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For a short overnight in Dubai on the way to Ras al Khaimah earlier this year, I needed a hotel close to Dubai Airport as my flight landed at midnight. Normally, I would opt for the Hilton Garden Inn Al Muraqabat; a simple but very decent hotel for a quick stay. This time, however, there was a nice sale with Hilton which made the price difference between the HGI and the full-service Hilton Dubai Creek too good to pass.

The Hilton, as the name implies, is on the banks of the creek which splits the two old parts of Dubai – Deira and Bur Dubai. It was one of the first international chain hotels in the city, so it’s a tad dated. I was curious to see if the surcharge over the Garden Inn was worth it.

A version of this article first appeared on InsideFlyer.nl

Hilton Dubai Creek

Our stay was off to a good start a couple of days prior to arrival. The Guest Relations Manager contacted us, requesting our planned arrival time and any preferences we may have. Subsequently, the reservation was upgraded from a normal Twin room to a Twin Executive Room, based on our Hilton Honors Gold status.

After arriving from Düsseldorf with Emirates, it was only a short taxi drive to the hotel where we arrived around half past midnight. At the reception, the formalities were quickly taken care off. All Hilton Honors benefits, such as free breakfast, upgrade, wifi and also executive lounge access were offered pro-actively. We were also offered a welcome drink or extra bottle of water. All in all a very pleasant check-in experience!

Once in the room, we had a nice view of the Dhow wharf as we requested. Both the room and the bathroom were quite spacious, but dated. In particular, there was a lack of conveniently located power outlets. Next to the twin beds, there was a large desk and two seats. A plate of fruit, Arabic sweets and welcome letter were already placed on the desk.

The bathroom had quite a special design, with a glass/stainless steel sink. The shower area was large, but not in the best condition. Amenities were by Crabtree & Evelyn.

Breakfast is served in Glasshouse Restaurant. The Executive Lounge does not offer breakfast. The restaurant was quite small, and the selection limited compared to some other Dubai (Hilton) hotels. The service was very attentive though.

The Executive Lounge is located on the Mezzanine floor. At the end of the afternoon, there is a cocktail hour with snacks and alcoholic beverages. However due to our late arrival and early departure, we did not make use of this. During the day, coffee, tea and soft drinks are readily available. Also some cookies and fruit are offered. Interestingly enough, the lounge doors were always open without anyone checking if visitors have access. If the outside weather is not too hot, you can also sit on the terrace.

On the rooftop, there is also a modest pool. Not nice enough to hang out all day, but the view of Downtown Dubai, the Frame and the Burj Khalifa was great.