The simple travel hack that gets you a FREE stay in a five star hotel in Dubai

If a free stay at a five-star hotel in Dubai sounds tempting, read on.

Travelers flying with Emirates can get a free night in the UAE city, including all their meals, courtesy of the airline ‘Connecting Dubai’ program.

Emirates offers ‘Dubai Connect’ to passengers who have a long layover in Dubai – they must have between eight and 26 hours until their next flight to be eligible for a hotel stay.

Passengers of any class of travel, from first class to economy, are eligible to take advantage of the service.

The airline says it intends for passengers to ‘enjoy some downtime beforehand’ [their] next flight’.

Emirates offers ‘Dubai Connect’ to passengers who have a long layover in Dubai – they must have between eight and 26 hours to qualify for a hotel stay

When passengers arrive at the airport, a ‘complimentary bus’ takes them to the hotel for their stay. One of the hotels it uses for the service is the five-star JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, which is located in the center of the city and offers “awesome views of the Dubai cityscape.” website reveals.

Another hotel in the program is the five-star Le Meridien Airport Hotel Dubai, which is “nestled in 15 acres of manicured gardens” and features “azure-blue outdoor pools.” website notes.

While the airline notes that “all applicable meals are included in your hotel booking,” the passenger must pay for extras such as minibar snacks, spa treatments, or additional dining costs.

The Le Meridien Airport Hotel Dubai is ‘nestled in 15 acres of manicured gardens’

One of the hotels Emirates uses for the service is the five-star JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai (above), which is located in the center of the city

What about visas? The airline says the Dubai Connect booking includes a free visa. The visa must be arranged prior to arrival for nationalities requiring a visa to enter the UAE, or upon arrival subject to approval by the UAE immigration service, the carrier notes.

How do you benefit from the offer? Once you have booked your flights, use your name and reference number to log into your Emirates account. Then tap into the ‘manage’ section in your booking and choose ‘Dubai Connect’.

You must opt ​​to add the service at least 24 hours before your flight, the airline notes.

That being said, not every passenger is eligible to apply. For example, certain group bookings do not meet the criteria and the offer only applies if you have booked on the best available flight connection – so there is no point in trying to cheat the system by booking a connecting flight for the following day.

Emirates is not the only airline to offer such a service, known in the airline industry as a ‘Stopover Paid by Carrier’ service. Other airlines that offer it are TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, IcelandAir and Iberia.