# Marina Building Reviews



## GoombahInDubai

I've searched the internet and this forum for Dubai Marina building reviews, and have come up short on all accounts. Therefore, I'm going to give my impression of the buildings that I have seen, so that others can benefit. I'm sure it's probably buried in the 166 page "apartment guide" thread somewhere, but here's a place for consolidated references. 

Note if this is available elsewhere, please point me in the right direction. Also, please chime in with other building reviews, or add your opinion / experience to my brief observations below. Also, my disclaimer is that the below reviews are opinion based, and are based solely on my tour, and are relevant to the specific apartment I saw. I realize that the standards set are almost unreasonably high, but I had to set the bar there to differentiate between all of these fantastic buildings. 

*Princess Tower: *Very nice and plentiful facilities. Extras like pool table, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, etc. Great gym. Free party room (with booking). Apartments are brand new, and have a top notch finish. The parking garage is tight, so be wary if you are a poor driver with a huge SUV / truck. My issue is that there's only 1 furnished 2 BR available right now, and the landlord just decided to increase the rent above my budget. Construction of the tram is a major issue right now.

*Elite Residence*: Very nice and plentiful facilities. Great gym, but not too many machines (for those who like them). Floor plans seem to have small rooms where a big bed would take up the vast majority of the space. Great 5th floor pool area with lots of lounge chairs. Across the street from Barasti bar (famous bar). Borders major tram construction, which is a big issue right now.

*Marina Heights*: Facilities at par with others. Pool tables and foosball available. Odd apartment layout that I saw, with a weird kitchen layout and poorly placed wall units in the bedrooms. Adjacent to the Marina Walk.

*Trident Grand*: Nice big pool area with tennis courts. Free bookable lounge. Gym is OK, but outdone by other similar buildings. Facilities in general were very good. Nice walkway entrance, but the parking entrance seemed to be a clusterf*ck. It was one tiny one lane traffic circle with the garage entrance / exit, and the drop off in front. There were three cars there, and it got backed up. For those who live there, is this typically a big issue? 

*Bay Central*: Huge pool area, appeared to be shared with other buildings in a complex. The sea view was looking directly at a 10 story picture of Shaikh Zayed and his father. I appreciate why their faces are everywhere in Dubai, but this appeared to be a bit of a turnoff for me. The parking garage was under construction when I was there, and it seemed to be a big inconvenience for everyone there. Medium sized gym with dumbells on the highest floor. 

*Park island*: Large infinity pool facing the marina. Nicest facilities / perceived general building quality of the 10 or so buildings that I visited so far. Only one with squash courts. Gym is great, bbq pits out front were nice, and landscaping was very impressive. There is a mosque being constructed immediately outside where the apartment was. Great marina view. My question: It appears that the in-and-out to JBR from this building is reasonably easy ... do those that live there feel the same way, or does traffic get awful during rush hours? 

*Marina Queys*: Big balcony, big apartment / floor plan, lots of windows that showcased a great view. However, it's right in the middle of JBR, and I'm very concerned about traffic. Overall, the quality didn't stand out among the competitors I saw. 

*Royal Oceanic*: A bit older building versus others I saw. Pool area was OK. They had a sauna. Gym was small, and was basically only treadmills. The balcony was big, and had a great view of both Marina and sea. 2 parking spots for 2 BR apt (usually only 1 for 2 br apt). Easy walk to the beach. Lots of little shops around. Great location to be, however its tucked in a corner in JBR, and again I'm afraid of the traffic in and out. 

*MAG 218*: Huge floorplan layout compared to others. Windows from floor to ceiling in the entire place. Big balcony. Taller than all the other buildings around, so one could see over everything. Outdoor sunny marina facing big swimming pool area. Huge gym with separate open aerobics room (probably for classes?). Huge top floor party room with an incredible view. Only concern: they're starting construction of another high rise just next door, and I'm not sure if it's going to block the inland (SZR / golf course direction) view. 

