My Dubai Rent: Family opts for Dh180,000 JLT serviced hotel apartment

Location and ease of living are non-negotiable considerations for a Chinese family who call Jumeirah Lakes Towers home

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A mother picked a serviced hotel apartment in Jumeirah Lakes Towers for her family to live in so her son is a short drive away from his school in Dubai.

Proximity to the school guided her choice as Vivi Wu did not want her son spending hours in traffic jams and congested roads.

The furnished two-bedroom hotel apartment comes with cleaning services, internet, water and electricity bundled into a yearly rent of about Dh180,000 and is a smart choice for the small family that has been living in Dubai for nearly two years.

The Chinese mother enjoys living in the popular neighbourhood. She chose to live in the community when the family first moved to Dubai in 2018 – they moved back home to Beijing just before the coronavirus pandemic shut national borders in March 2020 – and she now appreciates her surroundings all the more.

The lawyer, who specialises in intellectual property rights, took The National around her home and explained why convenience plays an important part in her real estate decision.

Why this area in particular?

Distance is the main reason. My son is in primary school at the Dubai International Academy and it’s a 20-minute drive. It’s also close to Ibn Battuta and Mall of the Emirates.

The other reason is there is a big playground in JLT that we can walk to and my son plays football there.

What do you get for your money?

A hotel apartment is convenient for me. House cleaning is part of the deal and I don’t have to pay for the internet or for water and electricity. That just makes life easier. The kitchen comes with pots, pans and cutlery. I have added some cooking equipment like a cooker that I bought in China.

What have you added to make it a home?

Since it’s furnished we didn’t have to add much. I bought a simple bookshelf that is stacked with books, which my son enjoys reading. I have added traditional red Chinese decorations and lamps to give the place warmth and I also added a wall clock. As it’s the Year of the Dragon, I also bought some dragon soft toys.

How well do you know your neighbours?

I did have a friend living here but she has left the UAE. My son’s schedule keeps us busy so I don’t have too much time to make friends.

Would you move out to another place soon?

I don’t think I will live here forever. It just depends on where my son studies and where my husband works. My son is now in the fifth grade, so it depends on whether he changes school in the sixth grade.

If he gets into another good school we will move to a community nearby. If he stays at DIA, we will remain in JLT.

Vivi Wu wants her son to spend the least amount of time on the road travelling to school. Chris Whiteoak / The National

I know how bad the traffic is during the school run. It takes some of my friends, who live in other areas, half-an-hour to drive a distance that should take minutes. I don’t want my son to be stuck in traffic jams. As he grows older, I don’t want him to waste time on the road to school. I would rather he catches more sleep and rest time.

If we moved, I would look for a home in a community that is new, the apartment should be in a good condition and it would be great if it's close to school so my son could walk over.

After the big storm, I will always look into renting from good builders and check the car park area because that was flooded in many communities. Our apartment in JLT was fine and did not flood in the storm.

Is there anything you would change?

The lake is cleaned but I wish it was cleaned more often, particularly in winter when everyone walks around the lake more regularly.