Courtyard by Marriott, Green Community, Dubai

The Cranley Report®: Courtyard by Marriott, Green Community

Courtyard by Marriott, Green Community, Dubai

Hotel Address

Dubai Investment Park
PO Box 63845
Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Cranley Rating

Courtyard by Marriott Green Community

Photo 1 of 26. Click to enlarge

Hotel Summary

Category

Hotel

Hotel Opened

2005

Cranley Summary

The Courtyard by Marriott Green Community is located in a new development in the desert near Jebel Ali and is set around a large lake. Its location means it has easy access to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Abu Dhabi Airport probably the most convenient. It is well positioned for the business areas of Jebel Ali, Internet and Media Cities, the major shopping malls and several of Dubai’s golf courses. The hotel also benefits from being located next to a shopping mall with an entrance connected to the hotel. The mall has a range of shops, boutiques and a bank. Outside the mall overlooking the lake, are a small number of restaurants and bars which offers additional options for guests. The hotel is a medium size, with 165 rooms including 10 suites, with all types of room having views of the lake or desert and a number of the rooms also having balconies. The hotel has two principal restaurants, with one being an international restaurant and the other a rustic trattoria style Italian. There are also dining options in The Bar which overlooks the lake from the first floor and in the Rendezvous Lounge next to the hotel lobby. For leisure there is an infinity type pool and a small gym with the latest Nautilus equipment. For golfers, several championship golf courses are a fifteen minute drive away, including the Emirates, home of the Dubai Desert Classic. Business is well served in the hotel, with a large ballroom and a number of meeting rooms and high speed internet connections in every room.

Hotel Location & Layout

Location Description

The hotel is located in a new development in the desert near Jebel Ali. Its location means it has equally easy access to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Abu Dhabi Airport probably the most convenient. The Green Community is a mixed development of low rise housing, commercial areas and shopping. It has the significant benefit of being away from the main centre of Dubai with its congestion and construction but at the same time it has easy access for Jebel Ali Industrial Zone, Internet and Media Cities, and the World Trade Centre via the main Emirates Road. For those guests interested in leisure, the hotel is 15 minutes from three championship golf courses and 45 minutes from the Sheraton Golf Course in Abu Dhabi, home of a European Tour event. For leisure, major shopping malls like the Mall of the Emirates, the largest in Dubai, are only twenty minutes away by road, as is the new Ski Dubai. The hotel is fifteen minutes from the beach facilities which guests have complimentary access to.

Airports
Distance	33 km
Airport Transfers	Complimentary for Suite guests Taxi

Cities and Sights
Distance	110 km
City/Sight Transfers	Taxi

Layout Description

The hotel is a low rise building set over four floors and built around the man made lake that is the central feature of the development. The restaurants and health club are located on the ground floor, whilst the conference facilities are located on the first floor and the bedrooms on floors one to four. At the rear of the hotel is the pool terrace which adjoins the lake and has both an adult and children's pool. There is a connecting walkway from the hotel into the adjacent shopping mall, with its two floors of shops. The hotel also has direct access to the boardwalk where guests can take a stroll to the restaurants and bars that open out around the lake.

Lobby & Guest Relations

Open Hours	24 Hours
Languages Spoken	English, Arabic and several other languages are spoken
Payment Methods	All major international credit cards accepted
Foreign Exchange	All major currencies exchanged
Taxis Arranged	Taxi pool on standby
Tours Arranged	A variety of activities can be arranged including Tours of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah and Ajman, Dinner Cruises, Safaris to the Desert, Wadi Hatta or Hajar Mountains, a Night at the Races, Camel Riding, Sand Skiing, Snorkelling or Scuba Diving.

Guest Relations	Restaurant reservations desk
Concierge Services	24 hour security
Medical Facilities	Doctor on call 24 hours. Doctor's fees can be charged to room bills.
Parking	Complimentary undercover valet parking

Cranley Comment

On entering the hotel, guests are greeted by a small Romanesque style fountain and are guided around to the left, where the reception desk is located. The lobby is a long narrow shape with the Rendezvous Lounge located opposite the reception desk. It has very large, almost floor to ceiling windows and overlooks the hotel's pool terrace and the adjoining man made lake. At night the lake takes on a different ambiance, with the central fountain floodlit in different colours, creating a pleasant backdrop. The lobby itself has a Mediterranean styled theme, with terracotta coloured floor tiling and walls. Beyond the reception are the open plan business centre and a walkway that leads to the restaurants, meeting rooms and fitness centre.

