I learned about the delights of a Dubai layover (or stopover) in Dubai involuntarily years ago when my Emirates flight was first delayed and then further delayed. Honestly, and since I had nowhere to be, I did not mind as I could settle into the comforts of a modern hotel room, pop in the shower and enjoy some delightful Levante food before my next overseas long flight.
I’ve always kept an eye out for the opportunity of an airport layover; I had done that in Doha and Istanbul previously. A chance for another layover in Dubai arrived when I flew back from Maldives. The thought of hours spent at the airport in the middle of the night was not enticing to me, so I decided to treat myself to a night at the Boulevard and some mezze.
Dubai Layover with Dubai Connect and Emirates
When you travel on Emirates and have a layover in Dubai, you may qualify for Dubai Connect, which is what their stopover program is called. If your shortest connection time is 8-26 hours in Dubai, you may take advantage of their Dubai Connect offer. This includes a hotel room for free, meals at the hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel in Dubai, as well as your visa for this long layover.
Even if you do not meet the criteria remember that a shortest connection is allowable, however, it must last more than 8 hours, or you may also do your own Dubai layover. Often, when you book with Emirates, you can select different connection times, and they may even automatically give you a 24-hour layover if not more! And, if you’d like to turn your layover into a stopover and you want to stay the entire weekend, you can use multi-city searching and add a few days.
I booked a flight that arrived from the Maldives at 2 pm and scheduled to depart the next morning at 8 am from Dubai. There’s enough time to see some sights, get some food, and have a decent night’s sleep.
If your connection time is less than 24 hours your luggage may be checked through to your final destination. Check with the airline beforehand and plan accordingly.
Hotels for your Dubai Layover
If you do not qualify for the complimentary Dubai Connect hotel you can always arrange your own accommodation. Unfortunately, and there is no way around that, Dubai hotels are never cheap. When I was there last summer, low season for Dubai, it was still a splurge.
I enjoy both Vida Downtown (currently Hotel Boulevard) and the Manzil (now Heritage Hotel), which are two downtown boutique hotels operated by the same hotel group. Both venues are within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, the Fountain, and the Burj Khalifa. In fact, you might have a room with a view of the Burj Khalifa.
