By 
Novotel Suite, Mall of the Emirates
Suite novotel is connected to the ibis mall of the emirates in Al Barsha, a stone’s throw from the Mall of the Emirates, off Sheikh Zayed Road. While there is a lot of construction going on in this area, it is not without its charm and for convenience you can’t go wrong. It is ten minutes from beautiful beaches, Madinat Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab, and no more than 20 minutes from downtown Dubai.
Suite Novotel is designed with flexible living in mind. The idea is that the space can be used to suit you. Rooms, which are larger than your average hotel room, can be divided into separate sleeping and living areas with sliding curtain partitions. The design is fresh and modern, with touches of color between creams and softer beiges. In the larger suites, there’s a swivel TV at each end, so you can watch it from wherever you’re sitting. The curtains separate the beds. The rooms can contain a queen size bed, a sofa bed and a single bed. This is ideal for families with multiple children, and what we like is that the style hasn’t been compromised in any way. The bathrooms are modern and stylish.
The restaurants are shared with the Ibis: the Italian restaurant, Amici, is contemporary and elegant, but don’t expect gastronomic delights. Breakfast is buffet style, and there is a wide variety of food for all tastes. If you prefer, you can have it in your room at no additional cost. The Deli Boutique is a trendy little cafe. Ezaz, the lounge bar, is a quiet place to relax during the day or at night.
The rooftop gym, though small, is light and airy, and a nice pool area is surrounded by greenery. As it is connected to the Ibis hotel on each floor, guests of both hotels can freely walk between the two and make use of the facilities of each. However, Ibis guests cannot use the Suite Novotel’s electronic corner and have to pay to use the pool and gym.
The address of the Dubai Marina
We can’t help but feel that the location of this hotel misses the point of being in the Dubai Marina. Sure, you get great views of the yachts below, but you’re about a 15-minute walk from the sea, though the large infinity pool on the fourth floor makes up for that. However, if you don’t mind taking a walk, you have the open beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence and The Walk’s cafes and shops very close by.
The hotel is also attached to the Marina Mall, which is more manageable in size than most of Dubai’s mega-temples of consumerism and has an edited selection of fashion and lifestyle stores and a small selection of cafes.
The hotel itself has an upmarket French restaurant, Rive Gauche, which has received good reviews; Mazina, which has live cooking stations where you can eat all over the world; a poolside cafe that turns into a DJ bar at night; and Blends, a moody bar with a cigar room.
Rooms are in the group’s trademark cream and cappuccino colors, with floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel has very good conference facilities, with a ballroom for up to 1,000 people and 15 meeting rooms.