Where to Stay in Dubai Right Now
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Dubai’s hotel scene may have a reputation for unapologetic excess, but that’s steadily changing. These days, there are more options, from plush desert camps to seaside resorts with manicured beaches. Some are smart, well-designed crash pads to base yourself at during a layover; others are so sprawling, and have so many pools, boutiques and restaurants, you’d be hard-pressed to leave the premises at all. Whether you want something simpler or would rather embrace the overindulgence, these hotels channel the best of Dubai’s food, design and fun-loving spirit.
Atlantis The Royal
Palm Jumeirah
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If there’s one place that perfectly captures Dubai’s more-is-more ethos, it’s Atlantis The Royal. From its perch at the end of Palm Jumeirah (the man-made islands shaped, of course, like a palm tree), this marble-clad mega-resort delivers bling by the boatload. There’s a rooftop pool designed by a luxury fashion brand, a multistory aquarium in the lobby and no fewer than 17 date night–worthy restaurants, including outposts by celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Nobu Matsuhisa. Some of the 795 rooms and suites open to private pools or sky-high terraces, and even the toothbrushes in the bathrooms are gold-plated. A little excessive? Yes. But here, that’s precisely the point.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
Jumeirah Beach Residence
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With its prime position on Jumeirah Beach and proximity to the downtown action, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai is a smart pick if you want both sea views and city thrills. All 294 rooms of the Moorish-style retreat have a balcony or terrace overlooking the Arabian Gulf, and blend intricate mashrabiya decor details with jewel-toned fabrics and subtle floral motifs. Between the temperature-controlled pools, globe-spanning restaurant lineup (from Caribbean seafood at beachfront Tamoka to sushi and noodles at pan-Asian Blue Jade) and indoor-outdoor kids club, this hotel checks the box and then some.
The Lana
Business Bay
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The first Middle Eastern property from London-based Dorchester Collection, The Lana delivers a dose of British posh in central Dubai. The interiors (including the 225 light-flooded rooms) are understated but elegant, with a cream-and-taupe palette, warm woods and licks of brass. The Dior spa hits the spot for a jet-lag fix, and the hotel’s private yacht is on call for sunset cruises and afternoon tea at sea. On the rooftop, a lounger-lined infinity pool frames sweeping views of the Burj Khalifa, and is a hot spot on Friday nights, when the local in-crowd flocks here for drinks and live DJs.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
Umm Suqeim
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It’s not as if the homegrown Jumeirah hotel group needed another showstopper, but this latest addition takes things up a notch. This 386-room newcomer rises like a gleaming spaceship above the palm-tree fringe of Jumeirah Beach, with warm interiors of brown, bronze and natural textures that recall Dubai’s desert surroundings. Days here are all about taking it slow, whether that’s in a cabana beside one of the four pools (including one reserved exclusively for suite guests), during a private hammam session in the three-level spa or over long leisurely lunches at any of the 11 restaurants, which span from Indian to Greek to Japanese and beyond.
One&Only One Za’abeel
Za’abeel
One&Only’s third Dubai outpost—which occupies one of the two towers linked by a cantilevered sky bridge in the One Za’abeel complex—feels like a retreat from the downtown buzz. Big-shot Belgian designer Jean-Michel Gathy dressed the 229 rooms in creamy linen, marble and chrome; but it’s the skyline views, framed by wall-spanning windows and particularly dazzling during the peachy glow of sunrise, that steal the show. There’s a clubby pool on the sky bridge rooftop and a more family-friendly one at garden level, plus a restaurant lineup with standouts including French fine dining at La Dame De Pic and Indonesian restaurant Andaliman.
SIRO One Za’abeel
Za'abeel
This high-rise hotel, in the same complex as the One&Only, takes a 180-degree turn from Dubai’s familiar formula of all-day breakfasts and lavish dinner spreads. Instead of waistband-stretching indulgences, SIRO has fitness and recovery at its core, with a sprawling gym and 132 rooms kitted out with foam rollers, resistance bands, yoga mats and temperature-controlled mattresses designed for restorative sleep. Some of the suites come with private workout areas and personal trainer sessions, while others focus on post-gym recovery with private spa treatment rooms. The food mostly follows suit, with smoothie bowls, green juices and build-your-own salads, but the hotel’s restaurant hub, located in the cantilevered sky bridge called The Link, also houses a Nobu and a gourmet food hall with outposts from some of Dubai’s top dining names.
The Dubai EDITION
Downtown Dubai
In a city where hotels tend to lean heavily on pomp, The Dubai EDITION’s beige-on-white color scheme feels like a breath of fresh air. Its 275 rooms are bright and breezy, with floor-to-ceiling windows, deep soaking tubs and bathrooms stocked with toiletries that smell of black tea and bergamot. As with all EDITION properties, the lobby becomes a social hub after dark, but the real draw is DUOMO, a tip-top Italian restaurant (leave room for the tiramisu) set under a soaring, cathedral-like ceiling. Another perk: The Dubai Mall, arguably one of the best shopping Valhallas in the region, is just around the corner.
Delano Dubai
Bluewaters Island
When the buzzy Delano brand first opened in Miami, it helped define the city’s sleek, see-and-be-seen hotel scene. The group recently landed in Dubai and brought some of that beach-club spirit to Bluewaters Island, a short drive from the Dubai Marina. The 251-room Delano Dubai riffs on the Art Deco curves and tongue-in-cheek design details of the South Beach flagship, and punctuates its sleek white walls and blond woods with dopamine-inducing hits of lemon yellow and blush pink. For a break between pool-lolling and people-watching at the sultry Rose Bar, there are Turkish spreads at Blue Door and all-day pastas and pizzas at Tutto Passa.
Bab Al Shams
Mugatrah
If you want to escape Dubai’s skyscraper jumble and live out your desert fantasy, Bab Al Shams is just the ticket. About a 45-minute drive south of downtown, its fortlike entrance appears like a mirage among the golden dunes, leading to a network of sand-colored courtyards and palm-ringed pools that mirror the design of a traditional Arabian village. But for all the hotel’s rustic charms, guests are far from roughing it here: The 115 recently refreshed rooms come with plush bedding, walk-in wardrobes and hammam-inspired bathrooms, while the villas open to their own infinity pools overlooking the desert (and wild oryx, if you’re lucky). Camelback treks and dune-bashing trips in a chauffeured 4x4 make it easy to forget you’re in Dubai at all.
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