Golden Sands Hotel Apartments

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The accommodation was spacious, clean and good value for money. I stayed in a one bed roomed apartment which is divided into four areas: bedroom; containing two single beds, and storage facilities bathroom with shower, bidet, toilet and sink, kitchen; fridge, cooker, washer/dryer, cooking equipment and cutlery and living/dining room; with table and chairs, TV, telephone and bed settee.
The rooms were well air conditioned, essential as the temperatures outside rose to 40+ degrees. The staff were extremely helpful and well mannered and they went out of their way to help.
There was a gym, swimming pool and restaurant in the complex and in the lobby there were several tour companies to arrange activities such as desert safaris and city tours. We went on a desert safari with Arabian Adventures had a fantastic time and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Dubai. We drove to a desert conservation area outside Dubai our driver/guide was very helpful and answered any questions. in the desert we drove over the sand dunes in a 4x4, visited a camel farm, and watched the sunset before arriving at a Bedouin camp. At the camp we had dinner, smoked a Shisha and had a ride on a camel before being taken back to the hotel at night time.
The hotel was central for local attractions such as the Gold Souq, Dubai Creek and Dubai museum. For sites further away such as the Burj Al Arab, Dubai Zoo and Jumierah beach we had to take a taxi. As we went during the summer season we had to take a taxi almost everywhere due to the heat, however as they were very cheap we didn’t actually spend that much on transport. There were many shopping malls and supermarkets near the hotel, within walking distance. There were also numerous restaurants and fast food outlets. There were more traditional Arabic restaurants near the souqs (about 5 minutes from the hotel), although the hotel restaurant did serve some local dishes.
On a more negative note the area around the hotel appeared to be a red light district, during the daytime the streets were full of prostitutes especially along the road, which leads to the nearest supermarket. However at night time the same area is very different with families and children playing in the streets.
Apart from this one fault our holiday was brilliant and I would definitely go back. I felt very safe in Dubai, more so than in other places I have visited. The people are very friendly and helpful and there is lots to see.