The Best Hotels to Book in Dubai

Not your typical golf hotel, Gen Z golfers choose to stay at Zabeel House The Greens, thanks to its proximity to award-winning golf courses, but there is plenty to do if you don’t tee off. Suppose you’d prefer to soak up the modern, industrial vibe at the hotel, there is a tropical outdoor pool surrounded by gardens and comfortable loungers, a fully equipped gym and Spa and the Pan Pan-Asian restaurant ‘Lah Lah’, which serves sizzling street food.

The first hotel designed by fashion mogul Georgio Armani can be found within the towering Burj Khalifa building. Guests are welcomed in the lobby via impressive bronze arches, but most of the interior is surprisingly understated. Gadget lovers will have fun in the bedrooms, which have a high tech spec, as well as floor-to-ceiling views of the bustling city. When you’re ready for a cocktail and some pool time, head to the sunny terrace, where you’ll be well looked after.

The Five Palm Hotel is an Instagrammer’s dream and predictably popular with the local trendsetter crowd who flock here on the weekends for brunch. Laid out like an amphitheatre, the rooms are stacked, so they all overlook the beach, Marina and Bluewaters Island and are decorated with a nod to Art Deco decadence. Expect lots of marble, dark wood, mirrors and bronze accents and enjoy an indulgent bath in the freestanding tub. If you need some more’ me’ time, book into the ReFive Spa, which has a rooftop pool lined with cabanas.

Mina A’Salam is a family-friendly, beachfront resort at the heart of the vast Madinat Jumeirah complex. Each of the 292 rooms and suites is decorated with traditional Bedouin-inspired touches – which may sound rustic, but the large beds, marble bathrooms and plush textiles are designed for utmost comfort. If you’re travelling with kids, you’ll get extra brownie points for unlimited access to Wild Wadi Water Park next door, and you can even ride around the resort’s lagoon on an abra!

Bab Al Shams opened in 2004 as Dubai’s original luxury Arabian-style retreat. Offering luxe accommodation for adventurers, it’s worth getting up early and watching the sunrise from the resort’s infinity pool. Night-time is all about star-spotting in the velvet-black sky. Still, for an experience like no other, the Al Hadheerah restaurant offers an out of this world immersive dining experience complete with traditional singers, dancing drummers and Arabian locals reenacting historical tales.

If you thought five-star resorts were hot stuff, try seven. This exclusive Dubai hotel is located on its own private island with a man-made beach. Everything is meticulously designed, from the dramatic sail-shaped exterior to the helicopter landing pad right at the tippy-top. Rooms are like palaces, and private cabanas around the numerous pools come with wide-screen televisions and air-conditioning. Why would you want to leave?

Don’t be surprised to see some big-name celebs at the achingly-cool W Hotel. This five-star property is designed to impress with a reputation for hosting some of Dubai’s most decadent parties. All 350 rooms and suites have a terrace and state of the art sound system along with a fully stocked W MixBar, while the decor varies between disco-luxe to after-hours seduction. Reserve a tipi-cabana at the Wet Deck, and enjoy the swim-up bar (note: this gets especially busy during the weekend brunch).

Designed as an ode to Disney fairy tales, this hotel’s central arch provides a gateway to the mythical underwater world represented throughout. Kids love the towering red brick exterior, and inside the coral-shaped door handles, shell-framed mirrors and driftwood nicknacks make you feel like you’re constantly on a movie set. It also has a private beach, a vast Aquaventure Waterpark and an aquarium filled with 65,000 marine animals.