Umm Ramool Rd, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | (888) 616-5829
A 10-minute drive from Dubai Airport
Access to the Spa
InterContinental, with massage and holistic therapies
Outdoor pool area with
several lovely pools and an infinity hot tub
Crowne Plaza’s excellent
beds and in-room aromatherapy; Molton Brown luxury bath products in Superior Rooms
Popular on-site Belgian
Beer Cafe and two other on-site food-and-drink venues
Excellent on-site fitness center with extensive fitness equipment, a sauna, and steam room
Babysitting and same-day
laundry services are available
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Express check-in and check-out available
Hotel is secluded from
most of the city’s major sights
Breakfast not included in all packages
Shower/tubs separated from guest rooms by glass, which can compromise privacy
Cigarette smoke on the Belgian
Beer Cafe terrace
Located outside the central city, the 316-room luxury Crowne
Plaza Dubai Festival City is a stylish hotel sitting alongside scenic Dubai
Creek, a scenic waterway plied by traditional dhows and luxury yachts day and night. The hotel has a fitness center, and a massive outdoor
pool area with multiple pools, which is particularly lovely. The on-site Belgian
Beer Cafe is popular with tourists and ex-pats alike, and is an authentic spot to enjoy a craft beer or northern European meal. Rooms are inviting, even if they aren’t particularly distinctive, and Superior Rooms come with additional perks, such as Molton Brown bath products. Guests looking for
a beachfront hotel with similar features and amenities might want to check out the Sofitel Dubai
Jumeirah Beach, though its rates are higher.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Sleek design features in a contemporary, luxury setting
From the glass-and-steel
tower’s graceful curve to the silhouettes of the bright retro furniture
peppered about the lobby, Crowne Plaza has paid attention to this hotel’s
design. The hotel’s large lobby has plenty of places to sit amid the bright, vibrant pink rugs around the marble front desk. Sheets of crystal strands
shimmer overhead, while dark hardwood beams make a statement against the white marble
hallways lined with photos of the Emirati royal family. The on-site restaurants
and bars present several stylish venues to relax or carouse in, all with Dubai
skyline views over Dubai Creek. The liveliest venue is the Belgian Beer Cafe, a
convincing reproduction of a casual European beer hall replete with distressed
hardwood furniture and brass fixtures, while Zaytoun, with plenty of hardwood floors and chandeliers, provides a sleek and stylish
setting for a more elegant meal. The hotel attracts primarily business travelers, though couples
and families stay here as well.
Location
Festival City complex is near the airport but far from Dubai's major sights
The hotel is part of the
Festival City complex, which includes the InterContinental Hotel, movie theaters,
and several stores such as Marks & Spencer and Ikea. It is, however, a
bit isolated from Dubai’s major sights, and there aren't many entertainment or
dining venues beyond Festival City that are within walking distance. The vibrant gold
and spice souks of Al Ras and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, are
both 20 minutes away by car, while the Alserkal Avenue Arts district is a 25-minute drive from the hotel. InterContinental Al Badia Golf Club is technically
on the hotel’s premises but is actually an eight-minute drive away, while
Dubai International Airport is 10 minutes away by taxi or car.
Rooms
Pleasant, modern guest rooms with retro accents
Guest rooms are modern
and pleasant but lack the distinctive design features of the hotel’s common
spaces, instead tending toward the soft, neutral look of so many upscale hotel
chains. Tiled entryways give way to tan, subtly patterned carpets and rooms
filled with dark, contemporary desks and nightstands, while chestnut veneer
walls hold the large flat-screen TVs. Plush
loveseats have retro silhouettes and purple bedside lamps add a dash
of visual flair to the rooms. Crowne Plaza prides itself on its beds, and they
are comfortable, with striped purple-and-green throw pillows, duvets, satin bed
runners, and padded leather headboards. In-room aromatherapy comes with all rooms, along with safes, alarm clocks with iPod docks, and minibars. Bathrooms have Rothko-esque watercolors,
granite vanities, contemporary fixtures, toiletries, and bathrobes, but bathtub/shower combos are separated from the guest rooms by glass and
mini-blinds, which some guests report don't always close. Superior
Rooms have additional amenities like Nespresso coffee machines and luxurious
Molton Brown bath products, and the hotel also offers larger rooms with extra
beds as well as Suites. Turndown services are available in every room.
Features
Popular Belgian Beer Cafe on site and excellent outdoor pool complex
The hotel has three
dining and drinking venues on-site, the standout being the Belgian Beer Cafe,
which draws a crowd from around Dubai to its huge selection of craft brews
and Belgian specialties in an authentic cafe-meets-beer-hall setting, though the
outdoor terrace is one of the hotel’s few smoking areas, and it can get smoky.
Zaytoun offers good Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and serves the
hotel’s breakfast buffet, which is included only in certain room packages. The
Skyline Lounge has an extensive cocktail list and shisha options, and all three
venues offer great views of the Dubai skyline across Dubai Creek. The hotel has
an excellent 24-hour fitness center with a large selection of modern cardio
equipment, free weights, and weight machines, as well as a sauna and steam room.
The hotel has a large outdoor terrace that’s lined with palm trees and lounge
chairs, and has several pools, including an 82-foot heated pool, an infinity hot
tub, a kids' pool area, and a plunge pool that hangs off the side of the hotel
and has a glass bottom, providing a fairly spectacular mid-air illusion. Guests can use th the Spa InterContinental in the adjoining InterContinental
Hotel, which offers massage and holistic therapies until late in a stylish,
tranquil setting (the twinkling starlight effect in its entryway is quite
memorable). There is plenty of free self-parking on site and the hotel also
offers valet parking services for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and there are
nine meetings rooms on-site, the largest of which can hold 1,400 guests. Babysitting and laundry or
dry cleaning services can also be arranged.
