Too often visitors to Dubai are in a rush to head straight to the coast and Palm Jumeirah for a resort stopover. However, the popular beachfront areas of Dubai are actually a considerable distance away from Dubai International Airport, and many of the site seeing opportunities around Dubai Creek and Downtown Dubai.
A perfect compromise which still delivers on a luxurious family resort stay in the Middle East whilst placing you in the heart of the action is the Grand Hyatt Dubai.
This post is part of our tried & tested hotel review series
Please note our review was conducted in August 2020, immediately after hotels in Dubai started to re-open Post Covid-19. Not all facilities and restaurants were open for review.
About the Hotel – Grand Hyatt Dubai
Grand Hyatt Dubai is in the Bur Dubai area of the city, close to Dubai Creek and just across the bridge from Garhoud and Dubai International Airport. A luxury 5-star property, it’s known for its extensive size and lush tropical gardens inside and out.
The Rooms & Suites at Grand Hyatt Dubai
There are a huge variety of rooms and suites to choose from at Grand Hyatt Dubai – well over 600 rooms in total making it one of Dubai’s largest resorts.
The hotel is well placed to serve different sized family groups from straight forward King & Twin Rooms (which can quite reasonable stretch to fit 4 with a couch and trundle bed), through to the Emiri Suite, and many interconnecting suite and room options.
We stayed in a 2 King Bed Club Room which provided us ample space to fit our family of 5. There were two (huge and exceptionally comfy!) king-sized beds as well as a separate sitting room area. The couches easily could have fit two small children but they kindly delivered us an extra trundle bed, which fit against the window side with ample living space left over.
We’d heard reports of the rooms feeling a little dated but certainly, our room met the luxury standard we would expect in Dubai. The bathroom was fitted with marble surfaces, double sinks and a separate shower and toilet/bidet as well as a giant bathtub.
A hairdryer is provided, along with all the bathroom toiletries and amenities you would expect. One thing we felt lacking though for a resort hotel was enough drying space for all our swimwear and towels.
The room also comes with a dining table and a small kitchenette area, only big enough for the basics of tea and coffee making.
Our kids were quite entertained with the garden views which reach out to Dubai Creek, the Metro (what is it with kids and trains?) and onwards to the airport. The room is completely light and soundproof for a good night’s sleep.
My only petty complaint, given the size of the resort, we had a very long trek back out to the pools – but I guess someone needs to be in the further away rooms! At the very least a map or information kit could be given on arrival or a few maps dotted around the resort would help for navigating the size of the property.
The gardens and pools at Grand Hyatt Dubai
Undoubtedly what families come to enjoy most at Grand Hyatt Dubai is the extensive landscaped gardens and pool area of Grand Hyatt Dubai.
Undulating paths lead to the main pool area, as well as a separate toddlers pool and kids splash area including two water slides. We love that the main swimming pool went as far as 2m deep so kids could enjoy jumps and underwater diving (and most families didn’t venture into the deep end so we could have it to ourselves!)
There is an outdoor pool bar service, as well as drinks to your chairs and an outdoor dining area, obvious best enjoyed in the cooler months. We were grateful for the added touch of staff bringing complimentary drinks out mid-morning.
Given we visited mid-summer when temperatures were reaching well into the 40’s we still found it pleasant to be by the pool for most of the day, but of course, early mornings and evenings are best to tackle Dubai’s heat.
Kids may also enjoy the outdoor aviary, playground and kids club (currently closed). There is also a 20m indoor swimming pool attached with Ahasees Spa.
Dining at Grand Hyatt Dubai
At the time of our visit, most guests were on a half board package which saw set times for breakfast and dinner in the main all-day dining restaurant The Collective by Market Cafe.
Covid-19 safety measures in place for buffets now see meals brought to your table, or guests visit food stations and are served up live by the chefs behind glass. It’s certainly a more labour intensive process for the staff but needs must with precautionary measures, they did an excellent job in full protective gear.
