Lounges in Dubai Airport
May 4, 2011 9:45 AM Subscribe
My sister is traveling from the UK with a stopover at Dubai. What lounges are there that she can use? Details...
The airport website lists VIP lounges, but the cost is too high for a short layover. Are there other lounges, where she can refresh herself and get a couple of hours sleep?
As it is not a long stopover, she does not want to go to a hotel.
The airport website lists VIP lounges, but the cost is too high for a short layover. Are there other lounges, where she can refresh herself and get a couple of hours sleep?
As it is not a long stopover, she does not want to go to a hotel.
Dubai airport has free showers, at least in the Emirates terminal. There are also reclined lounge chairs scattered around but they tend to be full.
posted by smackfu at 10:11 AM on May 4, 2011
posted by smackfu at 10:11 AM on May 4, 2011
DXB is massive...if she doesn't mind going a bit out of her way, there are reclined lounge chairs and nice places to sit scattered around both terminals. There are designated 'quiet' areas as well.
100 AED or so gets a helping hand with immigration and a lounge with either Marhaba or Ahlan, but I find the hand-holding (not literally) a bit patronizing. YMMV. Both have to be booked in advance and are usually busy...might not be the best for sleeping.
posted by t_dubs at 10:26 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
100 AED or so gets a helping hand with immigration and a lounge with either Marhaba or Ahlan, but I find the hand-holding (not literally) a bit patronizing. YMMV. Both have to be booked in advance and are usually busy...might not be the best for sleeping.
posted by t_dubs at 10:26 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: smackfu, t_dubs: Thanks for the answers
I also went through the Marhaba site, but the services don't include a quiet sleeping place, I think. I will anyway probably go with it.
Keep any advice coming through.
posted by theobserver at 10:33 AM on May 4, 2011
I also went through the Marhaba site, but the services don't include a quiet sleeping place, I think. I will anyway probably go with it.
Keep any advice coming through.
posted by theobserver at 10:33 AM on May 4, 2011
Top tip: if she smokes, there are basically two options.
1) A crowded smoking room stuck down one end the airport which is so disgusting it makes you want to give up smoking just by looking at it.
2) A half decent bar in the middle of the airport on the first floor which is poorly signed, well hidden and therefore not nearly as busy as it should be. As long as you buy a drink ($10) you get to stay.
Second top tip: If she changed her mind and wanted to bed down there is a hotel airside. It is eye wateringly expensive. I bought the six hour package (does that include breakfast? No sir. Sex with the last five employees of the month? No sir) because I had been up 36 hours and was almost dying on my feet. It is apparently cheaper if you book in advance.
Third top tip: If you do, by chance, shell out the $300 for a room, don't absentmndedly open the curtains in the morning wearing your birthday suit. It tends to scare the passengers in the departure lounge.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:10 PM on May 4, 2011
1) A crowded smoking room stuck down one end the airport which is so disgusting it makes you want to give up smoking just by looking at it.
2) A half decent bar in the middle of the airport on the first floor which is poorly signed, well hidden and therefore not nearly as busy as it should be. As long as you buy a drink ($10) you get to stay.
Second top tip: If she changed her mind and wanted to bed down there is a hotel airside. It is eye wateringly expensive. I bought the six hour package (does that include breakfast? No sir. Sex with the last five employees of the month? No sir) because I had been up 36 hours and was almost dying on my feet. It is apparently cheaper if you book in advance.
Third top tip: If you do, by chance, shell out the $300 for a room, don't absentmndedly open the curtains in the morning wearing your birthday suit. It tends to scare the passengers in the departure lounge.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:10 PM on May 4, 2011
To add a bit more info, I thought the Dubai airport was utterly insane during my one short layover. No one is going to Dubai, everyone is just passing through flying on Emirates. And to make their schedule simpler, Emirates tries to have all the arrivals in the morning together (5-7AM), followed by all the departures a few hours later (8-10 AM). So during that period when I had a short layover, so did thousands of other people. The airport was basically full at 7 AM in the morning.
OTOH, it was empty when I flew out at 2:45 AM on another leg of the trip, so there's that.
posted by smackfu at 1:54 PM on May 5, 2011
OTOH, it was empty when I flew out at 2:45 AM on another leg of the trip, so there's that.
posted by smackfu at 1:54 PM on May 5, 2011
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posted by gaspode at 10:09 AM on May 4, 2011 [1 favorite]