These are unusual times, the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Our writers visited some hotels below pre-pandemic.

With the international Expo poised to open and months of balmy days ahead, Dubai is a pleasingly solid bet for culture, extravagance and mid-haul winter sun. Finally removed from the UK red list in August, the city draws sunseekers and shoppers in their droves, and with Emirates offering a free day pass to Expo 2020 Dubai (postponed, like so many other events, last year) with every flight, you can now punctuate your R&R with a spot of architectural and technological innovation, too.

Each of Dubai’s neighbourhoods has its own charm – and an abundance of top-notch hotels – so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a base. Whether you’re after sky-high swimming, designer credentials or old-school service, our pick of the best places to stay in Dubai should help steer you in the right direction.

JBR and Bluewaters Island

Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) has been the home of sun-drenched holidays, beach hotels and seaside activities for all ages since travelling to Dubai became popular. But this shoreline destination is a particular hit with families, who head straight to spots such as AquaFun, an inflatable water park. From above, it spells out ‘I [heart] Dubai’; take a spin on The Flying Cup, a rotating ride reaching 40 metres high, and you’ll be able to read it. An extension of JBR, Bluewaters Island adds a few more miles to this shoreline destination patrolled by pram-pushing parents daily, and it’s about to become even more popular with the opening of the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, on October 21.

JBR and Bluewaters Island, Dubai

Ain Dubai (Dubai Eye) is the tallest ferris wheel in the world

Credit:
Aleksandra Tokarz

Where to stay

Vegas comes to Bluewaters island just off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Residence – though this cluster of high-rise blocks, lapped by azure Arabian Sea, appears much more understated than its US sister. It’s the first Caesars Palace outside of Vegas and doesn’t have a casino but it does offer a 500-seat dome theatre, an outpost of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant and fashionable beach club. It also shares its urban island locale with a well-groomed promenade perfect for picturesque sunset strolls à deux.


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The first ever beach resort from Dubai’s slick homegrown Address chain raises the tone in one of Dubai’s most renowned and attractive holiday hotspots. It’s topped by the world’s tallest infinity pool and overlooks what is also the world’s tallest Ferris wheel (Ain Dubai). Guests staying between October 1 and March 31 will receive complimentary Expo tickets if they book in September (addresshotels.com) which, as under-18s have free entry, makes this hotel – and others in the group including the aforementioned Address Sky View – the perfect choice for families.


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This sky-high party palace on one of Dubai’s most sought-after beaches is a magnet for millennials who flock to its famous franchises including STK steakhouse; Black Tap, purveyors of monster shakes and burgers, and Lock Stock & Barrel, a lively bar inspired by Guy Ritchie films. A private cabana with butler service by the pool is a perfect antidote for the morning after the night before. And yes, it might have a grown-up feel, but families aren’t left behind: interconnecting rooms, international dining and free tickets to Dubai Parks & Resorts ensure plenty of adventures.


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Downtown Dubai 

Like a gigantic location pin, Burj Khalifa places Downtown Dubai – dubbed “The Centre of Now” – on the map. At the base of the world’s tallest building, Dubai Fountain erupts into nightly displays of music, water jets and light projections, while either side stands Souk al Bahar, a medina-style mall housing the new Time Out Market Dubai, and the unmissable shopping and entertainment emporium, Dubai Mall. Families love it – parents can shop or quaff cocktails overlooking Dubai Lake while they unleash the little ones at Dubai Mall’s VR Park, a virtual reality den with an indoor rollercoaster. Or Kidzania, a miniature world designed exclusively for children and their social development. Hotels are varied, from budget to designer.

Downtown Dubai

Downtown Dubai is dubbed “The Centre of Now”

Credit:
Umar Shariff Photography/Umar Shariff Photography

Where to stay

Dubai’s answer to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands has all the hallmarks of an Address hotel – spacious, well lit and sophisticated – with the iconic skyline visible from the balconies, spa, and pools. Rooms are spacious enough to swing a tiger in, and families are catered for with interconnecting accommodation, a dedicated pool and kids’ club. The show-stopping 54th-floor infinity puts swimmers face-to-midriff with the Burj Khalifa, where you’ll soon be the envy of all your social media followers.


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Occupying the first eight floors of the Burj Khalifa (plus suites on levels 38 and 39) Giorgio Armani’s first hotel was created to reflect his own personal tastes – and it’s easy to picture yourself at one of his stylish house parties here. Interiors are cohesively muted, there are several enjoyable bars and restaurants, and a bird’s-eye view of the dancing Dubai Fountain becomes an immersive experience as you pipe the accompanying show music into your rooms via an iPod dock.


