My wife and I were at the Riviera for two nights during a stopover vacation in Dubai. The room was excellent. Also, the staff was very helpful and friendly. The morning breakfast buffet was excellent. It was included in our room rent and we enjoyed the variety and all the items were delicious.

The hotel is also located very close to all the souks and restaurants in Deira. So, all the fun stuff is only a few minutes walk from your room. The abra stations are also just a stone's throw from this hotel and the Bur Dubai area is just a boat ride away. You may have to get taxis to go from the hotel to Jumeirah and other locations of interest. The hotel bursar tried to find us a taxi one afternoon but could not get one. I do not blame him as finding taxis in Dubai seems to be extremely hard wherever you are.

In short, we really enjoyed our stay at the Riviera Hotel and would definitely stay here again if we visit Dubai in the near future.

I and my family spent 3 nights at the Riviera Hotel in Dubai. We were looking for a property that would accommodate all four of us - two adults plus a 2 y.o. and a 3 y.o. We paid for the executive package upgrade and it was well worth it. We had a creek view room, and the view really is lovely. The room had a small balcony with furniture too. The room had a main bedroom which had the view, then there was the bathroom and a hallway in the middle, then closest to the entry door was a small sitting room. We made a bed for the 3 yo on the sofa, and our 2 yo slept in a cot. The hotel were fine with this and provided extra pillows.

Room service was great and I have never seen a cheaper room service menu in Dubai. Very good value. Having little ones, there were nights when we did not want to go out. The executive package was true to what was advertised - we had our 3 free pieces of laundry per day, newspaper, fruit basket, late checkout, etc. Staff were very friendly. Taxis were easy to get at the door. Breakfast was adequate - lots of arabic food to choose from, plus various western items. We were quite happy with the choices.

Our flight arrived from Australia at about 5am, and while we knew that they had a strict 2pm check-in policy (and our kids were exhausted as were we!), the staff seemed to do all they could to get us a room as quickly as possible - quite a few people arrived at the same time from international flights. Shame that there is no pool, but we also knew this before we arrived.

Prior to having children we had stayed at very nice places, such as the JW Marriott. The Riviera Hotel decor is a little dated, but it was clean and comfortable. I would stay there again quite happily, and recommend it to friends. It is good value.

I went there in October 2006
It is a good hotel in a good place (very central)
breakfast excellent
all the stuff very friendly
very quiet hotel
evening kai night food very chip
very good beds
but has no luxury
air condition very old
hall is also very old

I go there for honeymoon but we don't find any special service.
Also they wanted 120 euro extra to change our room with another which see the creek.

I think dubai is a good place for 4 days because it hasn't the cheap things that it says.
for example hotels and taxi are very expensive.
food is cheap
good clothes and hi-fi is the same prize that we have in europe.
we go there to buy a lot things but i bought not many things.
It has good prize for expensive swatches. I bought a tag heuer for my wife.

But the best of the best is the burj al arab is a dream only to see it is enough. Also safari is veryyyy good. And a cruise on the creek also very good.

I think everyone must go to dubai for 4 days and to choose and another destination if he has another days.

I pleased if i help because from this site i chose the hotel and i think it is a good choice.
If you found a hotel with more luxury than riviera in the same prize go to another hotel.

The Riviera Hotel in Dubai is said to be a four star property. I would classify it more as a three star hotel, taken into consideration that it has neither swimming pool nor fitness centre. It is a bit old fashioned, compared to the modern Dubai.

The guests were mostly of South-East Asian origin or business travellers. I would not recommend the hotel for holiday makers as there is an insufficient offer for leisure activities. Especially during the hot summer weather, it is always appreciated to have a cool drink after a refreshing dip at the pool. The hotel is “dry” and no alcoholic beverages are served, neither in the restaurant nor can they be found in the minibar.

The Riviera Hotel is located at the Baniyas area next to the creek. Nearby is the Radisson and the Intercontinental Hotel. It takes only 15 minutes from the airport to reach the hotel. There is a major shopping area just behind the hotel and next to it is the Twin Tower Shopping Centre; well known for men designer cloth that can be found at very competitive prices. The Al-Ghurair Centre is in 10 minutes walking distance. The Baniyas area is very popular with Russian tourists.

The check-in was efficient and cordial. My room was not ready when I arrived at 16.00 hrs but after 20 minutes waiting time, I got an upgrade with creek view instead of a cheaper room with souk (bazaar) view. All the staff was extremely helpful and polite.

The room was big and pleasant with a superb view on the creek. The souk view is rather depressing as it gives directly to an old multi-storey parking garage. The king-size bed was of good quality with a real feather quilt. All was spotless clean. The bathroom was big with all amenities such as body lotion, shampoo, shower gel, and impeccable white and fluffy towels. A safety deposit is in the cupboard. A variety of English and foreign channels is offered. Internet access is USD 10.-- per 24 hours.

The breakfast is served on the first floor in a spacious restaurant. They serve the traditional Arabic fare; and in addition fresh croissants and pastries, eggs are cooked to order, the variety of cold cuts is a bit meagre, as well as the cereals section. The breakfast is included in the room rate so nothing to complain about. The coffee shop situated at the entrance level was always empty as no alcoholic drinks are served. The restaurant on the first floor serves good quality of Asian food at moderate prices.

There are many good restaurants at the Radisson or at the Intercontinental, a big variety of cheaper restaurants can be found behind the hotel at Baniyas Square (Iranian, Lebanese, Indian, Chinese, etc .) or there are a view coffee shops directly on the creek.

I liked the hotel and will return when I am waiting for a connecting flight during my frequent stays in Dubai. The Riviera is a quite hotel, lets say a bit dull after all. As there is no alcohol served, there is no noisy bar or night club disturbing the sleep.