These Are the 12 Best Hotels in Dubai

With more than 800 hotels and 150,000 rooms in Dubai, deciding where to stay can be a formidable task. And there’s still more to come, with Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, a second Mandarin Oriental, and a Delano on the horizon. While the city has more than its fair share of hotels in glass and steel towers that feel like they could be anywhere in the world, it also has plenty of extraordinary beach resorts and retreats that connect visitors to the emirate and its culture. Here are some standout examples of hotels we love in Dubai right now.

Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa

Courtesy of Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa

• Location: Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
• Why we love it: A luxurious desert safari near Dubai
• Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
• From $948
• Book Now

The most luxurious way to experience Dubai’s desert may smash an entire holiday budget, but a stay in the Bedouin-inspired tented suites at Al Maha might well be worth it. It’s one of the best places to see desert conservation in action: Al Maha is located in the heart of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, home to the UAE’s largest free-roaming herd of Arabian oryx, a species brought back from extinction in the wild through rehabilitation initiatives. Guests should keep their eyes peeled for gazelles, too—300 Arabian and 100 sand gazelles inhabit the dunes, and the more inquisitive ones often come right up to the 42 tented accommodations. Water recycling, biodiesel, and solar panels all contribute to Al Maha’s behind-the-scenes efforts to tread lightly on the fragile desert ecosystem.

Al Seef Heritage Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

Courtesy of Al Seef Heritage Hotel

• Location: Al Seef
• Why we love it: An atmospheric retreat set along the waterfront
• Loyalty program: Hilton Honors
• From $100
• Book Now

Located alongside Dubai Creek in the “new” old Dubai neighborhood of Al Seef, this hotel feels remarkably traditional with its wind towers and wooden beams, despite having been built just a few years ago. The 190 airy guest rooms, some with private balconies, are spread across multiple small buildings called bait, the Arabic word for house, and they’re peppered with vintage trinkets such as rotary phones, brass rosewater bottles, and photos of old Dubai. Carpets and cushions are strewn invitingly around the common area rooftops for lounging. The waterfront setting is easy to explore on foot, with cafés, restaurants, and souvenir shops all close by.

Arabian Boutique Hotel

Courtesy of Arabian Boutique Hotel

• Location: Al Shindagha
• Why we love it: A quieter, more intimate side of Dubai
• From $122
• Book now

A new arrival in Dubai’s creek-side Al Shindagha area, the Arabian Boutique Hotel strikes out on a different path from its flashier counterparts. Housed in a restored coral-stone heritage building topped by a traditional wind tower (ingenious structures designed to capture the breeze and cool the home’s interior), the 10-bedroom hotel showcases the heritage of the United Arab Emirates.

Rooms are centered on a bougainvillea-filled courtyard, with a decor that embraces a blend of retro and contemporary. It’s not quite at the level of the city’s ultra-luxury properties, but it’s comfortable, cozy, and full of character. There are vintage Japanese bicycles for rides around the neighborhood, one of Dubai’s most charming, with museums, cafés and souks. An excellent on-site restaurant, the Arabian Fish House, sits right on the edge of the water, and dishes here focus on Emirati seafood—many recipes coming directly from owner Ali M Al Rais’s mother—along with flatbreads, mezze, and desserts. The best way to start a day here is to rise early and head up to the terrace to watch the Dubai Creek come alive, with little wooden abras and trading dhows slicing through waters shimmering with the sun’s first rays.

Atlantis the Royal

Courtesy of Atlantis the Royal

• Location: Palm Jumeirah
• Why we love it: All the bling of Dubai, with pockets of welcome seclusion
• From $1,195
• Book Now

When the 795-room Atlantis the Royal opened its doors at the end of Palm Jumeirah in February 2023, it seemed to be the only thing the entire city was talking about (Beyoncé gave her first performance in five years at the opening party). Things have calmed down a little since then, and the resort has settled into being a surprisingly sophisticated and relaxed spot, with excellent restaurants like Gastón Acurio’s La Mar and Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner, the world’s first beach club by Nobu Matsuhisa, and an elegant afternoon tea in the Royal Tearoom in the lobby that guarantees great people-watching.

Sure, it’s big and bold, but it’s a lot of fun, and there are plenty of calm corners for quiet seclusion. Head up to the sky-high Cloud 22 swimming pool for some of the best Palm Jumeirah views in the city, or snooze under a shady palm tree at ground level. Take note that you’ll receive a wake-up call every hour throughout the day, though, when the hotel’s dancing fountains burst into music and lights, shooting bursts of water and flames high into the sky for extra drama. As kitsch as it may be, it’s hard not to love it.

Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort

Courtesy of Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort

• Location: Al Qudra
• Why we love it: A favorite retreat among locals on the fringes of the Dubai desert
• From $285
• Book Now

A longtime favorite of Dubai residents, Bab Al Shams has been welcoming guests to the edge of the Dubai desert for 20 years. While the location may no longer feel as remote as it once did, the resort is looking better than ever, thanks to a recent refurbishment that saw the addition of new restaurants, a spa, and a hammam, not to mention eight one- and two-bedroom Desert Pool Villas opening on October 1, 2024.

Less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Dubai, this is the closest—and most affordable—desert resort within easy access of the city. The architecture is like an Arabian fantasy, all crenellated walls, carved wooden doors, and water features. A trio of infinity pools looks out over desert sands, where camels wait at sunset for photo ops and short rides, and desert safari drives take guests on excursions to see Arabian oryxes and sand gazelles in the adjacent Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve. But the real highlight here is the nightly extravaganza at Al Hadheerah featuring a mind-boggling selection of live cooking stations. Think mezze, grilled meats, and seafood, soups and stews cooked in caldrons over white-hot coals, towering dessert displays, and a dinner show that spans everything from belly dancers to live Arabic music, tanoura and dabke dance performances, and even a caravan of camels.

