Marina Tower, Dubai Marina
Marina Tower in Dubai Marina has 33 storeys and 202 homes, and the building was developed by Emaar Properties, acquired by Select Group in 2013. The homes are one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom. Each size fits a different kind of trip.
Size decides the shape of the trip. The one-bedroom is the couple's choice, with nothing to share and nothing to clean up after. A two-bedroom suits two couples, or parents with a child who wants a door. The three-bedroom is the one for a family with teenagers, or for friends who want a living room each evening that is not also somebody's bedroom.
Developer
Emaar Properties, acquired by Select Group in 2013
Units
202 (1-3BR)
Area
Dubai Marina
Morning, noon and night inside the tower
The day starts with the gym inside the building. Studios elsewhere in the Marina, among them F45 and The Marina Gym, are there for a change of scene, but you will not need them on a short stay. Squash and badminton courts are at Marina Promenade, and Dubai Water Sport Academy offers banana boating and waterskiing near the Marina beach, so a longer stay never runs short of ways to burn energy.
By early afternoon the swimming pool for residents takes over. The play area for children is the other draw at that hour. The jacuzzi is for the adults once the children have gone quiet.
The evening belongs to the sauna. Maintenance services are provided at the building as well, which covers the leaking tap or the stubborn lock. On a long stay that matters more than it sounds, because small repairs are the part of a month that spoils the rest of it.
Who should pick a neighbour
It suits you less if you need four bedrooms, since the homes top out at three. With 202 homes on 33 storeys, it is a busy building rather than a boutique one. It also suits you less if you want a quiet floor. Noise in the busy parts of the Marina varies between buildings, depending on floor level and orientation, If you want a boutique feel, a smaller block will serve you better than this one.
The Marina sits on a waterfront strip between Jumeirah Beach Residence and Dubai Media City. Studio One and Marina Gate offer mid-range apartment towers, and a small number of townhouses are also available in the Marina. Marina Diamonds and DAMAC Heights have their own guides on this site if you want to compare layouts before you book.
Getting around
The Dubai Tram threads through the community and links up with the metro, which cuts down on short car trips. The RTA map shows Dubai Marina Mall and Marina Towers as separate tram stops. The line has 11 stops in all, from Jumeirah Beach Residence 1 to Al Sufouh. Sobha Realty and DMCC are the Red Line stations that serve the area. You reach them on foot or by tram, with a quick taxi from the far towers. RTA bus routes connect to Ibn Battuta and Mall of the Emirates. Use the tram for the beach, the metro for the rest of Dubai and a taxi for the last stretch with bags, and you will rarely miss a car.
Buses help too, since several routes run through the area. On the water, the RTA ferry FR2 links Dubai Canal to Marina Mall by way of Bluewaters. Route FR4 reaches Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis.
The car and the road
Parking comes with the tower, which is worth having when public parking is limited in many parts of the Marina, especially near the waterfront and promenade, and visitor parking is tight at peak hours. Media City and Internet City are five to ten minutes from the Marina, and Downtown Dubai is 25 to 30 minutes away by car.
Landing and checking in
Land at Dubai International (DXB) and one taxi takes you to the tower. Taxis are widely available in Dubai Marina, and so are Uber and Careem. A reception desk serves residents here. Security and CCTV cover the building, so a late arrival ends at a desk rather than a locked door.
What is nearby
Dubai Marina has 23 hotels, 170 shops, a seven-storey dining complex and nine clinics and medical centres. JBR and the beach sit on the western edge, with JLT along the east, and the district hangs off Sheikh Zayed Road. Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai lie a short hop over the water.
Retail units share the site with the apartments, so a first coffee or a forgotten charger sits close to the lift. The weekly shop is a bigger trip. Supermarkets and banks cluster toward the east end of the Marina, with pharmacies among them. Waitrose is inside Dubai Marina Mall, where the weekly trolley fills up in one stop.
Children, doctors and the green strip
No schools sit inside Dubai Marina, so the school run is a 10 to 20 minute drive each way. Willow Children's Nursery on Marina Al Seba Street follows British EYFS with a Reggio Emilia approach. Dubai College and GEMS Wellington, both in Al Sufouh, are among the schools within reach.
Mediclinic and the Dubai Marina Walk Clinic are within reach of the Marina. Full-service hospitals in Al Barsha are within reach by car.
Dubai Marina has few parks. The promenade takes the place of green space for jogging and cycling.
The canal, the wheel and the bridge
The Marina Walk promenade runs along the water for about seven kilometres, so much of the daily movement happens on foot, and the walk has more than 600 boats and yachts moored along it. Ain Dubai is a 250 metre wheel. It stands on Bluewaters Island. A pedestrian bridge links the island to JBR, so a walk west can end on the island.
Emaar Properties developed Dubai Marina, which is also known as Marsa Dubai. The district began taking shape around its canal in 2003, and the Dubai Tram followed it.
Beach, dinner and a hot afternoon
Beach clubs such as Zero Gravity and Barasti operate along the Marina and JBR waterfront. JBR Beach is livelier, with water sports. Marina Beach is quieter. Kite Beach is known for kitesurfing. AquaFun Dubai Water Park and Adventure Island are in JBR, with Madame Tussauds Dubai and Bluewaters not far beyond.
District 8 serves modern international cuisine, while Fresh Fish Restaurant and Bob's Fish and Chips cover seafood. Dubai Marina is a dining destination, from casual cafes to fine dining with waterfront views.
When the heat wins, Dubai Marina Mall has high-street brands and restaurants, with a supermarket and entertainment under one roof. After dark the nightlife mixes rooftop lounges with beachfront clubs, among them Jetty Lounge and Atelier M. You can reach either without a plan, since the tower's own retail units already cover the quick errands.
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 from a management fee of 15%, covering furnishing, photography, pricing, check-in, guest communication and maintenance. Our approach to Marina homes sets out the area side.
Sources
Sources: What's On, Gulf News, Bayut, Engel and Voelkers area guide, Bayut area guide, Knight Frank area guide, betterhomes, Roads and Transport Authority, Property Finder blog, Khaleej Times, The National, Bhomes school guide, Ain Dubai, Wikipedia, Property Finder, Gulf Business.
Questions