Dubai Hotels and accomodation
Dubai is the most populous of the seven United Arab Emirates, a vibrant, modern, business-centred city-state.
Dubai is located on the Arabian Peninsula. The city stands on the coast of the Persian Gulf, in the white sands of Arabian Desert, and the climate is hot and arid.
The emirate has been established as a major tourist, trade and financial centre, and is currently experiencing a real estate boom, with some of the world's largest buildings under construction or completed.
The area has been inhabited for several thousands of years but few written accounts survive of the early era. Dubai was first mentioned in 1095 as a trading centre. It was also involved in fishing and pearl diving. The oldest building in town is the Al Fahidi Fort from 1799, now part of the Dubai Museum.
The ruling Al Maktoum dynasty established a separate Sheikhdom in 1833, and in 1892 Dubai became a British protectorate. The emirate's georgaphical location along the main trade route between East and West attracted traders, and established Dubai as a major port.
After the pearling industry crashed in the 1920s, Dubai established itself as the premier re-export business port. Oil was discovered in 1966, and Dubai became part of the United Arab Emirates after the British withdrawal in 1971.
A new era of prosperity followed, and the population of the city tripled in a few years. The largest man made port, Jebel Ali, was established in 1979 and is now among the busiest in the world. The free trade zone around it served as a model for Dubai's further development. The numerous business hubs and special zones attracting internet, media and other investments are the backbone of Dubai's economy, and oil and gas imports account for a small portion of the emirate's revenues.
One of the reasons attracting visitors to Dubai is its reputation as a shopping centre, perhaps the most popular in the Middle East. Traditional souk market districts, modern malls and boutiques can satisfy all shoppers. The city even holds Dubai Shopping Festival each January attracting hundreds of thousands people.
Dubai's most celebrated holidays include Eid al Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and National Day on December 2. Dubai hosts an international film festival, and a music scene thrives in the city, with many international pop stars lured by the city's wealth.
Seeing that it is one of the world's richest and most expensive cities, there is no shortage of luxurious and relatively expensive accomodation in Dubai. The standards of cleanliness in restaurants and hotels in Dubai are very much 21st century, and all the major hotel chains have a presence. Cheaper options include short-term rental of villas and apartments in Dubai.
Dubai's reputation as a leading tourist destination is underscored by the emergence of ambitious projects such as the Burj Al Arab which is the tallest freestanding hotel in the world and the Rose Tower which is world's tallest all-hotel building.
There are dozens of highrises already built in the city, and dozens more under construction. Burj Dubai skysraper, at 818 metres, is the tallest man-made structure ever built on the planet. Dubai also constructs several artificial islands on which residential and commercial property is to be built, including the Palm Islands, shaped like a date palm, and the World Islands.
The emirate's population skyrocketed in the last few dozen years to nearly 1,5 million people, with UAE nationals making up a tiny minority and most expatriates coming from South Asia. Approximately one in ten residents has a university or postgraduate degree. Arabic is the official language, and English, widely spoken by the residents, serves as the lingua franca.
The cuisine is very diverse, with Arabic food available everywhere from small diners to the fancy restaurants in Dubai hotels. Indian and Chinese cuisine is also popular. Hookah and kahwah cafes are numerous in Dubai.
However, sale and consumption of pork and alcoholic beverages are tightly controlled. Bars and restaurants at four- and five-star hotels in Dubai serve alcohol to their customers, and Dubai is known as a party destination.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the hub for Emirates Airline, one of the busiest passenger and cargo airports in the world. Its new Terminal 3 is the single largest building in the world by floor space.
Bus, metro, monorail, and tram services are currently being expanded or constructed. A traditional method of transportation is via abras, small passenger boats.
Football and cricket are the most popular sports in Dubai. In 2005 the International Cricket Council moved its headquarters from London to Dubai. Tennis and golf are also increasingly popular, and the world's richest horse race, Dubai World Cup, is held annually.
Some of the popular tourist attractions in Dubai include
- Heritage Village and Diving Village in Bur Dubai, recreating life in the old Dubai, with exhibitions on pearl diving and fishing
- Dubai Museum in the restored 1799 Al Fahidi Fort covers local archaeologoy and history
- Heritage Village of Hatta is a carefully restored historic Arab village some 115 kilometres from the city
Hotels in Dubai
Most of the hotels in Dubai are of the four- and five-star resort variety, while the Burj Al Arab claims to be the world's first seven-star property. White sand beaches, luxurious facilities, exclusive atmosphere are the sort of things most visitors to Dubai seek.
However, the sprawling city also offers some budget accomodations - in Dubai that still means very modern standards, as there are very few old buildings still standing. TVs, air conditioning and fridges come as standard in the discounted Dubai hotels.
Dubai is home to the ultimate luxury hotels but even those offer discounts and reduced room rates to improve occupancy. go4hotels.com provides clients with the very best deals available at any of the Dubai hotels, from the palatial to more modest. Cheap hotels offer off-season deals and last minute special offers that are a great way to save.