah hotels are skewed to Dubai, so collecting and redeeming points and miles in this scheme is brilliant if you spend a lot of time in Dubai. Beyond Dubai, there are only certain cities where you can earn and redeem these points. Additional destinations to collect and redeem these points include Mallorca, Maldives, Frankfurt, London, and Rome.
You can redeem Jumeirah Sirius Points for free hotel nights at any of Jumeirah’s hotels with no blackout dates. As long as there is a standard room available, you can book it using your Jumeirah Sirius Points. The number of points required for a free night depends on the cost of and how luxury the hotel is along with the time you want to stay, with peak seasons costing more than off-peak at the same hotel. Hotel redemptions range from 600 to 30,000.
4. Jumeirah Al Naseem
Jumeirah Al Naseem, is the latest addition to Madinat Jumeirah, offering a “Dubai of Today” experience. With interiors inspired by sand dunes, sea breeze, and Dubai’s heritage of pearl diving and Bedouin traditions, its rooms and suites feature spectacular views to Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Expansive terraces invite the outdoors in, and lush gardens edge the sandy beach, providing pockets of privacy and peacefulness.
Dubai’s longest private beach is only steps away, as well as the many facilities within Madinat Jumeirah Resort. Souk Madinat Jumeirah features more than 80 shops, bars, and restaurants. Access to Talise Spa and Talise Fitness, tennis and squash courts, as well as unlimited access to Wild Wadi Waterpark™, are all available to guests. Again, you can collect and redeem your Jumeirah points here.
5. Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah is part of the Jumeirah Group and is located on Jumeirah Beach. Soaring 321 meters, Burj Al Arab is the world’s tallest all-suite hotel. With its helipad on the 28th floor and a restaurant seemingly suspended in mid-air, the hotel has already become a landmark and icon on the Dubai skyline. The sail façade represents a true technical challenge, featuring a double-skinned Teflon-coated woven glass fiber screen. It is the first time such technology has been used in the world. Burj Al Arab offers highly personalized service for every traveler, enhanced by private reception desks on every floor, in-suite check-in, and a brigade of exclusive butlers. Again, you can collect and redeem your Jumeirah points here.
5. Jumeirah Emirates Towers
A sneaky way to enjoy a cheap beach holiday in Dubai is to stay at Jumeirah Emirates Towers either for cash or by redeeming Jumeirah Sirus points. You can then use their pass for free unlimited access to the beach, pools, and kids clubs at Madinat Jumeirah above for a much better price.
They say, “Head to Jumeirah’s private pristine beach and breathe in the fresh sea air on the golden shores of the spectacular Arabian coast. Access is complimentary for Jumeirah Emirates Towers guests. The beach is the perfect way to spend quality time with your friends and family.”
Prices here start at 550د.إ AED in the summer and 850د.إ AED in the winter, and this is probably the cheapest deal and best-discounted rate you will get for any luxury hotel of this caliber that has access to a nice beach complex. Again, you can collect and redeem your Jumeirah points here.
6. Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa
Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa is a fantastic resort out in the desert and is part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection and a category 8 property costing around 85,000 points per night. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa is an exclusive and romantic eco-luxury hotel set in 225 square kilometers of the pristine desert landscape just 45 minutes from the cosmopolitan city of Dubai, the thriving center of commerce and leisure in the Gulf.
It’s also the only resort within the area where visitors can experience the true beauty and majesty of the desert and observe the indigenous wildlife. Each suite at Al Maha includes all meals and two activities per night’s stay (choose from a camel ride with sundowners, archery, nature walks, and more). Beneath its stretched canvas roof, each suite boasts handcrafted furnishings and traditional Arabian artifacts, as well as a private swimming pool and wooden deck. This resort costs an eye-watering 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy rewards per night.
7. Park Hyatt Dubai
Located in Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club on the banks of the majestic Dubai Creek, Park Hyatt Dubai provides an idyllic setting for a luxury getaway nestled in the heart of the city, ten minutes from Dubai International Airport, Gold Souk, Dubai Museum, and Burj Khalifa. It is a category 5 Hyatt hotel and costs from 20,000 World Of Hyatt points per night, which is one of the cheapest Park Hyatt points bookings you can book. Compare this to the Park Hyatt in Zurich, which comes in at 30,000 points per night, and you can see that point redemption bookings offer good value.
This 5 star Dubai resort offers 223 luxury rooms, including 34 suites, all of which offer stunning views overlooking the Dubai Creek and marina. From an inspired assortment of award-winning restaurants to a luxury destination spa, every moment at Park Hyatt Dubai is meticulously curated to ensure a sophisticated, enriching, and uncommon experience.
