This is the first hotel that we stayed here in Dubai, when me and my wife first came here in the summer of 2005. Arriving at Dubai Airport at 4:00 a.m. of June 5th, this is the very first place in the emirate we have set foot, dined, wined, hung around and slept (no, Diego, was not assembled in this hotel, he he he ) . I t was the most practical choice for my wife's company to billet us here because the next building, Twin Towers, is where their office is. Most of the service staff are kabayans, hence, we enjoyed lots of perks ( like 50 % discount on buffet prices ) and true to life stories that serve as previews for the life we were to face in this part of the world. The hotel is located in downtown Old Dubai, being next to the Dubai Municipality, fronting the Dubai Creek, within walking distance to Al Nasr / Baniyas Square ( Dubai's counterpart of Sta. Cruz, Divisoria, Quiapo and Recto combined without petty criminals as Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world ) and within jogging distance of the first shopping mall in Dubai, the Al Ghurair City ( although, presently, it has undergone lots of facelifts to compete with much newer malls ).
Sometime last year, the hotel has changed owners and the marquee now reads " Radisson SAS Hotel". But, the essence of the hotel stayed the same, with the same interiors, same watering holes and bars, same fine dining restaurants, fastfood and coffee shop and most specially same service staff. We had lunch there today, because all the fastfood restaurants on the streets are closed for Ramadan fasting and only hotels can accept dine ins. Then, we took the chance to be photographed in the lobby and corridors. I assure you, it is the very same hotel we stayed for five days two years ago only with a different name.
