Arriving in Dubai at 11:50 PM on a Wednesday. Should I: Book hotel for Wednesday and go to hotel from airport and check-in 12 hours late. Book hotel for Thursday and hang around the airport for 10 hours ... then go to hotel. I think number 2 is better because I save on 1 night hotel expense and I wouldn't have a good nights rest anyways. But I have to hang around the airport for 10 hours.
Dubai has hotels inside the terminal, the fanciest airport in the world. But 10 hours layover is too long unless the ticket is very cheap.
Check the hotel's fine print, for there is surely an earlier-AM cutoff where you get most of the day. At South of the Border in South Carolina (The general rest-spot for East Coasters travelling between the North East and FL), arrival at like 3-4 AM will grant you that whole day plus the night, for 11 AM check-out the next day. Are you saying your hotel would kick you out that morning (or charge you two days) if you checked in at 9 AM? 8 AM?
Book the room for the night before. Don’t save a few hundred bucks and ruin your first few nights. ps: if you are transitting through and flying biz class, emirates might provide you the hotel for a night.