I spent my life traveling and living in hotels. Hotels are not a substitute for home, but can be a nice break from home. Learning to feel at home’ while traveling can help travelers enjoy their trip more. A few things I’ve learned, which I’ll share here are:

If a suite is available and affordable, book a suite. “Suite” means different things in different hotels, but it usually comes with a separate living area or a kitchen. Either helps make it feel more homey’. Don’t cook in the kitchen. Cooking and cleaning is what you are taking a break from doing at home, so turn the kitchen into a bar.

Stock the bar with some basics and invite others to join you at “your place.” It’s cheaper than in the real bar, and you can buy some sandwich stuff and have snacks, popcorn, etc. Food and drinks will always draw a crowd and casual acquaintances from pool side become life-long friends.

I lived with my family in the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai for seven weeks in the seventies. We met some friends who shared what they had learned about making hotels a home. She entertained his business associates in their room and never traveled without a deck of cards, some nice drink glasses, and her personal monogrammed coasters. Sound a bit strange? It worked for them, as people joined them for party bridge. They served snacks and drinks, made people feel welcome and had pleasant evenings without spending a fortune. I never got around to getting monogrammed drink coasters, but I appreciated what they taught me.

Probably one of the most important things I learned was, “Don’t be reluctant to move the furniture around to fit your needs.” There is no law requiring the desk to go in that corner and the chairs over in the other corner. You paid to use the room, so use it.

Another thing I learned was to request a room near the pool. Total strangers will join you just outside your room if it is near the pool, where you serve cold beer and soft drinks with chips and dips. Meeting people and sharing experiences at the end of the day multiplies the enjoyment of the travels for me, so having a room in which others can be comfortable and welcome is how I make my trip more enjoyable.

One more suggestion for enjoying your trip and your room: You didn’t travel all that way to stay in the room. Go out, see some sights, meet some people, then bring back the people to your room and talk about what you did and saw. Now, you’re living, and that is what the living room in the suite is for; right?

With over 5.8 million visitors in 2005 and occupancy rate in excess of 83% Dubai is fast becoming one of the world’s premier tourist destinations in the world with tourism business reaching unprecedented levels.

It is clear that the travel industry hence the local accommodation providers are riding the biggest wave of their life as the request for holiday accommodation has clearly overtaken the supply.

Quality wise, there is a wide choice of accommodation available in Dubai ranging from hotels or hotel apartments to self-catering villas and apartments with this latest option being much sought after in recent days.

Renting a furnished apartment or villa on self-catering basis proves to be a cheaper option then staying in many hotels especially if you intend staying in Dubai for longer then the usual package holiday or if you are a large group or simply wish to have greater flexibility and privacy.

One of the most popular areas of Dubai is the Dubai Marina that delights residents and visitors with its cosmopolitan atmosphere and unique refreshing lifestyle, challenging the most exclusive waterfront developments in the world’s leading cities.

Booking a Hotel in Dubai Marina is out of reach for many travelers who would rather spend their budget on shopping, for this reason renting a self–catering apartment or villa can be a smart option, more affordable, more comfortable and also more exciting…. There are many villas and apartments available for short-term rental on self-catering basis and can cater from a minimum of 1 guest to as much as 15 guests according to the design of the individual property.

When planning to book a holiday apartment or villa in Dubai on self-catering basis it is necessary to carefully select the right agent to deal with. The most recommended would certainly be those actually based in Dubai that can guarantee you full assistance on a 24 hrs basis.

It’s really the quality that matters when you choose your holiday home in Dubai, yes you could be spending a little extra but in the end is your accommodation on the line. Some properties are equipped with every amenity you could think of, from the bread toaster to the kettle, from the coffee maker to the microwave some even offer a complimentary twice weekly house keeping service, fresh towels, fresh bed sheets and extra amenities such as shampoo, shower gel etc… some other properties that come across as a good bargain could end up being a bad surprise to say the least and you might experience issues such as faulty air conditioning, lack of water pressure, rusted cutlery items, lack of glassware or cooking items, poor hygiene level and the list can go on to a point where your vacation could get badly compromised. Professional agencies maintain and check on the properties on regular basis in addition to supply amenities, accessories and services to a level that can meet and in some cases go beyond the standard of a 5 stars hotel.

Probably the best way to go about it, when possible, would be to actually inspect the premises before making any payment, in this way you will have a direct understanding of the quality of property you are about to reserve and you will also be able to check the consistency with the information (photos or descriptions) that were displayed on the agent website or catalogue.

When booking a self-catering apartment or villa there are few questions that you might want to ask such as:

How far and where is the nearest hospital? Does the property have a telephone line to make at least emergency calls? Will you be awaited at your arrival in the early ours of the morning and will you be escorted to your apartment by professional and English speaking staff? Will you find first hand groceries in the fridge at your arrival? How far is the closest pharmacy? How far is the closest supermarket? How far is the closest restaurant or coffee shop? Are the utility bills included in the rent? Is there a house keeping service provided? Is there an emergency assistance number that you could call in case it was required? Is there an Internet connection in the apartment? Is there a cable TV in the apartment? How far is the beach? How far is the closest mall? Is the area fully developed or is it still under construction? How noisy or quite is it and does the apartment/villa have double-glazed windows to serve this purpose? Are taxis easily available? Etc etc…. In the end it all comes to experience and professionalism… There are many companies offering holiday villas and apartments in Dubai and around the world, which is a great advantage as it keeps the competition alive and the rates affordable, however be always careful and do your homework before making your final choice, at the end of the day it’s your holiday on the line and you don’t want to jeopardize it just to save a few bucks.