Princess Tower is the building people point at when they show you Dubai Marina. When it opened in 2012 it was officially the tallest residential building in the world, and its domed crown still anchors the Marina’s famous “tallest block”. But a famous silhouette is not the same as a good home. This is DXB Talk’s honest building review: what Princess Tower is really like to live in, drawn from the building’s facts and from what residents say in public reviews (checked November 2026).
DXB Talk verdict
Best for: people who want serious facilities, big views and an easy tram commute, and who mostly live life inside the Marina. Think twice if: you cannot stand waiting for lifts at rush hour, you host visitors who arrive by car, or you want a brand-new building. The tower’s facilities are among the deepest in the Marina; its age and its height are the price you pay for them.
Princess Tower at a glance
| Location | King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Dubai Marina, opposite the Dubai Marina Yacht Club |
| Completed | 2012, by Tameer Holding |
| Height | 101 floors above ground, about 413 metres |
| Homes | 763 apartments: 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms, plus penthouses |
| Facilities | Indoor and outdoor pools, children’s pool and play area, gym, sauna and steam, jacuzzi, games room, business lounge, function rooms, and a residents’ observation lounge on the 97th floor |
| Parking | Allocated parking across six basement levels; visitor parking nearby is scarce |
| Cooling | District cooling, billed separately in most leases (see below) |
| Transport | Dubai Marina tram station a short walk; The Walk at JBR about 10 minutes on foot |
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What the building gives you
Facilities are Princess Tower’s real claim to fame, and for once the marketing undersells it. There are two pools (an outdoor deck pool and an indoor pool), a children’s pool and play area, a full gym, sauna, steam and jacuzzi, a games room with billiards and table tennis, a business lounge, bookable function rooms and a yoga room. On the 97th floor sits a residents’ observation lounge with a full-circle view over Palm Jumeirah, Bluewaters and the Marina β a room no newer mid-rise can match.
Day-to-day life is covered too: eight shops sit at ground level, including a supermarket, pharmacy and salon, with cafΓ©s and restaurants a short walk along the Marina. Thirteen lifts serve the tower, security and concierge run 24 hours, and the tram puts the Metro within easy reach, which is why the building suits professionals who commute without a car.
The honest downsides
Lifts at peak times. A 101-floor tower lives and dies by its lifts. Residents of the high floors report real waits at morning and evening peaks, especially when one lift is down for maintenance. If you view a flat here, ride the lift at 8am before you sign.
Parking is the weak spot. Your own allocated bay sits in six basement levels reached by narrow ramps that residents describe as tight, and there is no proper loading area, which makes moving furniture a project. Visitor parking is the lowest-rated part of the building in resident scores β guests will usually end up in paid parking nearby.
Cooling is a separate bill. Princess Tower is not a reliably “chiller free” building. Most leases bill district cooling on top of rent, and some residents call the summer bills steep. Furnished and short-stay listings often bundle bills in, which is why adverts disagree with each other. Get the cooling arrangement written into your contract before you pay anything.
It is a 2012 building. The tower is well kept in its shared areas, but individual flats vary enormously. Some are beautifully renovated; others are original, tired, or split into partitioned shared rentals, and a minority of public reviews mention bathroom damp or mould in older units. Judge the exact flat, never the brochure.
Marina traffic. Like every tower on this side of the Marina, getting in and out by car at peak hours is slow. The tram exists precisely because of this.
What residents say online
On Property Finder, residents rate Princess Tower around 3.9 out of 5 across dozens of reviews, with facilities and child-friendliness scoring high and guest parking scoring lowest. Long-form resident reviews on FlatReviews tell the same two-sided story: one family who moved here in 2021 loved the facilities and staff so much they returned and bought a home; others praise the location and management but criticise maintenance in individual flats, pest control, and cooling costs. In short: people rate the building higher than some of the flats inside it.
DXB Talk is building its own resident reviews for Dubai’s towers. Soon you will be able to rate your building here, anonymously, and read scores from people who actually live there.
Money notes
Rents in Princess Tower usually sit in the Marina’s mid-to-upper band for its size, and the building’s fame keeps demand steady. Before you agree a rent, compare it with DLD-registered rents for the building and with live listings for the same layout on different floors β high-floor sea-view premiums here are real, and so is the discount for a tired unit. Budget for the district-cooling deposit and bills on top of rent, DEWA, and the usual move-in costs.
Viewing checklist for this tower
- Ride the lifts at a weekday rush hour, to the actual floor you would live on.
- Ask, in writing: is cooling included, capped, or billed by usage?
- See your exact parking level and drive the ramp if you can.
- Run the AC and taps in every room; look under sinks and at bathroom ceilings for damp.
- Ask how maintenance requests are logged, and whether your landlord or the building handles them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Princess Tower chiller free?
In most leases, no. Cooling is district cooling billed separately, although some furnished listings include bills in the rent. Always confirm in writing.
Was Princess Tower really the world’s tallest residential building?
Yes. On completion in 2012 it was recognised as the tallest residential building in the world, a title it held until 2015. It remains one of the tallest homes addresses on earth.
What is the nearest Metro or tram station?
The Dubai Marina tram station is a short walk away and connects to the Metro at DMCC and Sobha Realty stations.
Is parking included at Princess Tower?
Resident parking is allocated in the basement levels. Visitor parking is limited, which residents rate as the building’s weakest point.
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