Marina Wharf, Dubai Marina
A squash court and a running track sit inside Marina Wharf, which rises 29 storeys and holds 146 homes. For a stay measured in weeks, that matters more than the view. The rooms in the building are the reason to pick it, so this guide spends its first half indoors.
Floors
29
Developer
Dheeraj Group & East Coast LLC
Units
146 (1-3BR)
Area
Dubai Marina
Contents
- Who built it and where it sits
- The track, the court and the pool
- A games room, a lounge and a roof
- Shops and cafes downstairs
- One, two or three bedrooms
- Landing at DXB
- The roads, the bus and the rail
- Schools and the Marina's early years
- Clinics, nurseries and a mosque
- Next door at JBR
- An afternoon on the water
- Beach and promenade
- Breakfast, groceries and dinner
- What to weigh before you book
- If you own here
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who built it and where it sits
Dheeraj Group & East Coast LLC developed Marina Wharf. The plans start at one bedroom and stop at three. That makes it a building for couples and families, not for a solo traveller who wants a studio.
Emaar Properties is the master developer. Phase I has six freehold apartment buildings called the Dubai Marina towers, and Phase II is a high-rise cluster. With over 200 residential towers, the district has a deep supply of apartments of different sizes for a holiday stay.
The track, the court and the pool
Start on the running track, which the building has for its residents, and finish on the squash court. The gym inside the building covers the weights. The swimming pool for residents takes the middle of the day, and the sauna and the steam room close it. In the hot months the track and the court mean a workout does not depend on the pavement along Marina Walk.
A games room, a lounge and a roof
The evening has plenty of choice. A games room fills the hour after dinner, and the residents' lounge or function room suits a group that wants somewhere to sit together. The roof or deck area is the place for the barbecue area, so you can cook and eat a meal outside.
Families get a play area for children and landscaped gardens. Between them they cover the hours when the sun is too high for the beach. Playgrounds are dotted through the district as well, and one grass strip on the way to the Zero Gravity beach club allows dogs on a lead.
Shops and cafes downstairs
Retail units and cafes or restaurants share the site with the homes, which settles a coffee or a forgotten item without leaving the building. A reception desk serves residents. Security and CCTV cover the building, and maintenance services are provided on site. If a tap or a lock gives trouble, you have a team to call rather than a landlord to chase.
One, two or three bedrooms
The one-bedroom fits a couple, while the two-bedroom suits a small family or two friends who each want a door, and the three-bedroom is the plan for a larger family or a group that wants a room each. If you stay a month, you will use the track, the court and the pool often enough that the building starts to feel like a club, with the roof as the place you end the day. Across 146 homes on 29 storeys, the number of each plan is not published, so ask for the floor and the view when you book.
Landing at DXB
Land at Dubai International (DXB) and the plain way to the building is one taxi leg from arrivals. Uber and Careem cover the Marina well, and RTA street taxis are easy to flag along Marina Walk and outside the mall, though waits stretch a little on weekend evenings. The ride ends at a reception desk.
The roads, the bus and the rail
Marina roads fill up on weekends and public holidays, and again during school hours. Marina Walk and the surrounding streets get crowded at peak hours too.
Several bus routes, among them 11A and 27, are listed as serving Dubai Marina, alongside the Metro. Route BM3 runs to Bluewaters Island. It is a water taxi that starts at Dubai Marina Mall, so the island is an easy half-day for anyone who prefers the water to the road.
Two Red Line stations sit on the edge of Dubai Marina: Sobha Realty Metro Station, formerly Dubai Marina Metro Station, and DMCC Metro Station. Tram stops include Dubai Marina Mall and Marina Towers, with Media City at the far end.
Schools and the Marina's early years
There are no schools inside Dubai Marina. Emirates International School Meadows and Dubai British School Jumeirah Park are named nearby, as is International School of Choueifat in Al Sufouh. Emaar designed and built the Marina around a man-made canal, and it began taking shape in 2003.
Clinics, nurseries and a mosque
Medcare Medical Centre and Emirates Hospitals Clinic are in the Marina. Willow Nursery and Raffles Nursery serve the Marina. Raffles takes children from 45 days old to 4 years. Masjid Al Rahim is a prominent mosque in the area. It seats up to 2,000 worshippers.
Next door at JBR
JBR has 40 towers set directly on the beach. The Marina's towers surround a canal. You can walk across The Walk, a promenade of restaurants and cafes with shops between them, to reach the shoreline, and beach access is free.
An afternoon on the water
The Marina Walk promenade runs along the water for about seven kilometres, so a lot of daily movement happens on foot. Cafes and retail line it, and the XLine zip line and yacht rental are among the things to do. After a morning on the roof or deck area, a walk along the water is the natural change of scene.
A pedestrian bridge links Bluewaters Island to JBR, so the island can be reached on foot. Meraas built it on reclaimed land. Island Brunch runs there on a year-round listing.
Beach and promenade
JBR Beach is the closest beach to the Marina, often reachable by tram or a short walk. Zero Gravity and Barasti are beach clubs. The Marina Walk has more than 600 boats and yachts moored along it, which gives the evening walk back from the beach clubs something to look at.
Breakfast, groceries and dinner
Dubai Marina has grocery stores of every size, from large supermarkets to small neighbourhood shops. Supermarkets and banks cluster toward the east end of the Marina, with pharmacies among them. The Scene, Carluccio's and The Coffee Club are for breakfast.
Mama Zonia and Papas Dubai are among the places to eat in Dubai Marina, along with City Social. Pier 7 stacks seven restaurants across seven floors. It sits at the water's edge. Fresh Fish Restaurant and Bob's Fish and Chips are among the seafood choices.
What to weigh before you book
It suits you less if you want a quiet street. Peak-hour traffic and noise near The Walk are the main trade-offs, with few entry and exit points. Noise levels in busy parts of the Marina vary between buildings, depending on floor level and orientation. Princess Tower guide has its own guide on this site, should you want a different block. Jumeirah Living Marina Gate is covered in a separate guide as well.
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. The wider picture for the district sits in our write-up of the Marina guide for owners.
Sources
Sources: Wikipedia, Bayut area guide, The National, betterhomes, Bayut, Property Finder blog, Khaleej Times, ServiceMarket blog, What's On, Engel and Voelkers area guide, Bluewaters, Gulf Business.
Questions