Job Discussion Forums

[samet]

Hello all,

I will be in Dubai for the TESOL conference next year and am trying to find somewhere central, clean and reasonably cheap to stay for 4 days. Any suggestions?

P.S. Those recommended by TESOL organisers seem good but I am on a limited budget.

[veiledsentiments]

Hi Samet,

Sorry that I can't help you with specifics on hotels there, but remember to also take into effect the cost of taxis to get you back and forth to where things are held. Often they can quickly eat up what you save on the room.

Hopefully whoever might be able to recommend a hotel could also talk about taxi fares there. One problem is that there are not that many 'cheap' hotels in the Gulf.

I always had my own car and friends to stay with for these things.

VS

[samet]

Thanks VS, I have thought about the cab fares but like you say, I have no idea what I will be up for.

For those of you wondering whether Ive done some investigation, I have checked out www.dubaicityguide.com
but cant find relevant information there.

Samet

[stoth1972]

Hi Samet. Veiled Sentiments is right about the taxi fare, but you should probably consider the Millineum Airport Hotel or the Bustan Rotana Hotel(where the conference is held) for accommodation. However, if these are too pricey, consider a place in Bur Dubai or Karama. These are more reasonable priced and within a $5 USD taxi ride. The catch? The cheaper the hotel, the more questionable the clientele. Prostitution is a problem here and you can expect it if you stay in the above-mentioned neighbourhoods. The York Hotel, The President Hotel, the Astoria Hotel-, the Sheraton Four Points Hotel--all are relatively close and probably less expensive than the recommendations by TESOL Arabia. I would suggest looking into airfare/hotel packages as you will be get a better deal and a nicer hotel. Hope that helps. Since eslcafe does not print other web sites, I can't suggest where to get the hotel information. Also look into Deira, another side of Dubai, for cheaper hotels. Hope that helps.

[Afra]

Look for a hotel in Deira, it's the closest location to the conference with cheaper hotels. The taxi fare should be about 10/15 dirhams. $3/4 and it's central.

[hmbaba]

Hi
Try the Sands Hotel/Suites and the Trade Centre Hotel - think it is now called the Novotel.- it has tickets for the Wild Wadi, Jumeirah Beach Club and a tour of the Burj Al Arab included usually. See if you can find DNATA on the web as they might have some ideas - or godubai.com - or just hotels.com.
Lots of places seem OK in the daytime, but take on a different aspect at night - if you can handle that, then you can find some cheap places. What about the 'rough guide' site or 'lonely planet' guide for some ideas?
Happy hunting,
Regards,
Heather

[Mark100]

I am not sure what you call cheap but the majority of hotels that i have stayed at in Dubai are between 200-300 ds a night.
If you are prepared to stay at a sleazy hotel my mate stayed at the Dallas in Bur Dubai 100ds a night.

[sharpy]

Hi Samet,

I was in the same situation last March 2003 (TESOL ARABIA 2003), I flew all way down from Japan just to attend the conference.

DECENT HOTELS: (Check their web sites, and I made my reservation by e-mail)

1) PENNINSULA
2) PHOENICIA: I stayed here for 4 nights and I really liked it

I might go again in 2004, if then, I will let you know! By the way, get your membership online, it's cheaper, otherwise if you get it there, you will pay around 450 Ds.

Need more info, PM!

[samet]

Thanks everyone for responding to my original post. As this will be self funded trip to TESOL Arabia I just need to keep a lid on my expenses!!

[hmbaba]

Hello,
Just a reminder - if you are thinking of joining TESOL Arabia or coming to the conference - well, the fees for membership go up 1 Jan and the early bird reg finishes 15 Dec - so sign up now for cheap rates all round - see http://tesolarabia.org for details.
BTW, for those not in the Emirates, there are cheap places to eat here, the museum costs next to nothing, you can walk around the souk, take an abra ride for about 20 cents and go on the beach at no cost - so hotels will be the biggest part of your budget.
Regards - and see you there.

[samet]

Heather
The registration form notes early bird finishes on the 18th not the 15th of December...has this changed???

Samet

[stoth1972]

The web site says the 18th, Samet. For those of you who expire before the conference, you'll want to renew before Jan. 1 to a cheaper renewal rate.

[manonatrain]

Well, if you are based in Dubai it isn�t too bad. But if you
are flying in and booking a hotel...hahahahaha..

cheap hotels in the Middle East are you kidding. This is not the backpackers corner. Try 100 us at rock bottom and sleazy... better
to book a package if you are determined to go.

But you won�t land a job out of it. They seem to be great at losing
resumes and forgetting who they met.

The BOOTHS are ridulous. As I know a certain College in Oman who
sent reps who do not work in the schools. Gave a glowing impression to those seeking work. But those in the know, know the place is CRAP. Inside and Out.

TESOL Arabia is a joke.
But that is my esteemed opinion.

[stoth1972]

Part of the last posting is correct-there are not a lot of decent, low-priced hotels here that are reputable, however I don't think that applies to all of the Middle East.

In response to the usefulness of TESOL Arabia for finding jobs: I was incredibly disappointed with the recruiter turn-out at last year's job fair. You forked out a ton of money and sadly there were very few represented. If you had a Masters in hand, you were considered by most, and the rest....I live in Dubai so it only cost me several hundred dirhams for my membership, conference and job fair fees. Did it result in a job? I got a few interviews-some that day, some later on. Most of those institutions were a joke, though. The big ones: Higher Colleges of Technology, Zayed University, UAEU, etc. only wanted the completed masters. If you've got the qualification in hand or you plan to complete your masters before September 2004, then it's worth it for jobs in the UAE. Otherwise, the picking are slim.

[titanicman]

How are job interviews conducted in the job fair? Are there booths? How are these arranged? Can interviewees who come for one interview not be seen or heard by other interviewers?