The Belvedere, Dubai Marina
A play area and a jacuzzi sit inside this seven-storey block, with landscaped gardens around them. ETA Star developed The Belvedere, and its homes are one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. It is a building for a family week or a working week more than a weekend, which is how the next two sections are organised.
Developer
ETA Star
Storeys
7
Unit types
1, 2 & 3-bed apartments
Location
Dubai Marina
A family week
Start with the play area that the building has for children. The swimming pool for residents covers the middle of the day, and landscaped gardens give a little room to run in the cooler hours. The one-bedroom suits parents with one small child. The two-bedroom gives a family of four a room on each side of the flat, and the three-bedroom is the plan for grandparents who travel along or for two families sharing.
Outside, the Marina has small parks and playgrounds alongside the promenade, which families use. The Beach JBR is used for beach picnics and water sports, and the Dubai Tram links the Marina to JBR so a car is not needed. When the beach is too hot, you can come back to the play area in the building. Adventure Island and AquaFun Dubai Water Park are in JBR for the days when a family wants more than sand.
Parking for residents is in the building, which helps if you hire a car for the week. A reception desk serves residents. Security and CCTV cover the building as well, so the front door is not left to chance.
A working week
Someone working remotely uses the building differently. The gym inside the building covers the early hour before the laptop opens. Cafes or restaurants on site supply the first coffee, and cafes line the promenade for a change of table. The Marina Mall and The Walk at JBR add further dining.
The working day ends with the sauna, the steam room or the jacuzzi. Maintenance services are provided at the building, so a fault does not eat into the week. If you stay a month, you may want a second routine. Gyms in the district offer personal training, group classes and 24-hour access, and you can run, cycle or do yoga along the promenade, so the week does not depend on one room.
Taxis, the Marina roads and the tram
Uber and Careem are widely available in Dubai Marina alongside regular taxis, and several bus routes run through the area. RTA water taxis cross the canal from Dubai Marina Mall and Marina Walk.
Dubai Marina connects to Sheikh Zayed Road, a busy highway through the city. Marina roads fill up on weekends and public holidays, and again during school hours.
The Dubai Tram runs along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road and links the Dubai Metro with the Palm Monorail. The Dubai Marina tram stop connects with the Sobha Realty Metro station. The Jumeirah Lakes Towers tram stop connects with the DMCC station. The tram has 11 stations running from JBR to Al Sufouh, so you can reach the beach without a car.
Where the weekly shop comes from
Dubai Marina Mall includes a Waitrose. It is also a shopping destination with high-street brands and restaurants. The Marina has grocery stores of every size, from large supermarkets to small neighbourhood shops.
Nurseries, clinics and a mosque
Blossom Marina nursery is in Beauport Tower. It sits on the Marina Promenade and follows the British EYFS framework. Willow Children's Nursery on Marina Al Seba Street follows British EYFS with a Reggio Emilia approach. Raffles Early Childhood Centre is on Dubai Marina Walk. There are no schools inside Dubai Marina, and Emirates International School Meadows, International School of Choueifat in Al Sufouh and Dubai British School Jumeirah Park are the names given nearby, so a family staying a term would plan the school run from the start.
Medcare Medical Centre and Emirates Hospitals Clinic both operate inside Dubai Marina. Saudi German Hospital in Al Barsha is the nearby hospital named for emergencies. Masjid Al Rahim is a prominent mosque in the area. It seats up to 2,000 worshippers.
Dinner and a beach day
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. JBR Beach is the closest beach to the Marina and can be reached by tram or on foot. Zero Gravity and Barasti are beach clubs along the waterfront. When the sand is busy, the swimming pool for residents is the calmer option.
Bake My Day and Eggspectation are among the places to eat in JBR, along with Zou Zou and Eataly. Mama Zonia and Papas Dubai are on the Marina's own list, as is City Social. Island Brunch runs at Bluewaters Island on a year-round listing, across the water from JBR, which gives a family a sit-down option away from the Marina itself. Pier 7 stacks seven restaurants across seven floors. It sits at the water's edge.
Where the district came from
Emaar designed and built Dubai Marina around a man-made canal, and the district began taking shape in 2003. It now has 23 hotels and nine clinics and medical centres, and JBR next door has 40 towers set directly on the beach while the Marina's towers surround the canal, which is the plainest way to tell the two districts apart.
A walk on the water
The Marina Walk promenade runs along the water for about seven kilometres, so a lot of daily movement happens on foot. It has more than 600 boats and yachts moored along it. Playgrounds are dotted through the district, and one grass strip on the way to the Zero Gravity beach club allows dogs on a lead. The XLine zip line and yacht rental are among the things to do. Back at the building, the landscaped gardens are the quieter alternative to the promenade.
A pedestrian bridge links Bluewaters Island to JBR, so the island can be reached on foot. Meraas built it on reclaimed land.
What to weigh before you book
It suits you less if you want a park or a quiet street. Dubai Marina has few parks, so the Marina Walk and promenade take the place of green space for jogging and cycling. There are no major K-12 schools inside it, so older children travel to nearby areas. Peak-hour traffic and noise add to the trade-offs. Sparkle Tower has its own guide on this site, should you want a different block. Marina Diamonds 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: Engel and Voelkers area guide, Bayut, Property Finder, Knight Frank area guide, betterhomes, RTA, Wikipedia, Bayut area guide, ServiceMarket blog, What's On, Bluewaters, The National, Bhomes school guide, Gulf Business, Propsearch.
Questions