So, I’m back in Dubai. In June. Outside, it’s a balmy 102°F with 60% humidity. And it’s only June. Good thing I didn’t wait until July for this trip, or, heaven forbid, August.

Fortunately, I’ve got this little slice of heaven to get away from the hell outside. I’m staying at the all new Crowne Plaza hotel at Dubai Festival City. The hotel was just opened earlier this year, and is part of the huge Festival City development that includes a shopping mall, office towers, housing development, yacht club and golf course, all just a few minutes from the airport.

My standard room is sleek and modern, with all the conveniences. There’s a king-size bed, flat screen television with DVD player, a sofa, desk and large closet. Accents are silver, with blue LED lights highlighting switches at night. The bathroom has a large tub, with both a standard shower head and a rain shower. The bathroom is divided from the bedroom by a huge picture window. There’s an electronically controlled blind you can lower if you want some privacy in the bathroom.

The television has lots of channels, including a fair number of American comedy networks. There’s also an Internet connection in each room, although it’s not free.

Pet peeve: Why do hotels charge for Internet use? In most cases, they pay the same fee regardless of how much use the connection gets – just like the cable television channels – so why charge for it?

The fitness center is small but usable. The pool is set up specifically for laps. The coffee shop breakfast features a good selection, especially of healthy options like fresh fruit.

The hotel is connected to the Festival City shopping center, although it is a bit of a hike. You have to pass through the meeting center, which is shared with the Intercontinental Hotel, then through the Intercontinental itself, and finally over an enclosed bridge that gets you to the mall.

The mall is big, although not the biggest in Dubai by a long shot. There is a Marks & Spencer, hypermart, Ikea, Toys R Us, and tons of boutiques. The mall also has a Fitness First branch, if the hotel’s gym isn’t big enough for you. Perhaps most importantly, the mall has a huge selection of restaurants, selling just about every cuisine you can think of, from Japanese Sushi to Mexican.

Posted by michael under First Impressions

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