Dubai

[livingonhomemadesoup]

Thinking about a week in Dubai in October. DCs want to go to the Atlantis water park, I'd like to visit some malls and DH wants to chill with guaranteed sunshine. I think this is all pretty achievable but I'm overwhelmed with location for best hotel. Am I right in thinking palm would be great for chilling and water park but miles from malls. How affordable/easy is it to get to/from hotels on palm or am I better looking for something on "mainland". Any advice welcome please.

It's probably about 20 mins from the 'base' of the Palm to the Dubai Mall and about £10/15 in a taxi. If you go further up the palm towards Atlantis, obviously you add to that.
The Fairmont is a good option - base of Palm, 10/15 mins to Atlantis, 20 mins to Mall. Family friendly and on the beach.

@Lordofmyflies that's funny as I'm just reading reviews on the fairmont just now and looking at the map!

The marina area near JBR is nice. Lots of restaurants, access to beach, can get the metro easily.

Staying on the palm is only good if you don't want to leave the palm.

Second @justasmalltownmum Dubai marina is much nicer to stay in and you can get a good deal on booking.com for an apartment if that's of interest. Also.. wherever you stay bear in mind Spinneys/ Waitrose have amazing hot food counters where you can mix food and have it boxed to take away - absolute God send for us when we were trying to reduce the price of eating out with the kids all the time.

Nuran Marina is nice, or was, also the Rove chain of hotels are great and reasonable

If you stay at the one and only, you get complimentary passes to the Atlantis water park as they are part of the same group and there are regular minibuses that will take you there. We didn't want to stay in the Atlantis and didn't want to go to the water park every day so this worked well for us and one and only is very close to the mall of the emirates

Definitely do Atlantis waterpark as wild wadi is awful in every sense