From the moment I was picked up from the airport to the time I left Dubai I was treated to excellent hospitality from the staff of the Sheraton Dubai Creek and the locals (all spoke good english). I had a city creek view room and it was well worth it watching the dhow boats and other traffic go up and down Dubai Creek at all hours and a view of the city, Burj Dubai - the tallest building in the world(still under construction as well as most of Dubai) and other towers in the distance. The pool area wasn't too busy during the day so getting a seat was no problem. The gym was adequate as were the steam room and sauna in the change rooms.
A good thing to note, staying at the Sheraton Dubai Creek means you can also use the facilities of the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach for a small fee of 75 dhs. A free shuttle bus takes you there from the hotel at 10.00 and returns from the Jumeirah Sheraton at 16.30. You can use all their facilities, beach, pool, gym and add bills to your own hotel room back at Dubai Creek. This is a cheaper alternative than staying there.
The location of the hotel was good for getting around and picking up taxis. They are very cheap and ask for a local taxis as the hotel ones have meters too but they are more expensive and unlike local taxis, the fare goes up while you are waiting. So if you are stuck in traffic moving nowhere, the meter keeps going up.
Food wise, there wasn't much around the hotel. However, the hotel has some good restuarants including Vivaldi (Italian) and a Japanese restuarant which is supposedly one of the best in Dubai. Not far, about 5 mins walk away is the Hilton Dubai Creek that has a Gordon Ramsay restaurant worth checking out. Also, you have the Deira City Centre, a shopping centre, just a short taxi ride (10 dhs) from the hotel with a large foodcourt and restaurants at very reasonable prices but don't plan on getting a taxi very quickly back to the hotel. Waits can be from 1 - 2 hours after 4pm.
One night, my partner and I went to a restaurant at the Burj Al Arab which gave us entry into the 7* hotel. The skyview bar and the restaurant in the balIroom have views from the 27th floor while the others are near the ground floors. I would highly recommend this experience, wonderful views and service giving you an insight of how the very wealthy dine. To make sure you get a table I would book before you arrive as several of the restaurants were booked out for the whole month of April.
The hotel location is also good for the big bus tour (175 dhs) as there is a stop (Stop 7) about 500m from the hotel towards the gold souk before the Radisson SAS. This gives you a good chance to see Dubai, their beaches and shopping malls as it stops at quite a few including the Mall of Emirates and Deira City Centre.
The gold souk is a wonderful opportunity to test your haggling skills and also get you out of the heat into air conditioned comfort. Prices on items are just a guide. Remember the prices are heavily inflated and its a bit of fun to see how low you can get them. Aim for about 35 - 40% off the original price and if you don't get your price, don't worry, there are many more shops around and if they really want the sale they will chase you back to the store. Also, if you want to get any goods, electronics etc, don't get it from the airport as you will find the prices cheaper at the local shopping centres.
A great excursion in the afternoon is a Desert Safari which includes 4x4 driving over sand dunes, camel and quad bike riding, bbq dinner at a Bedouin camp and a belly dancing performance. Prices can be from 150 - 375 dhs per person. The cheaper ones you get a bus out to the site while the more expensive ones pick you up and return you to the hotel in your own 4x4 or even a Hummer. The food is great, plentiful, the drive over the sand dunes is like a roller coaster. A great way to spend an evening.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Sheraton Dubai Creek and Dubai and the great deal I got from DubaiResorts.com made the stay well worth it. I would recommend this hotel to all groups, family, business persons, honeymooners etc.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Girlfriend getaway, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Management Response
sheradxb, General Manager
(Management representative)
Apr 22, 2008
Dear holidayjunkie76,
I am writing in relation to the review of our hotel which you posted on the Trip Advisor website on April 17, 2008.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to write the review and for posting it on the Internet. We value all feedback from our guests both, positive and negative, as this is the only way to ensure that we continue to better our service and our facilities to make your stay at our hotel a more pleasant one.
I was delighted to read that your recent stay here with us was up to your expectations. Our goal is to make sure that all guests feel as though they belong during their stay with us and that each visit is a special one and I do hope we achieved our goal during your visit.
I hope that we will be able to welcome you back at our hotel soon again and if there is anything I can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact me directly on thomasvan.opstal@sheraton.com .
Yours sincerely,
J. Thomas C. van Opstal
General Manager
Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.