Shops & Amenities

Description

There is a small kiosk style shop, selling mostly essential items, located in the lobby and open 24 hours.

Cranley Comment

In addition to the small shop in the hotel lobby which sells toiletries and sun creams etc., the hotel is connected to 'The Market' Shopping Mall that has a range of shops, a bank, nail bar, coffee bar and a supermarket. The hotel also runs a complimentary shuttle bus at 11:00, 15:30, 19:00 and 21:30 to The Mall of the Emirates, which is the largest shopping mall in the Emirates and is a twenty minute drive away. The shuttle bus returns at 16:00, 19:30 and 22:00.

Rooms, Suites & Villas

Number of Floors	4
Total Rooms	165
Elevators	3
Rooms per Elevator	55
Total Staff	175
Staff per Room	1.1

Check-in Time	15:00
Check-out Time	12:00
Late Checkout	Subject to availability at an additional charge
Smoking Rooms	90 Non-smoking rooms 6 of the 10 Suites are non smoking
Room Service	Full a la carte menu available 24 hours
Laundry Service	Laundry picked up before 11:00 will be returned the same day. There is a surcharge on Fridays and Public Holidays. An express service at a premium charge is also available.

Cranley Comment

The hotel has three types of accommodation with a Standard room, Junior Suite and Executive Suite. The rooms can have either a lake view or a view towards the desert and a number of the rooms have balconies overlooking the lake. The Junior Suites come in either a one room or two room type although they are a similar size. All Junior Suites have a double washbasin in the bathroom. All rooms are decorated in a similar contemporary style, with a blue and yellow theme.

Type of Room, Views & Facilities

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Standard	155	74 Lake 81 Distant Desert	Satellite television High speed internet connection Minibar Individually controlled air-conditioning Desk and chair Armchair and footrest Safe Complimentary tea and coffee Iron and ironing board Hairdryer in the bathroom Bath with shower Bidet Some rooms have balconies	2 Adults and 2 children under 12 or three adults	32

Cranley Comment

The Standard Room is designed in a contemporary style. It is decorated with a blue and yellow theme and the wardrobe, desk and headboard are in a teak coloured wood finish. The bedroom is furnished with a king bed or twin beds, a double wardrobe, writing desk and chair, together with an armchair and footrest in the corner of the room. Some of the rooms have a balcony that is equipped with a patio table and two chairs. The bathroom comprises a bath with shower and a glass shower screen and has white sanitary wear and light brown rustic styled tiles.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Junior Suites	6	3 Lake 3 Distant Desert	As per the standard room with the added benefit of: Separate bedroom or one room suite Plasma satellite television DVD player Music system Additional satellite television Three seat sofa Separate shower in the suite with a separate bedroom Additional armchair Fresh flowers	2 Adults and 2 children under 12 or three adults	40

Cranley Comment

The Junior Suites come in two types; a one room suite and a suite with a separate lounge and bedroom. Both suites are a very similar size and have similar amenities with the exception that the Suite with a separate bedroom has an additional television. Both of the suites can have a connected room to allow them to become two bedroom suites. They are decorated in a similar contemporary style as the standard rooms with a blue and yellow theme and have good quality furniture and new plasma televisions. The Suites have a spacious entrance hallway, off which is the bathroom which leads into the lounge or lounge/bedroom. In the suite with a separate bedroom, the bedroom itself leads off the lounge.

Type	No.	View	Facilities	Max. Occupancy	Size m2
Executive Suites	4	Lake	As per the Junior Suite with the added benefit of: Additional items of furniture like coffee tables.	2 Adults and 2 children under 12 or three adults	60

Cranley Comment

The Executive Suite is a two room suite and is the premier accommodation at the hotel. The suite features a large entrance hallway, off which is a guest bathroom and leads into a lounge with sofas, armchairs, desk with high speed internet connection and a plasma television with DVD player and a music system. The lounge leads into the bedroom with double sliding doors and the bedroom is well appointed with a satellite television and has an en suite bathroom with separate shower. The room is decorated in a similar style to the other room types, but has a tiled floor in the lounge with rugs as well as additional furniture because of its increased size.

