Grand Millennium Business Bay

The standard rooms — Superior and Deluxe High Floor — are 29.2 sqm for up to 3 guests, with a king or twin beds, a minibar, a smart TV and a tea-and-coffee corner. The difference between the two is floor and view: the Superior overlooks the canal, the Deluxe sits on the higher floors. The three suites — Junior, One Bedroom and Corner — are all 57.9 sqm for up to 4 guests, with a separate living area and a freestanding bathtub; the Corner adds a panoramic corner view. Accessible rooms are available too.

There is no beach at the hotel, but there is a solution: an arrangement with Soluna, a restaurants-and-beach-club complex on Palm Jumeirah. Book through the front desk, the lounger price is fully redeemable against the pool and beach menu, and hotel guests get 15% off food and drinks. Worth knowing: there is currently no shuttle — you go independently by taxi, and the club is open 10:00–18:00. At the hotel itself there is an outdoor pool with a dedicated kids' pool and a well-equipped gym.

Dining rests on two restaurants in the same Italian spirit: Sofia's Kitchen is the all-day restaurant — buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with Italian-international cooking — and Sorsi Osteria is an osteria of daytime bites and evening wine. For wider choice, the restaurants of Business Bay and Downtown are a short ride away.

Families get a fair deal here: children up to 5 stay and eat free, and ages 6–11 get 50% off restaurants and stay, per hotel policy. On the other hand, this is still a city hotel with no kids' club and no spa, and the beach requires a ride. Those coming to work, explore the city or mix business and holiday will find good value; those dreaming of a resort holiday by the sea should pick a beachfront hotel.