Dubai's new 'party hotel' rankles nearby residents

Five Jumeirah Village insists its late-night parties and DJ sessions are within municipal limits

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2019: general view of FIVE Jumeirah Village Circle. Residents complaining about noise from the FIVE Jumeirah Village party hotel that opened in September. MonShow more

A new skyscraper hotel that hosts weekly pool parties and late-night DJ sets has sparked the ire of local residents.

Five Jumeirah Village has been the focus of complaints from nearby residents, who claim loud music has left them unable to sleep.

The sister hotel of the lavish Five Palm Jumeirah, which is famous for its pool parties and celebrity guests, Five Jumeirah Village opened in the residential community in early September.

Swedish resident Michelle Lindqvist, 25, has lived in Dubai for 10 years and collected evidence of the disruption around her Regent Court flat on her mobile phone.

“The music on Fridays is becoming unbearable,” she said.

“This weekend we have been woken up every night; it’s really bad. We can hear valet drivers honking horns throughout the night.”

A spokeswoman for the hotel said its opening had generally been popular with residents and insisted noise regulations were adhered to.

“We have had overwhelming support from the Jumeirah Village community and the master developer since opening Five Jumeirah Village,” she said.

“With regards to a few complaints: we have tested the noise levels and [they] are within the permissible levels set by authorities during peak hours.”

Earlier this month, Dubai Municipality said it registered 2,561 noise complaints since the start of this year, including in Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai Marina. Many related to ongoing construction in those two areas.

Those living beside Five Jumeirah Village complained of rubbish accumulating outside the hotel and congestion due to its increasing popularity.

Ms Lindqvist has seen people "stumbling out of the hotel after the pool parties".

Others have similar concerns and despite talk of a sound barrier to block out some of the hotel noise, residents said a solution has yet to be found.

Parties get under way from about 10am on weekends, with DJs playing music from the poolside.

“My apartment faces a different direction but I can still hear the music,” said Meghan Halverson, who lives nearby.

“The park adjacent to Five has now become so littered it could become a health concern."

The hotel told residents that work on the sound barrier was due to be completed by Tuesday, October 15, although it has yet to be put in place.

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Candice Orsolini moved to Regent Court in June, before the hotel opened.

“It was an enjoyable and peaceful area before then,” she said.

Five Jumeirah Village promises guests a “chic penthouse lifestyle” with 269 pools and hot tub, vast terraces and a unique party scene.

Hot tubs are found in all the hotel’s one-bedroom options, with two and four-bedroom options having access to an infinity pool.

The municipality’s noise limit is 55 decibels for construction between 7am and 8pm. That drops to 45 decibels from 8pm to 6am. In comparison, a vacuum cleaner is about 70 decibels and a restaurant or office can produce up to 60.

Contractors must obtain a night permit before work is carried out between 8pm and 6am.

"We take action against any company exceeding the permissible levels of noise," said Abdullah Al Shezawi, director of the municipality's building control department, speaking to The National last month.