There’s a new hotel in old Dubai town under the Hyatt portfolio that retains Hyatt’s quality of service and comfort without the hefty price tag. I get several emails from readers who are planning to come to Dubai and the most popular question of all: “Where is the best place to stay for someone looking for budget hotel?”

Now the answer to that is actually difficult as there are so many factors involved: location, actual budget, brand preference, etc.

We recently stayed at the Hyatt Place Baniyas Square located in central Deira district and this review is for people looking for place to stay in this area but want to cut on accommodation cost. There are not many reviews you can find of this hotel yet, since they just opened less than 2 months ago so I hope this helps!

The hotel’s current offer of AED400 per night might give you more bang for the buck – it’s the newest hotel in the area where most hotels are at least 10 years old.

LOCATION

We stayed for two nights. The hotel was fully booked, as the reception said, till the next week because of two specific reasons: First, it’s in the old part of town; and second, it’s incredibly close to the Baniyas Square subway stop (Green line).

For anyone wanting to explore the old part of Dubai, this hotel is good as base. But activities won’t be limited to just the old part of Dubai. With the Baniyas Metro Station being only a few meters away from its doorstep, you can go anywhere you like.

CHECK IN

The reception is located at the Mezzanine floor of the hotel building so don’t be surprised to see there’s no one at the ground floor, except for two staff who will help you carry your things.

All guests are asked to proceed to the upper floor for the check in process.

The check in process was swift. There were only two staff at the reception desk, both very friendly and explained the hotel facilities and what makes this hotel “a different place” – the slogan of any Hyatt Place.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The hotel has NO valet parking services. If you’re coming by car, you can stop in front of the hotel to hand over your things to the concierge staff. You should need to make it quick and put on the hazard lights since it’s part of the road (that bends) and just before the traffic signal. It’s worrying to be honest although the traffic is not too busy at this point. Then you need to find a paid parking around the area. The concierge told us about the parking ticket to be refunded, etc but I did not get him quite clearly and I never bothered to ask later on.

THE ROOM

This new contemporary hotel features 126 spacious guestrooms, ranging in size from 28 to 33 square metres.

I stayed with the whole family (I don’t do weekends without them so they tagged along), not expecting a luxury weekend because after all, this is a business type of hotel however, I am surprised the room was actually big enough to accommodate 2 adults and 2 children.

You should have seen the business hotel we squeezed ourselves into, in Tokyo! The standard room had a king size bed and a corner sofa that turns into a bed.

The bathroom is larger than a business hotel type of bathroom I’ve stayed before in Tokyo. The shower is a nice large walk-in shower, and there’s plenty of space to move around when you’re using the sink or toilet. A possible put off though, was that when you turn on the lights in the bathroom, it might wake up other people with you in the room because the light comes through the opaque bathroom glass door.

FACILITIES

1. All day dining restaurant

The room rates include breakfast which had enough variety: breads, fruits, Indian, Arabic, eggs (no live cooking station though), fruit juices, yogurt, oatmeal, corn flakes. Coffee is self service at the coffee machine station

NOTE: The restaurant could get so crowded during breakfast time as most travelers (at least when we were there) wanted to have breakfast before they head out outside in the heat…if you know what time you’ll have breakfast, maybe it’s better to reserve a table. But don’t forget to keep your promise of the time you’ll be there!

We also had dinner at the hotel restaurant because it was too hot and humid outside. There’s not much in the menu but the food was not bad at all and very affordable. Our favorite had been the meat lasagna and the riyash lamb chops.

2. 24/7 Cafe

It’s important to note that there is no room service for this hotel. However, there is a 24 hour cafe where guests can order freshly prepared appetizers, soups and greens, as well as sandwiches and pasta from the 24/7 Gallery menu. Guests can also sample bakery items from the Grab ‘N Go selection; both are available 24 hours a day.

Eating is not really an issue at this hotel. Unless you really are not up to going out, there are so many dining options right at the hotel’s doorstep from small, cheap eateries to restaurants. Al Ghurair Mall is only one station away (stop at Union) if you fancy checking other restaurants or cheaper dining options at the food court.

3. Pool

The hotel has a pool at the rooftop. It’s not quite big and there’s a small, shallow pool for kids. The water was kept a little bit colder than usual, great to relieve Dubai’s still very hot weather. I wished they’d make it a little warmer though, it was a struggle for me to get in because I don’t do well with cold pools! (After a while you’ll get used to it though, after you recover from the initial shock)

4. 24 hours fitness center (gym)

5. Free Wifi! (I know this should be #1)

Hyatt Place Baniyas Square had complimentary WiFi in all areas of the building, including the rooms (yay!) with speed I can’t complain.

SUMMARY

Compared to the old hotels in central Deira, this new hotel should be a treat to guests travelling for work or leisure with friendly hotel staff, basic amenities, clean rooms, comfortable Hyatt grand plush bed, free breakfast and free WiFi. Great location too.

There were minor hiccups during our stay like staff forgetting to reserve our breakfast table on the second day, or concierge at the ground floor not understanding and speaking English well but I am sure this is only because the hotel is new. It’s obvious that the staff is attentive and with full intention to serve the guests better.

Oh, and there’s a mosque near the hotel (just across the street) and the early morning call to prayer woke us up before 6 am but that’s the case in most hotels in the Baniyas area? or in all of Dubai.

All in all our stay as a family was pleasant enough that I could recommend this hotel for those wanting a place to stay that’s clean, safe and in great location and would rather spend money on food or souvenirs rather than tip their wallets for accommodation. Hyatt Place Baniyas Square is great value for money.

To learn more about Hyatt Place Baniyas Square and their special offers, check out their main website as well as connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We were guests at Hyatt Place Baniyas Square but all opinions are my own.