Dubai

Dubai YHA
39 Al Nahda Road
Next to Dubai Centre for Special Sports
Phone: +971 4 2988151 / 2988161
Web: UAEYHA
Stayed there: May 18th 2007
Rates: 60 Dirham upwards, depending on room size and YHA membership. Breakfast included.

This isn’t too bad a place, but a nightmare to find. The best way to get there from the airport is to catch the number 34 bus from the public bus stand. It starts running at 7:41am and is half-hourly after that. This bus will go past the front of the hostel. Keep an eye out for the Central Police Headquarters on your right. There is a stop there – you want the next one. The hostel is over the road next to the Centre For Special Sports.
My first impressions were from trying to book the place. Booking online means emailing them. After a week, I hd had no reply so I rang them the day before and was told just to turn up. When I got there, I noticed they had my name written down and I’d not given it on the phone so I’m assuming nobody replied or their mail back got spam-binned.
However, when I got there I was pretty pleased. For the small price (for Dubai), there was a decent bunk bed, a fluffy blanket, nice and chatty staff and a swimming pool (which I didn’t get the chance to use, but looked nice). There’s also apparently a spa bath which I think is next to the pool.
Breakfast wasn’t too bad either. A bowl of cornflakes, milk, fruit juice and a variety of crackers, butters, bread and cheese. Not enormous, but certainly healthy and filling.
The rooms were OK as well. I was in a 5-bed dorm (two bunks, one single) and the beds were fine. Clean covers were put on between guests and each person has a very large locker to store things in. However, I didn’t get a key for my locker (I’m not sure anyone did) so it’s more storage than security.
All rooms have an en-suite bathroom and the one I had was adequate although it took some work to get the (hot) shower to spray into the cubicle and not onto the floor.
As far as location goes, the hostel is around 15-30 minutes away from the city centre and public transport is bus-based. There are frequent buses, but they all seem to be full by the time they reach the hostel stop and drive right past. It took me over an hour to catch a bus to Gold Souk and there are around 8 an hour going there!
It’s not in a bad location, just poorly served. If you’re in a small group, taxis aren’t too expensive, but a single traveller can spend more than their accommodation fees on transportation.