*Sulafa Tower*: A bit older than the competition. Buildings block the sea or marina view. Huge well equipped gym. Construction right across the street. Enclosed shaded pool area. Big floor plan, but tiny awkward kitchen layout. Also, one of the bedrooms took the corner in the apartment, which cut out a lot of the natural light. Overall, good facilities. 

*Marina tower*: Quite older than the competition, and it shows. The apartment I looked at had some shoddy work done, and it really detracted from the overall situation. Good marina view though. Medium sized floorplan with awkward placing of the wall units in the bedrooms. The facilities were OK, but there was a huge leak in the hallway between the elevator and facilities on the 3rd floor, which was through the ceiling and down the entire wall. Whatever liquid was coming out smelled terrible, and was brown in the bucket that was collecting the drippings. Huge turnoff, but who knows - maybe it's fixed and no longer an issue by now. 

So, for those who are so gracious to help others here in your free time, below is my specific situation and requested information. Please feel free to chime in with any recommendations. I've been scouring dubizzle and propertyfinder so far. 

Me:
- Just finished my visa process, 
- Single American guy, working in JAFZA
- No pets
- Currently staying at a (company paid) hotel until I get a (company paid) apartment. 
- My company will pay up to about 160k/year for rent, utilities, fees, etc. Anything above that amount has to be paid by me.
- Everyone tells me the Marina is the best place to live, but to avoid JBR due to traffic, so I've concentrated my search in the north Marina (Park Island to Princess tower ish).

Looking for:
- 2 BR (second bedroom for guests and an office)
- Furnished highly preferred to avoid the cost / headache of furnishing a place
- Sweet view (marina and / or sea) highly preferred
- Dishwasher and clothes washer mandatory

Questions: 
- I'm thinking 150k if chiller fees are included, 140k if they're not. Is 10k for utilities, or 20k for utilities plus chiller reasonable (all values AED)? Should I leave some extra room in there for estimated rent increases over the next few years, assuming my company allowance won't increase?
- Would you recommend looking outside of the Marina? If yes, where and why? 
- Are there specific buildings that I should consider outside of those listed above? 
- Any recommendations of specific realtors? PM with this one, if it breaks the forum rules to post.
- Any general recommendations, hints, tips, etc?

Thanks to all in advance for reading, posting your building review, and any insight you can provide!


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## Simey

I live in Ocean Heights and it is another one to look at. Like Princess it has views to die for especially on the ocean side. Apartments in the building are quite large and access to SZR is also pretty good. Management is generally pretty friendly and in my experience so are most of the residents. The downside is that the pool is often in shadow and the gym is very small and basic.


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## ash_ak

Coping with traffic is a way of life living in the marina, plan for it and you will get used to it. having said that, some of the buildings are prone to huge jams, Royal Oceanic is one of them. Contrary to what people say, The whole of JBR is not bad with traffic. The Murjan section has an easy way to get in and out in front of park island.

I live in the Skyview tower, opposite the Park Island towers. Access into and out of marina is definitely easier imo from park island. Living next to the mosque may be a bit bothersome once it opens, avoid the tower right next to the mosque.

We have friends who live in Trident Grand and they love it, great night views of the sea and lighted palm hotels and you are only a 100 yards away from the beach access between the Ritz & Meridien.

I have been to a few JBR apartments and even considered moving there (we have a 7yr old) because of the plaza level garden areas and just a few steps from the JBR walk restaurants and the beach. But most of the 2 bedrooms I visited were just too old and shabbily maintained. I heard the Shams section is new, probably worth a see.

The Princess/Elite section is good, but right now expect construction in front for this whole year. but easy access to barasti, since you are single 

Have you looked at the Torch or Cayan tower, apart from easy access to the Barasti beach area, you can easily walk onto the Marina Walk too.

Silverene Tower near marina mall on marina walk is a good option too, good quality building. Someone on this forum mentioned about an easy way to get into the bldg from the direct exit off of SZR into Marina mall.