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A budget bolthole popular with globetrotting millennials. This outstanding affordable hotel is all about fun, form and function, with contemporary art displays, co-working spaces, a convenience store and a PlayStation hub furnished with beanbags. A cinema, gym and rooftop pool add to the hotel’s on-site appeal, but City Walk with its shops, pop-ups, street art and Green Planet (a vertical forest) is also within walking distance.


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Jebel Ali 

As the site of Expo 2020 Dubai, Jebel Ali, a remote commercial port on the emirate’s southern outskirts has become the centre of attention, transformed into a sci-fi landscape with soaring tree-shaped solar-energy towers tracking the sun and country-themed pavilions. The area’s makeover includes a new metro station, so families can flock to the fair for world cuisine and cultural performances, reaching the site from Downtown Dubai in around 30 minutes. Existing attractions include the Outlet Village discount mall (Dubai’s answer to Bicester Village), and Dubai Parks and Resorts, a complex of hotels and Lego-, Bollywood- and Motiongate-themed amusement parks will soon be joined by a larger-than-life Legoland Hotel.

Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai

Existing attractions at Jebel Ali include Dubai Parks and Resorts

Credit:
Tomasz Ganclerz

Where to stay

If amusement parks are a priority, this cheery hotel with a Pacific-island vibe guarantees adventure (and guests on specific packages get free theme park tickets; marriott.co.uk). Expect Bollywood flash mobs, movie-themed rides, water slides, augmented realities and dramatic stunt shows, which should keep the whole family entertained for a few days at least. Staying at Lapita is as much fun for adults, with premium accommodation options, fitness centre and a spa, as it is for youngsters who can avail of the many club activities including treasure hunts and face painting.


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What sets this Mediterranean-esque pile apart is its strength of character. Just 10 years younger than the UAE itself, guests are greeted like old friends (some have been returning for more than 20 years) and there are leisurely activities for every generation – from seaplane tours to badminton and watersports to horse riding.


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Business Bay

This hub of high-rise offices and residential towers straddles Dubai Creek, an extension of the canal that flows from Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, aflutter with flamingos, through Business Bay and on to neighbouring Jumeirah where it meets the glistening Arabian Sea. Strolling or cycling along the canal at sunset is a simple pleasure. After dark, head to the many rooftop bars and glitzy restaurants to mingle with the after-work crowd, before hitting up Former F1 boss Flavio Briatore’s theatrical supper club Billionaire Dubai (billionairesociety.com), ripe for star-spotting. 

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary with Dubai’s Business district in the background

Credit:
Aleksandra Tokarz

Where to stay

Zaha Hadid-designed ME Dubai occupies part of The Opus – a curvy landmark building that emulates the look of a Sixties sci-fi film set inside. It suits visitors seeking little luxuries like basketball hoop-sized showerheads, rugs deep enough to wiggle toes in, a superb spa, and excellent dining. For revellers, the open-air pool deck oozes opulence; live entertainment includes a DJ and saxophonist.


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The Taj might be in the business district but here it’s all about pleasure. Interiors are a carnival of colour and its varied restaurants are full of personality and customers smiling over dim sum, dosa and afternoon tea. More than 3,000 Indian sculptures and artworks adorn rooms, and hospitable actions like leg cushions brought to pool cabanas (to elevate the knees), yoga kits in rooms and rosewater mocktails upon arrival reinforce that sense of being looked after. An outdoor split-level pool deck and a spa complete the picture.


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Jumeirah

Only Emiratis can buy real estate in Jumeirah; everyone else has to rent or stay in one of the area’s luxury hotels to enjoy its generous miles of deep sandy beaches. Its boulevards are lined with designer coffee bars and trendy boutiques, while fashion designers, artists and gourmet artisans occupy the shipping containers at Boxpark on Al Wasl Road. Most independent cafes and restaurants are unlicensed, meaning alcohol isn’t served, but there’s no shortage of glamorous cocktail bars and romantic proposal-worthy restaurants within the resorts.

Jumeirah, Dubai

Only Emiratis can buy real estate in Jumeirah; everyone else has to rent or stay in one of the area’s luxury hotels

Credit:
Jorg Greuel/Jorg Greuel

Where to stay

On Jumeirah Bay, this private island retreat just off the Dubai coast draws you in with sweeping Arabian Gulf vistas and a private white-sand beach. Interiors gleam with quality, and even the spa’s sea-facing indoor pool is lined with real gold. Money no object? The 20 stand-alone villas come with their own private pools, outdoor terraces and butler service.


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Along with its Four Seasons and Bulgari neighbours, the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah offers luxury in spades: think Michelin-standard meals, a private beach, a deluxe spa and five stunning pools (including an infinity pool and a children’s pool). Most rooms and suites have balconies or terraces, aimed at either the Arabian Gulf or the cityscape.


