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The best hotels in Dubai for an ultra-luxurious, sun-soaked desert escape
Shimmering turquoise seas, desert sand beaches and year-round sunshine – we've found the best hotels in Dubai
Famously a city of superlatives, Dubai is home to the ozone-piercing Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and the striking Burj Al Arab, described as the only 'seven star hotel on the planet'.
With a flight time of just under seven hours and an easy three-hour time difference (exactly like nearby Abu Dhabi), an extended weekend living it up in the desert is easily achievable. The best time to visit is between October and April for a winter sun holiday or spring escape, when temperatures are a delicious 27 degrees. In summer it gets blisteringly hot with temperatures hitting 42 degrees, so you might want to stick with the best luxury hotels in London during those months.
But despite the glitz and glamour, Dubai's not just about credit card-bending shopping hauls, blissful beach days and leisurely champagne brunches – although that is a big part of its allure...
Try dune-bashing through the Arabian desert, learn falconry like a sheikh or go camel racing. And, not everything has to come at a king's ransom, either. It costs a mere dirham to take a traditional abra boat over Dubai Creek to the onion-domed mosques and bustling souks of Old Dubai, where you'll find everything from gold to garam masala.
When it comes to hotels to stay in, however, it's all about pure, unadulterated luxury. All of the world's most prominent high-end hotel groups have outposts here, including Mandarin Oriental, One&Only, The Edition, Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons – while the recently opened Atlantis The Royal and The Lana are helping bring that famous Dubai lifestyle to ever higher heights.
Whether it's a stylish beach pad or an Arabian palace you're looking for, check out our list of the very best hotels in Dubai to book right now.
The Lana
Where Downtown Dubai meets Marasi Bay Marina, you'll find The Lana, the Dorchester Collection's first Middle Eastern address. With 225 sleek rooms, the hotel offers sophisticated waterfront living for savvy travellers, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the comfortable spaces with natural light.
The Lana’s Presidential Suite offers a new level of luxury, with two sitting rooms, a garden room, dining room and vast private terrace. Eating and drinking opportunities abound with a Basque-inspired spot by 12 Michelin-starred chef Martín Berasategui, Riviera by French chef Jean Imbert and a host of other restaurants and bars.
Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai
This hotspot is all the glamour and fun of Dubai incarnate, capturing an upbeat vibe that's difficult to resist. It's set against a beach backdrop and Dubai Marina's spellbinding skyline, with nearly 500 rooms and suites offering ocean or city views.
The good times roll at Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai, with a range of restaurants, bars and even a nightclub, meaning you could do something different every day throughout a stay here. There are also more laidback options, like whiling away days by the gleaming pool or stepping onto the sand.
SIRO One Za'abeel
If you're a fitness and wellbeing fiend heading to Dubai, look no further than SIRO One Za'abeel. Here, guests can embark on tailored programmes and treatments across five wellness 'pillars': fitness, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindfulness.
Every detail is geared towards self-improvement in this temple of wellbeing, including soundproofed rooms with recovery equipment, access to virtual classes and an in-room 'refuel bar' stocked with nutritious snacks and drinks. The top-tier suites also come with a personal gym, so you won't even need to leave your room to get a workout in. Of course, all this is set against the backdrop of Dubai's world-famous skyline.
Atlantis The Royal
In true Dubai style, Atlantis The Royal opened its doors in the most grand, glitzy and glamorous way possible: Beyoncé was flown in to perform her first concert in four years for a star-studded crowd that included the likes of Kendall Jenner, Bar Refaeli and Letitia Wright.
Now, one year since opening, this is still the most exclusive – and OTT – address in town. Forty-three storeys high, it boasts no fewer than 17 restaurants (including eateries by Nobu, Heston Blumenthal and José Andrés), 795 rooms and 90 pools, as well as a (gigantic) spa, numerous bars, beach clubs and even designer boutiques.
voco Dubai The Palm
Located on the Palm Jumeirah's trendy Palm West Beach, voco Dubai The Palm brings a touch of Miami style to the Middle East. It attracts a cool crowd with a European cafe culture vibe, state-of-the-art gym and hip beach club. Guests can take up residence in one of the super sleek rooms, enjoying floor-to-ceiling windows and views over Dubai's dazzling skyline or the Arabian Sea.
There's a rooftop pool that's ideal to lounge around by day, with a cocktail bar that comes into its own at sundowner hour – ideal before checking out Dubai's nightlife. If you want to dine closer to home, Maison Mathis is a sleek restaurant that offers all-day drinks and dining inspired by the best of European cuisines.
One&Only One Za'abeel
The opening of the extraordinary One&Only One Za'abeel has been eagerly anticipated on the Dubai hotel scene – and it's not difficult to see why. The design itself is enough to put this place on the map, with more than 200 rooms and suites and the world's longest cantilever jutting out futuristically along the skyline.
