Flora Grand Hotel

Following a 2012 renovation, the Flora Grand is possibly the most elegant hotel in the Deira neighborhood. Its lobby is spacious, bright, and modern, the bulk of it occupied by the Al Nakheel Coffee Shop, with several clusters of sofas, cushioned chairs, and coffee tables, surrounded by neat rows of fresh plants and palm trees. The center of the building is open to the glass ceiling, a sort of interior courtyard, with a glass elevator running up the inside, giving views of the overhanging plants and greenery on each floor. All of the common areas have dark wood and gold metal accents. The meeting and presentation spaces are elegant and spacious, and include an enormous banquet room with formally dressed white tables and chairs. The rooftop pool area is small and has a limited number of loungers, but does have panoramic views of the city. The Monsoon restaurant is elegant and bright, with the same muted tones found throughout the hotel and large tables with comfortably padded chairs.

Situated in the quiet Deira neighborhood, the Flora Grand Hotel is surrounded by other hotels, residential buildings, and business offices. The busy Al Rigga Road, with its many affordable restaurants and a metro station, is just down the road, within a five-minute walk of the hotel. Deira is part of the old town of Dubai, and Al Rigga Road is busy, noisy, and congested, but the Flora Grand is a quiet oasis. From the Al Rigga metro station, the airport is about 10 minutes away (or an eight-minute drive), and the newer, more glamorous parts of Dubai -- the World Trade Centre and the Emirates and Dubai Malls -- are easily accessed by metro in 30 minutes or less. The Al Ghurair Mall and Dubai Clock Tower are a 10-minute walk from the hotel; Creek Park Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai Museum, and Heritage Village are all less than 10 minutes away by metro or car. The hotel not only offers free parking and airport transfers upon request, but also has a free shuttle for guests to the beach.

The 200 rooms and suites at the Flora Grand Hotel run the gamut in size and are designed to accommodate families and groups, with many connecting and extra bed options. All rooms have been recently refurbished and feel new, modern, and clean, with hardwood floors, dark wood shelving and tables, an elegant desk and chair, art prints on the walls, and fresh flowers. All have a flat-screen TV, free bottled water, non-alcoholic minibar, safe, hairdryer, bathrobes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are large, if less modern in aesthetic, with brown tiles, granite vanities, and shower/tub combinations. Note that some rooms don't get much natural light.

The Flora Grand Hotel has a range of facilities, though none stand out as being spectacular. In addition to strong Wi-Fi available for free throughout the hotel, there is parking available on-site, a large breakfast buffet with hot and cold dishes (for a fee), and a restaurant serving an assortment of international dishes for lunch and dinner, but no alcohol. Room service is available around the clock. In the lobby courtyard, there's a coffee lounge and a souvenir shop selling local trinkets. There is a small rooftop pool with a hot tub, and a gym with high-end equipment, as well as a spa and salon. There are spacious meeting and presentation rooms and a large banquet hall accommodating up to 225 guests. The hotel offers a free beach shuttle in addition to laundry, dry cleaning, currency exchange, and car rental services.