Is Dubai Festival City a good place to stay in Dubai?

Dubai Festival City is a good base if you want a comfortable, quieter hotel close to the airport and the creek. The big hotels stand beside Dubai Festival City Mall and its waterfront promenade, the airport is a short taxi ride away, and Downtown is a short drive across the creek. It suits families, business travellers and short stays between flights.

The area is a planned waterfront development rather than an old neighbourhood. The mall has shops, cinemas, an IKEA and restaurants with terraces along the creek, and in the evening a light and water show plays over the water in front of them. The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, where flamingos gather in the wetlands, is a short drive south.

The downside is that Festival City is cut off without a car. There's no metro station, so every trip to Downtown, the souks or the beach means a taxi, and outside the mall and the hotels there's little to explore on foot. Evenings are calm, and it's far from the beaches on the other side of the city.

What makes Festival City worth considering is the comfort it offers so close to the airport. You get large hotels with pools and creek views, a mall with restaurants by the water just outside, and a short ride to your flight, at prices well below the big resorts.