🎄 Christmas in Dubai – Our Stay at RIU Dubai

We spent an amazing Christmas in Dubai, soaking up some much-needed sunshine and enjoying a perfect mix of relaxation, exploring, and festive fun. Having sold so many RIU hotels over the years (and hearing fantastic client feedback!), I was really curious to try one for myself and I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by RIU Dubai!

If you’re looking for great-value all-inclusive beachfront accommodation in Dubai, this hotel ticks a lot of boxes.

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🏨 The Hotel: RIU Dubai – Beachfront, All-Inclusive & Great Value

RIU Dubai is located on Dubai Islands, a newly developed area just off the Deira coastline. While the immediate surroundings are still up-and-coming (currently just RIU and Centara Mirage are open), it’s easy and inexpensive to get around and the beachfront setting is lovely.

This hotel is all-inclusive as standard, which is still fairly rare in Dubai and makes it brilliant value for money.

There’s:
• A main buffet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Three themed buffet-style restaurants:
• Spices – Asian cuisine
• Moon – Lebanese (adults-only during Gala events)
• The Palm – Italian, also open for lunch and snacks.
• 24-hour sports bar serving light bites and early breakfasts.

You book the speciality restaurants via the RIU app, with reservations opening 2 days in advance, but we had no issues getting in wherever we wanted. The food variety was excellent across the board, you’ll never go hungry here!

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🎉 Festive Extras: Christmas & New Year Celebrations

We arrived on Christmas Day, and had booked Christmas dinner at STK, located inside the Rixos Premium Dubai on The Walk. It was about 30–40 minutes away by taxi and cost just over £20 a lovely festive treat!

Over New Year’s Eve, the hotel hosted a fantastic Gala Dinner (included in the all-inclusive package) followed by a beachside DJ set to ring in the new year in style. The Moon restaurant was set up as adults only, while families could enjoy the main buffet area.

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🏊‍♀️ Pool Areas & Waterpark

There are three pool zones:
• Two pools with swim-up bars
• A separate family pool
• A waterpark located at the back of the hotel

The layout works well, if you’re not travelling with children, you can easily find a quieter spot by the adult-friendly pools. RIU really has catered for all types of travellers.

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☀️ Weather in December

The weather was perfect for winter sun, around 25–26°C during the day, dipping no lower than 20°C in the evenings. Warm enough to relax by the pool or beach, but not overly hot, ideal if you want to escape the UK chill without a long-haul journey.

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🚕 Getting Around

Although RIU Dubai is in Deira (a more traditional area of the city), it’s really easy to get around:
• Taxis are cheap and always waiting outside the hotel.
• A metro stop is nearby, but we stuck to taxis for ease.

🛍️ Example journeys:
• STK at Rixos Premium Hotel (The Walk): 40 mins / £20
• Dubai Mall & Burj Khalifa: 15–20 mins / £15
• Dubai Creek & Gold Souks: 5–10 mins / £4

We also loved finally exploring Dubai Creek and the Gold Souks, somewhere I’d always wanted to visit and being based in Deira made this super easy.

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💬 Final Thoughts

RIU Dubai offers an affordable, all-inclusive Dubai experience with plenty of food variety, well-planned facilities, great festive extras, and unbeatable value for money. Whether you’re looking for a winter sunshine break, a family escape, or a budget-friendly Dubai base, it’s absolutely worth considering, especially when the great deals come around!

If you’re thinking about a festive escape for 2025, I’d be more than happy to help plan your own Dubai adventure! 🌴