Your DEWA bill should be in the neighborhood of 800-1000aed per month (Not including chiller), this includes the 5% housing fee they charge calculated on your rent. Chiller fees if paid directly to building (or emcool in JBR) should be around 10k per year.


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## IzzyBella

If you can stretch to 160k/year (just checked propertyfinder.ae), Marina 23 is where we live and we love it. Beautiful view of the Palm, sea and Burj Khalifa. We stayed in for NYE because we got to see ALL the fireworks from 2 of our rooms! 

Huge open plan kitchen, dining and living room.

Big big bedrooms. Fitted wardrobes. We're in a 3 bedroom but the 2 bedrooms are equally as spacious considering. Our 3 bedroom is ~2200 sq ft. 

Outside and inside pool open 5am until midnight.

Gym open 6am until 10pm. 

We have a Pajero and we can easily navigate the car park.

We're literally off Junction 5 so you can get on SZR in 1 min and into our building in 10mins max during peak times.

Staff are super friendly. Neighbours equally as awesome which is fantastic when the foster dog is howling/barking because he's nervous about a weird noise outside of the door.

We will be moving to a villa next year, just because we think it'll be better for the dogs.


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## nidserz

Thanks for your reviews. I am looking in the same area as you but for a 1 bedroom. I am trying to avoid the traffic if I can, and would love sea views, but most of the buildings I am looking at in the Marina Walk area are blocked by other buildings so maybe Marina View is all I can get.
Does anybody have experience with staying in Park Island? Or Any of the apartments on the JBR side of Marina? How is it to walk over to Marina Mall or Marina Walk? I am a single girl so wondering if I should be worried and better off just driving? Ideally would love a place where I can just step down and go for a walk.

Thanks


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## sammylou

nidserz said:


> Thanks for your reviews. I am looking in the same area as you but for a 1 bedroom. I am trying to avoid the traffic if I can, and would love sea views, but most of the buildings I am looking at in the Marina Walk area are blocked by other buildings so maybe Marina View is all I can get.
> Does anybody have experience with staying in Park Island? Or Any of the apartments on the JBR side of Marina? How is it to walk over to Marina Mall or Marina Walk? I am a single girl so wondering if I should be worried and better off just driving? Ideally would love a place where I can just step down and go for a walk.
> 
> Thanks


depends how close you are to the bridges for how long it'll take but it is an easy walk from JBR to the Marina Mall. you don't need to be worried about walking alone in these areas. it's quite touristy and busy even late into the night.


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## sammylou

i'm in Al Majara, south of Silverene and i love it here.

PROS:
- less than 10 mins walk to Marina Mall, JLT metro and JBR/beach
- nice pool deck overlooking the marina, always some sun and shade
- decent enough gym
- our own Costa coffee outlet by the pool
- Emaar built so about as good as it gets quality wise
- management is Emrill and they clean windows and water tanks about every 6 months, keep the place very clean and are friendly
- right beside the yacht club, licensed and yummy food

CONS:
- finishes at this point are looking a little old, depends on the condition of the unit
- during busy times pool deck can be pretty crowded


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## ITrecruiter4785

can anyone recommend any buildings that are near 'marina mall' (in the plaza across), i will be working there from march and looking for a 1/2 bedroom apartment close by. i obviously want to avoid traffic jams if possible.

If you can suggest other areas that have easy access to the marina plaza/mall, i would be grateful if you can suggest?

cheers


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## sshoukry

*The point tower Dubai Marina*

HI Any feedback on the Point tower in dubai Marina next to Warf ?