For a wellness offering, this urban oasis has a 'Longevity Hub' by Clinique La Prairie (a three-storey health centre), while dining comes in the form of 11 unique concepts, including a Middle Eastern food hall and restaurants from six Michelin-rated chefs. Upstairs, Tapasake Pool Club is a vibrant day-to-night destination and Dubai's latest place to see and bee seen.
25hours Hotel Dubai One Central
Part of One Central next to the World Trade Centre, this beautifully designed hotel feels a little different to the marble and gilt-laced palaces Dubai is famed for. Bringing together the old and the new, 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central is a treasure trove of curiosities, modern furnishings and designer fabrics. We particularly love the Fountain of Tales centrepiece in the lobby, a staggered book-filled area scattered with cushions.
With a rooftop pool and pottery studio, not to mention the Monkey Bar cocktail lounge, it's very tempting to stay put in this chic spot. However, the hotel's complimentary bikes mean you can explore the desert city in style.
Raffles The Palm Dubai
Dubai is not short of opulent palaces, where for a price you can live like an Arabian princess. But, for real old-world (and old money) charm, there's one place to stay – Raffles the Palm Dubai. Promising sweeping views over the Arabian Gulf and Dubai's magnetic skyline, all of Raffles' opulent rooms are as large as a UK flat.
Add in the 500 metres of private beach, fancy rooftop pool and the plush Cinq Mondes Spa, which has the largest indoor pool in the Middle East, not to mention the Sola Jazz Lounge, which plays live sets until the early hours. There's really very little reason to leave the hotel.
Palazzo Versace Dubai
Many of the best hotels in Dubai are Instagram famous, but if you want something that's really worth bragging about then look no further than the pleasingly ostentatious Palazzo Versace Dubai. An opulent gilded palace, the luxury hotel is an oversized Neoclassical palazzo reminiscent of those found in 16th-century Tuscany.
Rooms and suites showcase the Versace Home Collection; think cream carved wood and opulent silk furnishings in soft turquoise, gold and salmon. All have balconies or terraces, many with views of the Creek. As for sustenance, the nine bars and restaurants are themed in Versace's signature styles. Our favourite is afternoon tea in Mosaico in the lobby, a catwalk of Dubai and the place to see and be seen.
One&Only The Palm
Perched on the tip of the Palm Jumeirah's West Crescent, this beautifully arranged boutique hotel offers some quiet respite from the rest of the Palm's sprawling beach resorts. Of course, being a One&Only, the dusky pink palace is effortlessly chic – all marble floors, vaulted ceilings and gardens lined with acres of lush palms – bringing a strong Arabia-meets-Andalusia vibe to the Palm.
Palatial rooms and suites are opulently styled and romantic to the nth degree (the huge marble bathtubs easily fit two), while upgraded suites have their own pool. Guests can relax in a cabana on the private beach, get pampered the Guerlain Spa or dine out at STAY, the hotel restaurant by three Michelin-starred chef, Yannick Alléno.
The Dubai Edition
For those who come to Dubai purely to indulge is some epic retail therapy, look no further than one of the Emirate's newest boutique hotels, The Dubai Edition. Located opposite the Dubai Mall, this smart and stylish pad really feels like it's in the heart of the action, not least because all rooms have a smashing view of the skyline.
After hitting the stores, dine out in the DUOMO restaurant, a magnificent Italian fine dining option where diners sit under a vast vaulted cathedral ceiling, complete with 'Maria Theresa' – a ginormous crystal chandelier. Alternatively, spend a day relaxing in the Thia Skylounge where the outdoor rooftop pool has direct views of the Burj Khalifa.
SLS Dubai
This hip and funky hotel in Business Bay is moments from the Dubai Design District... and it shows. A far cry from the staid business hotels or palatial resorts the emirate is known for, the 75-storey SLS Dubai brings a more playful vibe to the Middle Eastern metropolis. By day, hang around one of the two rooftop pools, one with a giant rubber duck, or relax in the Ciel Spa on the 69th floor. Come nightfall, dine out in the Italian Fi'lia, Dubai's first female-led restaurant, followed drinks and dancing in the rooftop nightclub and speakeasy bar until the early hours.
Rooms are equally as playful as the rest of the hotel. All have floor to ceiling windows overlooking the desert city, while funky hologram portraits bring colour and fun.
Jumeirah Al Qasr
Inspired by the 1,001 Arabian Nights, Jumeirah Al Qasr offers family-friendly palatial splendour on a private, two-kilometre stretch of pristine beach. It's part of the sprawling Madinat Jumeirah complex, meaning guests have access to everything from a water park and turtle sanctuary to more than 40 bars and restaurants. The concierge can also arrange private tours of the nearby Burj Al Arab.
Decor is suitably grand: think royal blue and gold furnishings, sparkling crystal chandeliers and elegant Arabesque details throughout. There are always tonnes of experiences and events going on here for guests to get involved in, but perhaps most legendary is 'The Big Gourmet Brunch' that brings together seven superstar chefs and master mixologists for a culinary extravaganza like no other.
