Hi,
We are trying to find the impossible: self-catering accommodation in the UAE (starting in Dubai) and Oman (especially the Musandam area).
We are a family with two young children (4 and 6) and don't care about all the luxury this part of the world has to offer: a clean place with preferably two bedrooms, basic kitchen facilities and a bathroom is enough. Preferably under 100 euros/night in april 2009.
Sigh ! Maybe I should rather go somewhere else !
You could try the Ezra Palace Hotel in Khasab (Musandam). It's a nice place, big rooms with reasonably well-equipped kitchens. Doubt you'll get it (or anywhere else) for the price you are looking for though.
For Dubai - self catering generally means serviced / hotel apartments. The largest self-catering apartment provider is a company called Golden Sands - they have about 10 buildings in central Bur Dubai offering a variety of facilities / accom options - do a search for them as a good indication of general prices - they often have offers on that would put a two bedroom in your price range.
My family and I (3 kids 6 , 4 and 1 year) have stayed in the Esra appartments in Khasab, very basic, 2 bedrooms, but clean, selfcatering but breakfast is also included, prices may vary but certainly not expensive, go to www.khasabtours.com we booked through this company and they are reliable.
If you want the "New Dubai" end of town, there are heaps of new "serviced apartments" around the Al Barsha area, near Mall of the Emirates... I think within 5 blocks of my place there'd be at least 20 buildings with signs out front saying they're serviced apartments. The other area would be Tecom or The Greens - that new-ish area there has bundles of serviced apartments as well.
I've no idea how you'd find them through the internet other than google and a lot of time, or perhaps Trip Advisor...
The one that cracks me "Kazi's Iconic Hotel Apartments" in huge letters on top of the building... I think old Kazi may be overstating his property a little - it overlooks Lu Lu Hypermarket and a building site...
Burnsey - I think the sign-writer spelled it wrong. It was supposed to be Ironic Hotel Apartments.....
It's one of those things that I see every day driving around town that just makes me smile... along with the poor guys hand painting the metro with rollers (seriously someone buy those guys a spray paint machine!) and the Omani man on the side of the road selling "Home made man gos & dates" (mangoes and dates) though how they're home made I've never asked!
My all time favourite was one of the one star seedy hotels in Bur Dubai. It was called the Sun Rock Hotel, and had huge blue badly-maintained neon lights spelling out the name on the top of the building.
For almost 4 months I used to smirk every time I drove past it, with the neon spelling out SU....CK HOTEL.