GoombahInDubai said:


> I've searched the internet and this forum for Dubai Marina building reviews, and have come up short on all accounts. Therefore, I'm going to give my impression of the buildings that I have seen, so that others can benefit. I'm sure it's probably buried in the 166 page "apartment guide" thread somewhere, but here's a place for consolidated references.
> 
> Note if this is available elsewhere, please point me in the right direction. Also, please chime in with other building reviews, or add your opinion / experience to my brief observations below. Also, my disclaimer is that the below reviews are opinion based, and are based solely on my tour, and are relevant to the specific apartment I saw. I realize that the standards set are almost unreasonably high, but I had to set the bar there to differentiate between all of these fantastic buildings.
> 
> *Princess Tower: *Very nice and plentiful facilities. Extras like pool table, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, etc. Great gym. Free party room (with booking). Apartments are brand new, and have a top notch finish. The parking garage is tight, so be wary if you are a poor driver with a huge SUV / truck. My issue is that there's only 1 furnished 2 BR available right now, and the landlord just decided to increase the rent above my budget. Construction of the tram is a major issue right now.
> 
> *Elite Residence*: Very nice and plentiful facilities. Great gym, but not too many machines (for those who like them). Floor plans seem to have small rooms where a big bed would take up the vast majority of the space. Great 5th floor pool area with lots of lounge chairs. Across the street from Barasti bar (famous bar). Borders major tram construction, which is a big issue right now.
> 
> *Marina Heights*: Facilities at par with others. Pool tables and foosball available. Odd apartment layout that I saw, with a weird kitchen layout and poorly placed wall units in the bedrooms. Adjacent to the Marina Walk.
> 
> *Trident Grand*: Nice big pool area with tennis courts. Free bookable lounge. Gym is OK, but outdone by other similar buildings. Facilities in general were very good. Nice walkway entrance, but the parking entrance seemed to be a clusterf*ck. It was one tiny one lane traffic circle with the garage entrance / exit, and the drop off in front. There were three cars there, and it got backed up. For those who live there, is this typically a big issue?
> 
> *Bay Central*: Huge pool area, appeared to be shared with other buildings in a complex. The sea view was looking directly at a 10 story picture of Shaikh Zayed and his father. I appreciate why their faces are everywhere in Dubai, but this appeared to be a bit of a turnoff for me. The parking garage was under construction when I was there, and it seemed to be a big inconvenience for everyone there. Medium sized gym with dumbells on the highest floor.
> 
> *Park island*: Large infinity pool facing the marina. Nicest facilities / perceived general building quality of the 10 or so buildings that I visited so far. Only one with squash courts. Gym is great, bbq pits out front were nice, and landscaping was very impressive. There is a mosque being constructed immediately outside where the apartment was. Great marina view. My question: It appears that the in-and-out to JBR from this building is reasonably easy ... do those that live there feel the same way, or does traffic get awful during rush hours?
> 
> *Marina Queys*: Big balcony, big apartment / floor plan, lots of windows that showcased a great view. However, it's right in the middle of JBR, and I'm very concerned about traffic. Overall, the quality didn't stand out among the competitors I saw.
> 
> *Royal Oceanic*: A bit older building versus others I saw. Pool area was OK. They had a sauna. Gym was small, and was basically only treadmills. The balcony was big, and had a great view of both Marina and sea. 2 parking spots for 2 BR apt (usually only 1 for 2 br apt). Easy walk to the beach. Lots of little shops around. Great location to be, however its tucked in a corner in JBR, and again I'm afraid of the traffic in and out.
> 
> *MAG 218*: Huge floorplan layout compared to others. Windows from floor to ceiling in the entire place. Big balcony. Taller than all the other buildings around, so one could see over everything. Outdoor sunny marina facing big swimming pool area. Huge gym with separate open aerobics room (probably for classes?). Huge top floor party room with an incredible view. Only concern: they're starting construction of another high rise just next door, and I'm not sure if it's going to block the inland (SZR / golf course direction) view.
> 
> *Sulafa Tower*: A bit older than the competition. Buildings block the sea or marina view. Huge well equipped gym. Construction right across the street. Enclosed shaded pool area. Big floor plan, but tiny awkward kitchen layout. Also, one of the bedrooms took the corner in the apartment, which cut out a lot of the natural light. Overall, good facilities.
> 
> *Marina tower*: Quite older than the competition, and it shows. The apartment I looked at had some shoddy work done, and it really detracted from the overall situation. Good marina view though. Medium sized floorplan with awkward placing of the wall units in the bedrooms. The facilities were OK, but there was a huge leak in the hallway between the elevator and facilities on the 3rd floor, which was through the ceiling and down the entire wall. Whatever liquid was coming out smelled terrible, and was brown in the bucket that was collecting the drippings. Huge turnoff, but who knows - maybe it's fixed and no longer an issue by now.
> 
> So, for those who are so gracious to help others here in your free time, below is my specific situation and requested information. Please feel free to chime in with any recommendations. I've been scouring dubizzle and propertyfinder so far.
> 
> Me:
> - Just finished my visa process,
> - Single American guy, working in JAFZA
> - No pets
> - Currently staying at a (company paid) hotel until I get a (company paid) apartment.
> - My company will pay up to about 160k/year for rent, utilities, fees, etc. Anything above that amount has to be paid by me.
> - Everyone tells me the Marina is the best place to live, but to avoid JBR due to traffic, so I've concentrated my search in the north Marina (Park Island to Princess tower ish).
> 
> Looking for:
> - 2 BR (second bedroom for guests and an office)
> - Furnished highly preferred to avoid the cost / headache of furnishing a place
> - Sweet view (marina and / or sea) highly preferred
> - Dishwasher and clothes washer mandatory
> 
> Questions:
> - I'm thinking 150k if chiller fees are included, 140k if they're not. Is 10k for utilities, or 20k for utilities plus chiller reasonable (all values AED)? Should I leave some extra room in there for estimated rent increases over the next few years, assuming my company allowance won't increase?
> - Would you recommend looking outside of the Marina? If yes, where and why?
> - Are there specific buildings that I should consider outside of those listed above?
> - Any recommendations of specific realtors? PM with this one, if it breaks the forum rules to post.
> - Any general recommendations, hints, tips, etc?
> 
> Thanks to all in advance for reading, posting your building review, and any insight you can provide!