Taj Dubai
Bringing all the elegance, heritage and signature Taj service from the Indian continent to the middle of the desert, the Taj Dubai makes the ideal base for exploring this dazzling emirate. Set under the gaze of the Burj Khalifa in Business Bay, it's moments from Downtown Dubai, Dubai Mall and the nightly spectacular of the Dubai Fountain, while the Dubai Opera is close-by.
The rooms are stylishly decorated; think warm, spicy tones, rich velvets and contemporary Indian artwork, while upgraded rooms feature dark wood four-poster beds and direct views of the tallest building in the world. After exploring the city, relax by the pool with a gin and tonic from the Hendrick's Gin cart or pamper yourself with a range of therapies from the exclusive J Wellness Circle.
Waldorf Astoria Dubai
Overlooking a private white-sand beach, this sprawling Dubai resort is just the spot for a swish sun-drenched desert getaway. With the sail-like silhouette of Burj Al Arab on the mainland, the iconic New York hotel brand brings all the opulent extras we've come to expect to this quiet beachfront on The Palm Jumeirah. Waldorf Astoria Dubai is well placed for exploring the tree-shaped islands, including the neighbouring The Pointe, where you'll find some of best fine dining restaurants, cafés and shopping outlets in Dubai, as well as The Palm Fountain, and Atlantis, The Palm, with its Lost Atlantis Waterpark and aquarium.
Sample the menu at Social, the highly acclaimed Dubai outpost by chef Carmine Faravolo, or sit down to a traditional Waldorf Astoria afternoon tea in the hotel's beautiful Peacock Alley.
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa
On a private beach on the quieter northern shores of Dubai Marina, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa is a great spot for couples and families looking to sample a life of luxury. Sprawling palm-strewn grounds hide two huge swimming pools, a splash pool for little ones, and a luxe Roman-style spa, while those with children can make full use of Le Royal Méridien's kids' clubs.
The rooms are spacious and elegant with floor-to-ceiling windows and views across the cityscape or the twinkling Arabian Sea. And, it's a mere hop and a skip from the Ain Dubai observation wheel and The Walk, Jumeirah Beach's swanky beachfront promenade lined with boutiques, bars and chichi alfresco restaurants.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
If you're after a beachfront hotel with easy access to Downtown Dubai, look no further than the Four Seasons at Jumeirah Beach. This sprawling, 237-room establishment boasts an excellent location in the residential Jumeirah 2 neighbourhood, with Old Dubai, the airport, zoo, and the iconic Mall of the Emirates just a short drive away.
Not that you'd ever need to leave... On-site, there's everything you could possibly wish for, including a spa, fitness centre, private sandy beach, numerous pools, kid's club, tennis courts and a wide variety of restaurants, bars and clubs – including the Instagram-famous Nusr-Et Steakhouse.
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
Blending beach and city life beautifully, the Mandarin Oriental groups's first UAE outpost boasts sparkling sea on the one side and the glittering Dubai skyline on the other. Inside, it's as luxurious as you'd expect with a modern, minimalist(ish) feel. There's a lovely beach complete with private cabanas and a buzzy Sun Vibe bar, as well as a rooftop pool with epic views.
Foodies will love the decadent Beluga restaurant and lounge that specialises in caviar, while those in need of some R&R can bliss out at the 2,000 square-metre spa and enjoy HydraFacials as well as Asian-inspired massages.
Address Beach Resort
If there's one thing that Dubai just loves, it's a superlative. However, you'll need a head for heights for a dip in the world's tallest infinity pool. Perched on the 77th floor of the uber-swish Address Beach Resort, bold paddlers are rewarded with magnificent views over the Ain Dubai, the world's tallest observation wheel (naturally) and the Arabian Gulf. There's also a luxe spa – the most elevated in Dubai – on the 75th floor.
If you don't fancy getting your toes wet, try ZETA Seventy Seven, an Asian fusion restaurant next to the pool which has an open-air terrace and private cabanas, all with those views. Rooms are smart in every way, from floor-to-ceiling windows and neutral tones to the iPad controlled tech.
Al Seef Heritage Hotel Dubai
Perched on the banks of Dubai Creek, this elegant hotel in the Al Seef Heritage Quarter evokes the dusty glamour of Old Arabia. The antithesis of Downtown's cloud-piercing skyscrapers, Al Seef Heritage Hotel Dubai's 200 rooms are spread across 22 traditional-style bayt houses, complete with wind towers and plush Persian interiors.
The rooms have traditional Arabic feel to them; think palm-weaved ceilings, polished wood furnishings, soft linens and sepia-toned images. All have views of the souks or the Creek, and there are vintage quirks like Bakelite-style phones and radios. In the morning, dine out on a classic Arabian mezze breakfast at Saba'a restaurant.
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