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Palm Jumeirah

This man-made phenomenon – an island shaped like a tree that’s visible from space – attracts a crowd that likes to be seen and heard. Motor enthusiasts with fancy cars enjoy revving their engines up and down the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, much to the irritation of residents, but if you’ve come to ‘The Palm’ to party there are plenty of rooftop bars where DJs drown out even the loudest Ferrari. Family-focused attractions include Aquaventure water park and the island’s crowning glory, a 10-kilometre breakwater crescent and promenade. Take walks at dusk for cool views stretching to Ain Dubai and Dubai Marina on one side and to sail-shaped, seven-star hotel Burj al Arab on the other.

Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

If you’ve come to ‘The Palm’ to party there are plenty of rooftop bars

Credit:
à © CAMERA PRESS/Lutz Jaekel/laif

Where to stay

People happily pay honeymoon prices at what is anecdotally the emirate’s most romantic resort. Occupying the last plot on Palm Jumeirah’s West Crescent, the low-rise resort (on a quarter of a mile of private beach) values privacy and ups the romance with decadent menus curated by triple-Michelin-star-winning chef Yannick Alléno, rooms furnished with garden patios, private balconies or if you’re in a Premium suite, private pools.


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This imposing ivory resort proudly faces the sail-shaped silhouette of Burj Al Arab across the Arabian Gulf – helicopter tours from the pad will give you a cracking bird’s-eye view. Alternatively, soak up the sights from the seven-mile-long, 20-foot-wide promenade encompassing this tree-shaped island. All rooms have balconies and almost all have sea views while some overlook the city or resort grounds, reminding guests of its ample greenery and topaz pools.


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DIFC

The monied workforce of Dubai International Financial District has a taste for the finer things in life. Demand drives supply and there’s no end to the indulgences available. London’s members-only Arts Club launched a DIFC branch in 2020, and auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s have outposts here, as do fashionable fine-dining chains Zuma, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Mint Leaf of London, catering to the affluent business traveller. Casual bites can be found at South Market food hall inside Gate Avenue, DIFC’s new mall, which provides an air-conditioned walkway from the striking Gate Building to Central Park Towers, landmarks of the iconic skyline above. 

Dubai International Financial District

The monied workforce of Dubai International Financial District has a taste for the finer things in life

Credit:
Sylvain SONNET/Sylvain Sonnet

Where to stay

In keeping with its bonafide surrounds, the Four Seasons – previously an apartment block – has crowd-pulling restaurants and bars (even the breakfast buffet looks as though it’s been styled for the pages of a magazine), a world-class spa and a glass-sided rooftop pool. Far smaller than the region’s standard five-star hotels, the intimate scale adds value and every inch is suitably polished and gilded.


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Located on Happiness Street, Waldorf Astoria DIFC occupies floors 18-55 of the Burj Daman building and splices the vintage elegance of 1960s New York (Mad Men inspired much of the art and décor) with an energising French Riviera-inspired rooftop pool bar. The area is famed for its thriving nightlife, prosperous from business travellers letting off steam, so pack your fineries.


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Food and art prevail at the Ritz in the heart of Dubai’s financial district. A compelling art collection, French, Italian and Belgian cuisines and a 24-hour cake shop vie for your attention, while the hotel’s exotic open-air bar Flair No.5, indoor pool, outdoor rooftop pool, and spa elevate the luxury.


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Deira

North of atmospheric Dubai Creek lies Deira. Modest by today’s standards, its high-rises once represented the emirate’s ambitious future. This was one of the best areas to stay in Dubai during the Sixties, when Deira Clock Tower was the emirate’s most recognised landmark. The neighbourhood has since expanded, especially in 2021 with Deira Islands adding prime coastline. The Gold Souk and Spice Souk remain popular with tourists shopping for Arabic-name necklaces, dried frankincense and “natural herbal Viagra”. Camel milk ice cream from Gershwin’s kiosk by the main abra boat station is another crowd-pleaser.

Deira, Dubai

Deira was the place to be in the Sixties when Deira Clock Tower was Dubai’s most recognised landmark

Credit:
John Elk

Where to stay

This peaceful Creek-side property has a calm, residential feel with a less-is-more approach to luxury. Whitewashed buildings with blue domes and bougainvillea-draped walls recall the Greek Isles while mashrabiya-patterned woodwork and wafts of frankincense put it firmly in the Middle East. It is home to an award-winning spa, palm-fringed swimming pool and some of the most lavish rooms and suites in the city.


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Source: telegraph UK

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