Short Term Rentals in Horizon Tower, Dubai Marina
Horizon Tower is a 45-storey tower in Dubai Marina, developed by Gulf General Investments Company (GGICO) and completed in 2006. The homes are four-bedroom apartments and duplexes, 162 of them in all. That is the whole idea of the place. If you are booking for a group that wants a door each, it is built for you.
Storeys
45
Developer
Gulf General Investments Company (GGICO)
Completed
2006
Units
162 (four-bedroom and duplex)
On this page
- What a high floor does to a stay
- The first forty-eight hours
- Who the facilities are for
- The school-run question
- Rail, water and the road
- A late table on the Walk
- Across the bridge
- When the heat wins
- Sand and the water sports
- A doctor, and a patch of green
- Before the tram
- What to weigh before you book
- If you own here
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
What a high floor does to a stay
Dubai Marina is built around a man-made canal, and most of its towers have waterfront or skyline views. In a block this tall, the floor you land on is part of the choice. Noise in the busy parts of the Marina varies between buildings, depending on floor level and orientation. It gathers near The Walk and The Beach. Floor and side are worth settling before you confirm.
Open air comes with the tower itself, since the building has a roof or deck area as well as a swimming pool for residents, so a slow afternoon in the sun never needs a trip out through the lobby and across the Marina.
The first forty-eight hours
Land at Dubai International (DXB) and the plain way in is one taxi leg from arrivals. Uber and Careem cover the Marina well. Street taxis are easy to flag along Marina Walk and outside the mall, though waits stretch a little on weekend evenings. A reception desk serves residents at the tower. Security and CCTV cover the building. If you land late, you carry the bags once, from taxi to lobby.
Waitrose has a branch inside Dubai Marina Mall. The first shop never needs a plan. Spinneys and Al Maya are other grocery options in the area if you want a smaller basket nearer home. Cafes or restaurants share the site with the apartments. That settles a first coffee without crossing the Marina.
The next morning, breakfast at The Scene or The Coffee Club is the Marina habit. Seven Hot Pot Marina and Doner Market handle casual meals near the mall and Marina Walk.
Who the facilities are for
For a couple or two friends sharing a duplex, the sauna and the steam room change the shape of an evening after a long walk on Marina Walk. The jacuzzi finishes it, and the gym inside the building means a morning workout needs no trip across the Marina. Gyms elsewhere in the district offer personal training and group classes, with 24-hour access at some. Along the promenade you can run or cycle, and yoga works there too.
A family or a larger group gets the real benefit of the floor plan. Four bedrooms mean everyone has a room, and a duplex spreads those rooms over two levels, so the loud end of the day can sit well away from the sleeping end. A barbecue area covers the evenings you would rather stay in.
A month changes what matters, and practical pieces beat the spa. The building has parking for residents. Maintenance services are provided on site. Visitor parking is available but tight at peak hours, so friends who drive in will do better with the tram or a taxi on busy evenings.
The school-run question
Bringing school-age children for a long stay changes the sums again. Dubai Marina has nurseries for young children, but no major K-12 schools inside it, so the school run is a 10 to 20 minute drive each way. A four-bedroom home makes room for the whole family. What it cannot do is move a school any closer to the front door.
Rail, water and the road
The Dubai Tram has 11 stations serving the Marina and JBR, and it connects to the metro at DMCC station. Stops include Dubai Marina Mall and Marina Towers. Two Red Line stations serve the edge of Dubai Marina: Sobha Realty and DMCC. You can start on the tram and change to the metro without a taxi in between.
The water works as transport too. A marine water taxi route links Marina Mall with Marina Walk, and another runs from Marina Mall to Bluewaters Island. By car, Sheikh Zayed Road is about six minutes away. Marina roads fill up on weekends and public holidays, and again during school hours, so those are the hours when the tram beats the car.
A late table on the Walk
The Marina Walk promenade runs for about seven kilometres. Most Marina evenings happen along that stretch. Mama Zonia and Papas Dubai sit on the water. City Social and Attiko are the names for a late table.
Across the bridge
Ain Dubai is a 250 metre wheel on Bluewaters Island. A pedestrian bridge links the island to JBR, so you can reach it on foot. Madame Tussauds Dubai, the first in the Middle East, opened there in September 2021. The island and Palm Jumeirah are a short drive from the Marina by road.
When the heat wins
When the heat sends you indoors, Dubai Marina Mall has four levels, about 140 stores and a children's play area, and it is linked to the JW Marriott Hotel Marina. A supermarket and a pharmacy sit under the same roof, beside the high-street brands.
Sand and the water sports
JBR Beach is the closest beach to the Marina. You reach it by tram or on foot. It is the livelier one, with water sports, while Marina Beach is quieter. Dubai Water Sport Academy runs banana boating and waterskiing near the Marina beach. Wakeboarding and windsurfing are on its list too, which suits a group with energy to spend.
A doctor, and a patch of green
Medcare Medical Centre and Emirates Hospitals Clinic both operate inside Dubai Marina. For emergencies, the nearby hospital is Saudi German Hospital in Al Barsha.
Dubai Marina has few parks. The Marina Walk and promenade take the place of green space for jogging and cycling. Small parks and playgrounds sit alongside the promenade, and families use them.
Before the tram
Emaar Properties is the master developer of Dubai Marina, and the district began taking shape around its man-made canal in 2003. The Dubai Tram came later. It opened to the public in November 2014, which is why the Marina and JBR are now linked by rail.
What to weigh before you book
It suits you less if you are one or two people who want a compact flat. The homes here are four-bedroom or duplex, so there is no studio to fall back on. It also suits you less if you want a quiet street, since peak-hour traffic around the main exits and tourist crowds in the busy season come with the district.
With over 200 residential towers, Dubai Marina has a deep supply of apartments of different sizes for a holiday stay. Elite Residence and DAMAC Heights have their own guides on this site if you need a smaller layout.
If you own here
A tenant applying for a Dubai holiday home permit needs a no objection certificate from the landlord, while owners can apply directly. Royale Stays manages homes for owners at a management fee from 15%. The service covers furnishing and photography. It also covers pricing and check-in, plus guest communications and maintenance coordination. For the area side, see how we look after Marina homes.
Sources
Sources: Bayut area guide, Bayut, betterhomes, Wikipedia, Khaleej Times, ServiceMarket blog, What's On, Ain Dubai, Engel and Voelkers area guide, Gulf News, The National, Gulf Business, Propsearch.
Questions