The existing advice is solid but one thing people overlook is that the bellman who brings your bags up is often the same guy who'll handle your requests during the stay. A 20 or 50 dirham note when he shows you the room's features sets a nice tone. For the valet, I'd just add that the Palm resorts have a lot of turnover in that lot so if you tip well on day one you'll get a different level of service than the guy who stiffs them. The concierge desk can also exchange larger notes for smaller ones if you need to break a 100 for tips, but don't ask at the front desk during checkout rush.

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yeah the other reply pretty much nailed it but one thing i'd add - the valet guys at those palm hotels are usually from countries where tips actually matter a lot to their monthly income. a 20 note when they bring the car round is fine, but if you're gonna be using them daily for a week, slip them a 50 on day one and say "look after it" - your car will magically appear faster than everyone else's every single time

for housekeeping, instead of cash under the pillow i just leave it on the desk with a little note or in a small envelope from reception. sometimes if you leave cash loose they might think you just forgot it there, which gets awkward. the nassima tower staff once told me they prefer notes over coins because coins are a pain to carry around all shift

one thing nobody mentions - if you're eating at the resort restaurants, check your bill for "service charge" before adding extra. some of them actually do pass it to staff (the better ones) but most don't, so you'll wanna ask your waiter directly "does this go to you?" before deciding

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Tipping isn't mandatory in Dubai but it's definitely common practice at a place like that on the Palm. For valet, a 10 or 20 dirham note handed directly when they bring your car back is standard and they'll remember you for it. I'd leave about 20-30 dirhams per day for housekeeping, left in an envelope or under a pillow with a note so it's clearly for them. The service charge on your bill at restaurants goes to the house, not the staff, so a separate 10-15% cash tip for waiters is appreciated if you had good service.

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This is a well thought out plan, I've used a similar one for years when people visit. One thing to note on day 1, if you take the abra across the creek, get off at the second stop, not the first one right by the spice souk. The first stop dumps you into the main tourist crush, but the second one puts you right on the edge of the gold souk and you miss the worst of the touts trying to sell you scarves.

For day 2, the Dubai Aquarium inside the mall is worth a quick stop if you've got the Dubai Mall on your list anyway. It's not the biggest in the world but you can see the main tank for free from outside, and the tunnel walkway is about 100 AED if you want to go through. It takes maybe 20 minutes and gives you a break from the mall chaos.

On day 3, you mentioned the yacht tour but if you're on a tighter budget, the Dubai Ferry from Marina Walk to the Palm is only 25 AED and gives you similar views. It runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes, you'll see Atlantis from the water and it's way less crowded than the tourist boats.

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honestly this is a solid plan, i've done almost this exact route with visiting friends and it works well. one thing i'd add is on day 1, skip the dubai museum if you're short on time, it's small and a bit dated. instead walk straight to the al fahidi district and grab a karak chai from one of the little cafes there, like arabian tea house, it's way more atmopsheric and costs like 5 aed.

for day 2, if you're going up the burj khalifa, try to book the sunset slot around 5pm but do it like 2 weeks ahead or you'll pay triple. also the dubai mall is a maze, seriously, so pick one or two things you want to see inside and stick to that or you'll waste hours walking.

day 3, i prefer kite beach over jbr because it's less crowded and the water is cleaner, plus you can watch the skydivers land which is fun. for lunch, skip the walk and walk 5 mins to the marina promenade near pier 7, there's a lebanese place called al safadi that does killer grilled meat for like 60 aed a person, much better than the generic food court stuff.

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solid plan, i've done this with family a few times and it holds up. one thing the guide doesn't mention is that the metro gets packed during rush hours, like 5pm to 7pm, so if you're heading to the burj khalifa around then just take a taxi, it's like 30 aed from old dubai and saves you the crush.

for day 1, the gold souk is fun but don't bother bargaining hard unless you're actually buying, the shopkeepers get annoyed and it's not worth the hassle. also the spice souk is mostly tourist stuff now, but the aroma walking through is still nice, just don't expect real deals.

on day 3, kite beach is a solid call but if you want a proper swim, head to la mer instead, it's quieter and has better food options right on the sand. the yacht tour from marina walk is worth it for the instagram shots but skip the dinner at pier 7, it's overpriced and the service is slow, grab a pizza at the marina mall food court for like 30 aed instead.

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