We’ve been teetering on the edge of a decision for some time. A brief weekend escape to a fairly run-down motel, renamed as a ‘hotel and resort’, now popular with Russian tour groups inspired it. It’s crazy, because said run-down motel-cum-hotel actually cost more to stay in than a good number of four and five star hotels in the region, but it was everything we’d been looking for in a proper Dubai escape. Our room was just a warped brick pavement away from the sand, and the water, despite being filled with harmless jellyfish, was deliciously warm and inviting. The sun was just right, and the sand went everywhere. We pulled up on tatty plastic beach chairs with my faded Scrabble board and played to our heart’s content, drinking water we’d brought ourselves, and kicking ourselves for not packing snacks. We’d become so accustomed to the world of constant service…