Do we warned, if you are dining within this set window, seats fill up fast you may want to arrive early for prime postions.
Breakfast was also served buffet style but felt less crowded at a more relaxed pace. It still takes some getting used to being served rather than taking your pickings for brekkie, but the choice was great and no ask too much for our waiters who obligingly fetched items even if we couldn’t see them on display.
The hotel otherwise would normally operate and impressive 13 dining venues both in the main hotel atrium and poolside .
Othe facilities at Grand Hyatt
Due to Covid-19 measures, some parts of the hotel are still restricted, including spa services. We did not visit the gym during our brief stay, nor use the tennis courts and sadly the kids club was not open.
Valet service is also not being offered during Covid-19 measures and guests must use towels from their room at the pool or bring their own as no extra pool-side towels will be issued.
Nearby Attractions to Grand Hyatt
Due to the hotels location between Dubai Creek and the main freeway from the airport to the city, you are not really walking distance to any other attractions, but there are plenty just a stone’s throw away you can reach by taxi including:
- Dubai Creek Park
- Wafi Mall (including Supermarket)
- The Dubai Frame
- Dubai Garden Glow
- Al Faihidi Historical Neighbourhood
- Dubai Mall & Burj Khalifa
- Dubai International Airport (10 Minutes)
You can see a complete guide to family things to do in Dubai here or fit in just the highlights with this short Dubai itinerary for 4 days.
Globetrotters Recommend
We have taken many a staycation in the UAE and believe that the Grand Hyatt Dubai is one of the best value for money offerings for a family.
We did find it crowded (though social distancing was observed) even on a weekday, but this we believe is largely due to the popularity of the current summer staycation deals they are running, which see diners descend largely upon the restaurant at the same time. Ordinarily, if a choice of dining options and times were available I don’t believe it would feel so crowded.
The pools were not overcrowded during our stay, though I could see how on a busy weekend it may get too much in the peak holiday season for Dubai.
The initial service from the porters at check-in was questionable even though they didn’t seem that busy – we have no qualms self parking but didn’t appreciate our bags then being left uncollected curb-side for 20 minutes.
The quality of the towels we were given to last us for our whole stay was also questionable (and not enough despite having a room booked for five), but these were minor issues in an otherwise fabulous Dubai resort experience.
We’d highly recommend Grand Hyatt Dubai not only for local staycations, but international travellers who want to stay near to the airport and attractions of Dubai whilst still enjoying a luxury resort experience.
Fast facts and book the Grand Hyatt Dubai
Rooms: Grand Hyatt Dubai is home to 682 luxurious rooms including 38 suites, ranging from 39 square meters to 264 square meters.
Price: Standard rooms start from 525AED ++ through to suites from 1285AED ++ which can fit up to six (even if it doesn’t say so in the description!)
Booking:
- We always start our hotel searches using HotelsCombined which provides a comparison between different search engines.
- Book using popular hotel booking tool Booking.com, which includes the surety of easy cancellation up to 24 hours before your stay
- You can book direct with Hyatt – World of Hyatt Members can get additional discounts.
Until 31 August 2020 UAE Family Staycations have a special deal from 375AED++ per room.
Further UAE hotel & resort reviews
You may also like to pop over to our sister website Family Travel in the Middle East where we have extensive guides to all the different resort areas of the UAE. You can find on our personal blog reviews for:
- Roda Al Murooj – stay in resort-style family accommodation next to Downtown Dubai with family apartments on offer.
- Novotel World Trade Centre – convenience for those who are attending conferences or want to be based close to Downtown and the airport.
- Rove at the Park – a value accommodation option adjacent to Dubai Parks & Resorts.
- St Regis Abu Dhabi – family luxury on the Abu Dhabi Corniche with spectacular city views and the Nation Riviera Beach Club.
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Disclosures: We received complimentary access for a night in exchange for our honest views on this hotel for UAE Family Staycations. We received no compensation but this post does contain affiliate links which will earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you should a booking be made. You can read our full website privacy policy and terms of use here.
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