On a mother-son trip to Dubai, we stayed one night at the Courtyard World Trade Centre, Dubai located near the downtown core.
In fact, it was a transitional hotel between our 3 nights at Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai and our 2 nights at Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark, Dubai Marinato discover nearby attractions such as La Mer, the Burj Khalifa and old Dubai.
Since this hotel opened very recently (November 2021), I took the opportunity to write a review.
The Courtyard World Trade Centre, Dubai is located approximately 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport (DXB) in the World Trade Centre area.
Right next to it sit the Sheraton Grand Hotel and the Fairmont Dubai. There are a few stores and restaurants in the area.
You can visit the Dubai Garden Glow or the Museum of the Future on foot. For everything else, it’s best to take the metro – the nearest station is only a few minutes away from the hotel. You can also take a cab.
For this stay at the Courtyard World Trade Centre, Dubai, I chose to pay with my Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card, rather than using points given the rate I received of $90 CAD.
As you can see, the 27 reviews posted only gave this hotel a rating of 3.1 out of 5 for my stay… This rating is not very complimentary for such a recent hotel, suggesting “growing pains”.
To stay free at any of Marriott’s 8,000 hotels worldwide, earn Marriott Bonvoy points by signing up for the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card (and/or the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card).
In addition to the exceptional welcome bonus of each of these two cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all your purchases and 5 points per dollar at any of the Marriott establishments. On top of that, every year, you’ll receive a free hotel night certificate (worth 35,000 points) and 15 Elite Night Credits toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.
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We were able to park our car for free in the hotel’s underground parking lot upon arrival. Problem: to get to the lobby, you need a room key (and there was no intercom).
Don’t do what we did: check in first before you park your car.
The hotel lobby is very modern with a coffee bar available. There are enough employees to help, but they still need some more training to be efficient.
Our room is located on the 8th floor. The front desk informed me that I was able to get an upgrade to a higher floor with a view.
The room was definitely high. But for the view, we’ll pass half a wall and a school bus parking.
Also, during our entire stay, a particularly overpowering smell of mould was present in the hallway of the common areas (fortunately, we smelled nothing from the room).
The layout of the bathroom was ok but the shower had some finishing problems.
Typically, for Elite members, breakfasts are not included at Courtyard hotels. However, when I checked in, the front desk told me that I could get free breakfast. That’s a plus.
This is served in the hotel’s restaurant, at the reception.
Cold and hot buffets are available and have a decent variety of food, not to mention a few spicy specialties.
The swimming pool is the high point of this hotel. Located on the roof, it is a nice place to relax (even if you can hear the noise of the highway below).
The Hyp bar, although located on the roof of the hotel, is not part of the hotel. Too bad as I was thinking of charging our evening drinks to the room (to get the most out of my points thanks to my status and 5 points per dollar with my Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card).
So I used my American Express CobaltMD Card to – at least – get 5 points per dollar. Here’s the trick I recommend:
If you have drinks at your hotel’s bars and restaurants, don’t forget to charge these expenses to your room bill, earning up to 17.5 points per dollar based on your Marriott Bonvoy status!
When you check out, pay with your Marriott Bonvoy® Amex®* card to earn 5 points per dollar!
Finally the gym: the equipment is new and there’s a lot to choose from. However, there was also a damp smell that cut the training short.
Overall, this hotel did not convince me as is.
The location is fine for visiting Downtown Dubai, but it still has many growing pains. However, you have to take into consideration its price, which is currently very low.
So, if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort for an attractive price, this is still an option to consider. For one night.
Check out our other coverage of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Dubai:
Savings are here:
