The continous expansion of Dubai may have turned it into one of the world’s most prominent holiday destinations, but there are many people who would argue that it has happened at the cost of the city’s individuality. The impression many people will give is that Dubai has embraced the idea of being “all things to all men” rather too vigorously and, as a result, has lost its soul. This is seen by others as the price of progress – yes, it is a lot nicer to know that the city you are visiting has something to distinguish it from all the others, but tourists know what they want, and clearly they find what they do want in Dubai as much as anywhere else. Anyway, to spend a week in Dubai is to see that it still retains enough of its old character to satisfy any traveler who knows where to look.
The fact of the matter is that the central part of Dubai has certainly become more commercialized by the year, and for some people it lacks a bit of individuality – and what individuality it has not so much been retained from the past as transplanted artificially – a kind of “Dubai-lite” effect. There is some fairness in this reading of the situation, and if you really want to experience Dubai as it once was, you should spend time outside the city center, perhaps booking into a hotel on the Dubai Creek, where there is still a lot of old Dubai charm and soul, and a great deal less showy glitz and glamor – or “bling” to use the modern vernacular. Instead of finding yourself among the poseurs, the idea goes, you can spend some time in an interesting area that is not like everywhere else in the world.
The Carlton hotel is rated highly by those who have stayed there, and is considered one of, if not the best hotels on the Creekside. As well as allowing the customer to get a break from the occasionally chaotic city center, it also allows you to move around the city by use of the “Abhra” water taxis – something which any visitor to Dubai really must experience due to the peaceful way they allow you to travel in addition to the breathtaking views of the city they allow you to have. This is, in a real sense, the true Dubai. As well as this, the Carlton is furnished with an excellent swimming pool which allows the visitor to cool off from the “summer all the year round” climate of the United Arab Emirates.
There is everything under the roof of the Carlton Tower Hotel in Dubai that you might find in any of the more expensive, more central hotels in the city. In addition to this you have a much greater chance of a relaxing holiday, while not depriving yourself of the opportunity for an excellent breakfast either in the hotel’s own restaurant or to the rear of the hotel in the smaller streets. Either way, the Carlton Tower Hotel allows you to have a true Dubai holiday while not breaking the bank.
