This hotel was a great disappointment. I would rank the rooms well below average and certainly far from what I would expect for a 5-star hotel (and for the price I paid). The furnishings are old and dated; indeed, the decor is straight out of the seventies. For this purported caliber of hotel, I would expect a lot more, including not just nicer rooms in general but also updated bathrooms and on-demand movies, for example. And for a supposed nonsmoking facility, the hallways and even sometimes the room reeked of stale smoke. Really, based on room quality alone, this is one of the worst hotels I have stayed in, ranking near the bottom with the oldest rooms of the Las Vegas Flamingo.

The pool area is nice, but, despite the presence of a separate children's area and pool, the main pool is overrun with kids. I knew this place was ranked family-friendly, but I did hope that there may be a pool for the adults to enjoy as well. Also, even if you do want a seat anywhere near the pool, you apparently have to rise with the sun to go save your seat. Having given up on the pool after a few days, we tried the beach but were forced out within 20 minutes due to being attacked by gnats. This left us with only some places on the grass, which was fine; however, I booked this hotel largely for the pool and beachfront property and thus would have appreciated a seat near some body of water.

The breakfast buffet was, at most, okay, and overall I found the food choices at the hotel generally to be somewhat lacking.

On the positive side, the staff, specifically room service, housekeeping, and doorstaff, were excellent--very friendly and helpful. Also, the gym is fantastic--it has nearly every piece of equipment you could hope for (often in multiples) and overlooks the Gulf.

Instead of jumping back on the plane immediately after our Costa cruise around the Emirates, we thought of combining a few days stay in Dubai, and our travel agent suggested this hotel.
After reading the usual reviews prior to our arrival, I must admit that in every aspect, the reviews turned out accurate.
It is true that the hotel itself will be shown as requiring some updates once the Westin which is adjacent, opens in a few weeks time.
The attention given by the staff could not be faulted in any way and were always on hand to assist.
I read a lot about paying extra for a sea view room, but budget dictated that a land view room would have to suffice. I must say that in no way did it affect the holiday. It is true that the land view gives you a view right onto construction, but this is construction Dubai style and a spectacle in itself. In short we only used the room for sleeping. I was told that in a sea view room, you run the risk of hearing the Barasti bar emptying out at 0230 which could spoil your sleep.
We opted for bed and breakfast and the Waves restaurant gave a large selection of everything you could wish for to get you started.
The beach was clean and functional and the attendants sorted you your sun beds and towels out almost before you asked for them.
The evenings that we ate were from the Barasti Bar, and it was raucous due to the Six Nations rugby being televised. Food was reasonable priced. We knew that it was popular so expected a wait when we asked for a table, but as soon as we mentioned we were guests, two minutes was the longest we waited.
Not much more to add other than to say that I haved booked another four nights later this year, so that says everything I suppose.

I spent more than a year traveling to dubai on business. this was my favourite hotel after a colleagues recommendation. The beach was lovely but a bit too manicured - they employ a bloke to pick all of the stones out of the sand each day! And the new Palm development off shore means that there are no real waves to speak off coming in to the shore. but these are minor gripes: the sand is soft yet firm, the water very warm.

And the pools are not bad either. Many a time I would get back to the hotel about 7 after work and then go for a short swim, hanging over the edge of the infinity pool looking out over the water and at the stars. But they do close the pools early - so if I had a really long day, I would miss my chance.

The negative points was that the food was a bit bland. There is a posh restaurant "Tang", which is very expensive and the portions small - not my scene. The in room food can be a bit fattening, not much choice to fill you up if you are trying to eat healthily. And a room facing in land is great if you like looking at traffic (about 0.25 km away).

But the Barasti bar is a great place to go for a drink and something to eat. Many an evening I sat under the warm sky supping a beer. It does fill up quickly, so either get there early or book.

And book a sea view room with a balcony. It was just lovely hanging over the edge looking out at the world at play below.

I miss going there - trying to wangle another visit. and if I do, I will be staying here.

Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina is an above-average hotel in Dubai. The staff was quite friendly, and the rooms were very nice - I had a hotel room with a sea/beach view balcony, a very nice feature I must say.

The hotel is well located both for tourists and business travellers (especially if your business office happens to be in Media city) and the site of this hotel is not so badly disturbed by the perpetuous construction activity taking place all over Dubai. The beach is "ready" and looks nice with palm trees and such, water is calm and clean.

The hotel has a good spa, several nice pools, and facilities to eat & party both inside and outside. Barasti restaurant & nightclub is part of the hotel facilities, and is apparently one of the hottest places in Dubai for a good night out.

Room was quite spacious and bathroom was ordinary but functional, with a tub.

Note: Although part of the SPG (Starwood) group, the hotel did not grant any SPG points for the stay, for whatever reason. Apparently this is this hotel's policy, but this might change in the future.