Superbly located on the banks of Dubai Creek, hotel Park Hyatt Dubai offers the finest in Western, Thai, and French cuisines. With floor-to-ceiling windows, wood-fired ovens, and theatre kitchens, the hotel brings excitement and style to dining, both indoor and alfresco.
As a premium Dubai city resort, the property offers its guests a number of exciting activities such as Seawings, the aerial seaplane taking off of Dubai Creek and an 18-hole, par-71 championship course that rolls into thousands of undulating yards, or pampering spa treatments at the luxury Amara Spa, one of the finest Dubai spas.
8. Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Another good family choice in Dubai is Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and the Westin next door. Again, you can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points at these two hotels. They share facilities and the beach, but Le Meridien is cheaper.
Both Le Meridien and the Westin Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina in Dubai are great beachfront properties, and the staff are fantastic and wonderful with children. Some rooms have a great view of Atlantis on The Palm. With rates in the summer starting at around 300د.إ AED per night or stay on points for around 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. This is a great point redemption option.
9. InterContinental Festival City
The best IHG InterContinental hotels to earn and redeem points in Dubai are the InterContinental Festival City vs. InterContinental Dubai Marina. Overall the InterContinental Festival City is best for location, pool, club lounge, families, and couples. But you won’t go wrong with either InterContinental. Both have beautiful rooms, an excellent club lounge, gorgeous pools, and all the essentials like great restaurants and bars and gym and spa, and both cost 50,000 IHG reward club points for a night.
The marina around the InterContinental Dubai Marina is exciting and lively but right at the far end of Dubai. The Festival city property on the creek has excellent management, staff, concierge, lounge a good spa, and is, overall, the better choice of the two.
InterContinental Dubai Festival City offers excellent facilities; gym, pool, room and is close to the airport (closer to the airport than the Marina InterContinental), the old town, Deira and overlooks the creek.
The biggest differentiator is the pool. The pool area at InterContinental Festival City is nice, with lots of palm trees and with maybe five or six separate (albeit some of them very small) pools split between the Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza sides, though guests of both hotels appear free to use either.
This big pool on the Intercontinental side is perspex at the creek end of the pool, so those with goggles on can put their head under the water and see straight down about six stories to the promenade below. There are also shallow ledges where one can lie in a few inches of water and are some mini-infinity pools with Jacuzzi jets. The pool tends to be busy, so be prepared for most of the sunbeds to be taken.
The pool at the InterContinental Dubai Marina is not nearly as nice as the pool area at Festival City. Instead, you have one triangular urban pool surrounded by skyscrapers and can be in the shade for much of the day as a result.
When you book with us, you will also get your usual ihg.com Priority points and benefit from your Ambassador, Platinum Elite, or Spire Elite status.
10. Crowne Plaza Festival City
Out of interest, there are also some Crowne Plaza properties in Dubai which you may also want to consider if you collect or want to redeem IHG reward points. This one costs 45,000 IHG reward club points for a night, and at this redemption rate, I would stretch the boat out and book in next door at the InterContinental for the extra 5,000 IHG points. Crowne Plaza Festival City shares its pools with the InterContinental Festival City as it’s right next door. It’s a cheaper option than the InterContinental, and you can still use most of the facilities at the InterContinental, although the rooms obviously won’t be as nice or as large.
The Crowne Plaza Dubai is the most centrally located of all the Crowne Plaza hotels and will knock considerable time off your journeys as well as having a club lounge, but it isn’t the most inspiring IHG hotel and is not on the beach.
For a cheap and easy layover, try the Hilton Dubai Creek, located just a 10-minute drive from the airport. The property features a rooftop pool and a complimentary shuttle to sister hotel Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort’s private beach. One night here costs from 20,000 Hilton Honours Points.
The Ritz-Carlton Dubai is another popular beachside redemption hotel in the Marriott Bonvoy scheme boasting a white sand beach, a luxurious spa, several restaurants, and tennis courts, but we can’t recommend it as the grounds are so noisy and the club lounge is mayhem in the main season.
For a cheap and easy layover, try the Hilton Dubai Creek, located just a 10-minute drive from the airport. The property features a rooftop pool and a complimentary shuttle to sister hotel Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort’s private beach. One night here costs from 20,000 Hilton Honours Points.
Whichever you choose, book luxury hotels with our luxury travel concierge and get a better deal and fabulous free benefits.
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