Damac Maison Aykon City Dubai

This is an aparthotel for travellers who prefer a proper base rather than a room with nowhere to put a coffee cup. Damac Maison Aykon City Dubai rises 53 floors in Business Bay and combines hotel services with kitchens, dining areas and washing machines in many of its accommodation categories.

English and Russian are spoken by the hotel team, so practical conversations at reception are straightforward. Wi-Fi is free, reception operates around the clock, and concierge support is available when the day needs organising rather than more sightseeing.

The tone is urban and service-led, with enough on site to keep a non-diving day moving: pools, a spa, a gym, a cinema lounge and a gaming hub. Families are catered for too, with a kids' club, a children's pool and play facilities.

The address is 395 Sheikh Zayed Road in Business Bay, Dubai. The aparthotel sits about 3 miles from the city centre, with Business Bay, Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain among the nearby Dubai landmarks.

This is a city base rather than a beach address. The setting puts you among Dubai's high-rise districts, roads and canal views, with the city itself forming most of the scenery.

For divers, the nearest listed centre is Bermuda Diving Center, roughly 1 mile away. That keeps the dive connection local, although the centre is not inside the hotel.

The accommodation works particularly well when you want the practical advantages of an apartment without giving up hotel support. Studios suit a solo trip or a compact couple's stay, while the one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts give travelling companions space to spread out and close the door on the day's kit, clothes and general holiday debris.

Canal, city and panoramic outlooks let you choose the kind of Dubai view you want to wake up to. A balcony is available in one of the three-bedroom categories. The larger layouts include kitchens with cooking equipment, a dining area, a fridge and, in several categories, a microwave. That is useful when you want something simple in the room rather than another full evening out.

Air conditioning matters in Dubai, and it is available in many of the accommodation categories. Washing machines are also available in many rooms, alongside a safe, TV, tea-making facilities and private bathrooms. Soundproofing features in the studio categories, while blackout blinds are available in one city-view studio, both details that may help when the skyline is still busy after dark.

The restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, so the day can begin and end under the same roof. Its contemporary eclectic design is paired with a terrace overlooking the Dubai Canal and the city, giving you something more interesting than a blank wall while you eat.

The kitchen is also part of the accommodation story. Many rooms include cooking facilities, a fridge and a dining area, with microwaves in several categories. For a longer stay or a quiet night in, that is the difference between having a usable apartment and merely having a larger hotel room.

Room service runs around the clock. Meal arrangements depend on the reservation, and dining arrangements may be more limited during Ramadan, so this is worth factoring into a stay built around late returns or an early start.

Three temperature-controlled swimming pools sit among gardens, with private cabanas for the slower part of the day. There is also a children's pool, making the pool area workable for mixed-age trips rather than reserved solely for adults who have remembered their sunglasses.

Dreamworks Spa focuses on Balinese-style wellness, with traditional massages delivered by professionally trained Balinese therapists. Facial treatments are also available. It is the obvious place to book when your shoulders have had enough of travel, city traffic and carrying luggage through airports.

The fitness studio and gym use high-tech equipment and look out over Dubai Canal and the cityscape. When you want entertainment rather than exercise, the Movie Lounge and Gaming Hub provide alternatives. Families can also use the kids' club and play area while children are occupied with their own evening.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 23:59, with check-out by 12:00. Reception is open 24 hours, and express check-in and check-out are available. A lift serves the upper floors, and the property has facilities for guests with reduced mobility, including access to the restaurant.

Airport transfers are available, either as a shuttle service or through the hotel's transfer arrangements. Parking is available, including valet parking, and an electric-vehicle charging station is on site. Concierge services, luggage storage, laundry and dry cleaning add the sort of practical support that becomes useful when the stay lasts more than a couple of nights.

A security deposit may be required on arrival. Extra beds depend on the room category, and a cot is available. Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and cash are accepted. Smoking areas are available, while pets are not admitted.