The Palm Dubai
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The Palm Dubai used to be the Park Hotel. It's a well-appointed four star hotel which is home to the oldest Irish pub in the emirate. This is an interesting accolade, firstly because Finnegan's is probably, even so, not all that old in cosmic terms - Dubai took off as a holiday and expat destination after the discovery of oil at the end of the 1960s.
And secondly because it's testament again, if testament were needed, to the strange fact of there being many more Irish pubs outside Ireland's borders than within them. Still, it's a nice touch, with billiards tables, dartboards and a Friday brunch. They also do pub quizzes, live entertainment and Irish food (although when in Rome, surely? There's also Al-Abaya, an Arabic restaurant).
Finnegans is one of several entertainment options on offer at the hotel. There's also the Dolphin Pool Bar, which serves drinks and food all day, and three restaurants including the aforementioned Al-Abaya and Café du Park, which runs theme nights. And there are all the trappings you would expect of a high-end hotel: 24-hour room service, hair and beauty salon and massage parlour, laundry and communication facilities and a health suite with the requisite ('Olympic-sized') swimming pool to ease the exigencies of Dubai's relentlessly hot and - unusually for a desert country - humid climate. It has a private beach which is, unfortunately, a short drive away. The hotel is also home to Dubai's Hard Rock Café and a club called Atlantis.
The Palm Dubai is in what it describes as 'the newest tourist area' of Jumeirah, 15 minutes drive from the airport and its massive duty free shopping area. It was refurbished in 1999 and has 91 rooms, including some suites. Confusingly, its website has not changed its name, but it has plenty of information on the hotel, at www.dubaiparkhotel.com. It informs us that the Palm Dubai offers group and long stay discounts, but the rates published on the site do not state what currency they are in - it's presumably Emirian Dhiram (Dh). There are also special deals on internet booking sites such as www.southtravels.com where the rates range from between approximately $100 and $70 per night for a double room. Alternatively, it's never a bad idea to talk face-to-face with a travel agent, who you will be able to come back to if you want to change your booking or if any problems arise.
Dubai - City of Gold