Restaurants & Cafés

Number of Restaurants

Restaurant Comments

The hotel has two main restaurants. Pine Grill is an international restaurant located on the ground floor, which is the main breakfast location and has a buffet lunch and a range of theme evenings. Cucina is a rustic Italian restaurant located in a circular building next to the lake. In addition, light snacks are available in the Rendezvous Lounge adjoining the lobby and also from the Aquamarine pool bar. Food is also available in The Bar, which is located above the Cucina Restaurant. The hotel states that all its food, including the bread, pasta, cakes and pastries, is hand-made on the premises, to ensure freshness and quality of ingredients.

Pine Grill

Restaurant Type	International
Restaurant Capacity	Total 92 inside including private dinning for 25
Opening Times	Breakfast 06:30 to 11:00 Lunch 12:00 to 15:00 Dinner 18:00 to 23:30
Dress Codes	Casual

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	Non-smoking area
Children’s Facilities	Children’s menu High chairs Children under six eat free and children aged 6 to 12 pay 50% on buffets
Breakfast Options	Full buffet breakfast with cooking stations

Cranley Comment

The Pine Grill is located on the ground floor between the reception and the Cucina Restaurant, overlooking the pool and lake. It is an international restaurant and is decorated in a neutral style with the walls and ceilings partially wood panelled and with a blue theme to the carpets and chairs. At one end of the restaurant is the buffet area and at the opposite end is a private dining room. Breakfast is served in the Pine Grill and is available as a full hot and cold buffet, as well as having an a la carte menu. Breakfast may also be taken on the pool terrace, with waiter service or self service from the Pine Grill. The restaurant has a daily lunchtime buffet and an a la carte menu in the evenings, with a different fish of the day and other daily specials. There are special evenings every week with a ‘Flavours Buffet’ which has dishes from around the world at an all-inclusive price. There are two separate options that include either unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee or unlimited alcoholic house beverages at a higher price. There are also regular BBQ nights on the pool terrace, where once again there are fixed prices inclusive of soft or alcoholic drinks. On Sunday’s there is a Prime Rib Night with a live carving station.

Cucina

Restaurant Type	Italian
Restaurant Capacity	Total 200, with 120 inside and 80 outside
Opening Times	Lunch 12:00 to 15:00 Dinner 18:00 to 23:30
Dress Codes	Smart casual

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	Non-smoking areas
Children’s Facilities	Children’s menu Children’s portion available at 50% of the main menu price
Breakfast Options	None

Cranley Comment

Cucina is an Italian style kitchen set on the ground floor of a circular building next to the lake. It has a rustic feel with dark slate style flooring, timber on part of the ceiling and wrought iron light fittings. The restaurant has seating both inside and outside and has a show kitchen and open pizza oven. Specialties include Insalata Cucina which has herbs, grilled mushrooms and roasted tomatoes; the mascarponata pizza; the Cucina pizza with mushrooms, parmesan and buffalo mozzarella and for dessert, the tiramisu. Before or after dinner, guests can enjoy a cocktail or other drink in The Bar which is located above the restaurant.

Rendezvous Lounge

Restaurant Type	Lobby lounge
Restaurant Capacity	Total 100
Opening Times	24 hours
Dress Codes	Casual

Air-Conditioning	Yes
Smoking Policy	Non-smoking area
Children’s Facilities	Children's menu
Breakfast Options	Coffee and Pastries

Cranley Comment

The Rendezvous Lounge is the hotel's lobby café and is located opposite the reception. It has windows which are almost floor to ceiling that look out towards the lake and the pool terrace. The lounge has a central serving area where the fresh pastries are displayed and has seating in comfortable armchairs as well as more formal leather chairs. There is a day time menu from 06:00 to 23:00, with continental breakfast served in the morning and afternoon tea from 16:00 to 18:00, which include a range of teas, fresh scones and finger sandwiches. Other food and drink options include tapas style bites and various cakes and pastries, as well as a range of smoothies. The night time menu from 23:00 to 06:00 includes tea and coffee and 'build your own' sandwiches. Alcoholic beverages are served here between 12:00 and 16:00 and 18:00 to 03:00. Food is available from the lounge to eat in or take away.

Aquamarine Pool Bar