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## Sheril

*KG Tower*

Hey there, I work in JAFZA and live in the Marina in KG Tower since 5 years ago.
It excellent and for your budget you can find a decent size apartment.
The management does a great job to keep the building and the view from any apartment is great. I highly recommend it.


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## Sheril

Hey there, I work in JAFZA and live in the Marina in KG Tower since 5 years ago.
It excellent and for your budget you can find a decent size apartment.
The management does a great job to keep the building and the view from any apartment is great. I highly recommend it.


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## scandinavian1

Hi, any recommendations or comments on low rise buildings in the Marina. Like Emerald Residences, Azure etc? 

Many thanks!


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## QOFE

DubizzleFoShizzle said:


> Could we maybe update this -otherwise supremely useful- thread with reviews of mid-rise buildings that are around the Marina Mall?
> 
> We are interested in these as they promise to suffer less from traffic (happy, well, sad, to be corrected if this is not the case as per your experience) and are far enough away from the construction site in front of the Torch which should dominate that part of the Marina for some time.
> 
> If anyone lives in or has recently looked at...
> 
> Al Majara
> Silverene
> The Atlantic
> The Waves
> Marina View
> Marina Sail
> 
> 
> ... it would be great if you could share your experiences/impressions.
> 
> Thanks so much in advance!


Al Majara- Over rated and too expensive for what it is. It's still riding on the Emaar reputation but the apartments are looking very dated and tired. I didn't see any renovated ones but I believe some are. The one bedrooms are very small, to small for a couple. 

The Waves- There is a horrible smell on the streets around it. The same stink is inside the building too. The two bed room apartments are very small in size and they are looking quite dated too. The bedrooms are tiny and funny shaped.

Marina Sail- Stink and dated. The one bedrooms are small and the kitchens are horrible bunkers. The building is close to the massive new building site next to Dream Tower so it could be noisy too.


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