Bulgari Resort Dubai

Courtesy of Bulgari Resort Dubai

• Location: Jumeira Bay Island
• Why we love it: A handsome, sophisticated beach getaway in a secluded location
• From $1,225
• Book Now

With its location on Jumeira Bay Island, slightly removed from most of the city’s beach resorts, the Bulgari Resort Dubai seems like a hidden, exclusive hideaway. At its center is Bulgari’s first marina and yacht club, with a suitably glamorous line-up of sleek yachts and a separate berth offshore for the even larger superyachts that make their way here in winter when the Med is too cold.

Everything feels calm and grown-up: The palm-flanked pool at the yacht club is peaceful, as is the stretch of powdery sand on the gentle sweep of beach. There are excellent Italian cocktails at the bar, Italian cuisine at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Niko Romito, and exquisite sushi at one-Michelin-starred Hōseki. The hotel could be showy but it isn’t, and there’s a calm sense of elegance throughout.

Rooms are filled with light that pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows, terraces are spacious and comfortably furnished, and this is one of only a handful of resorts in the city that does villas really well. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, with sprawling indoor and outdoor living areas, and pools and gardens, the villas are the accommodations of choice in the city for those looking for privacy and discreet but friendly service.

Jumeirah Burj Al Arab

Courtesy of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab

• Location: Its own island near Jumeirah Beach
• Why we love it: An architectural wonder with some of the city’s most opulent accommodations
• From $1,035
• Book Now

A night at the all-suite Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is extra in every sense of the word, from the boldness of its sail-shaped architecture to the mind-boggling scale of its atrium and audacious interior design. All 202 accommodations are two-level suites with views of the sparkling Arabian Gulf. The hotel turns 25 years old in 2024, and in the quarter century since its opening, no other retreat in the city has ever come close to its extravagance. Non guests can join an Inside Burj Al Arab tour for a glimpse at the gold-encrusted, silk-adorned, leopard-print filled Royal Suite, complete with rotating beds. Hotel guests have access to the more than 100,000-square-foot terrace, with its freshwater and saltwater pools lined with 10 million gold and azure mosaic tiles; here they can order a bottle of bubbly while soaking up the only-in-Dubai opulence.

Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf

Courtesy of Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf

• Location: Madinat Jumeirah
• Why we love it: A sophisticated beachside playground for adults
• From $865
• Book Now

One of six luxury hotels by Dubai-based hospitality brand Jumeirah that sprawl along Dubai’s nicest stretch of beach, Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf is a seaside enclave full of wandering peacocks, tropical gardens, and Arabian architecture. It’s like a grown-up theme park in the best possible sense—guests can float through canals on little abra boats, visit the turtles in the rehabilitation lagoon in neighboring Jumeirah Al Naseem, or lounge beneath shady palms beside its many pools. The 283 rooms and suites are spread over recently renovated intimate “Arabian houses” with nine to eleven rooms each, along with shared central courtyards, tinkling fountains, and complimentary cocktails daily at 6 p.m. Guests also have free access to the waterslide-filled Wild Wadi waterpark just a short buggy ride away.

The Lana

Courtesy of the Lana, Dorchester Collection

• Location: Business Bay
• Why we love it: Quiet luxury with superlative service in Dubai’s up-and-coming waterside neighborhood
• From $845
• Book Now

Proving that Dubai can do quiet luxury, The Lana, the first outpost for the Dorchester Collection in the Middle East, has recently opened its doors alongside the Marasi Bay Marina. The views from the marina-facing rooms and rooftop pool across the water to the Burj Khalifa and the skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai are spectacular, especially at sunset.

Interiors embrace soaring arches, polished marble, alabaster and mosaic-covered columns, and a gentle color palette of grays, pinks, and sandy tones brings a feeling of calm to the 225 guest rooms and suites. The hotel is home to Dubai’s first Dior Spa, and while it’s currently very much an urban property, a boat transfer will soon connect guests with the beach at the brand’s private Palm Jumeirah residences.

Look out for Bitter Honey, the bijou bar just off the lobby, where cocktails—like the melapona margarita, a blend of mezcal, hibiscus, cherry, and Mexican tajin spice—are a tribute to bees and feature locally produced honey. The Lana’s Afternoon Tea is also a standout, albeit a pricey one, with delicate savories and sweets by Angelo Musa, former winner of the World’s Best Pastry Chef award. Read Afar’s full review of the Lana.

One&Only One Za’abeel

Courtesy of One&Only One Za’abeel

• Location: One Za’abeel
• Why we love it: Resort vibes meet sleek city sophistication at Dubai’s newest architecturally ambitious hotel
• From $476
• Book Now

With its imposing towers, 393-foot infinity pool atop the world’s longest cantilever, and constellation of restaurants from some of the world’s best chefs, the new One&Only One Za’abeel was destined to become a new Dubai classic from day one. The 229 generously sized rooms and suites are chic and uncluttered, pairing a calming ambience with the comforting warmth of textured fabrics and carpets.

Grand Za’abeel rooms have window-side bathtubs with far-reaching views of nearby palaces, the dramatic silhouettes of the Museum of the Future and the Burj Khalifa, and the sun setting over the sea in the distance. Drag yourself out of the tub for a dinner of exquisite French morsels at La Dame de Pic by Michelin-feted chef Anne-Sophie Pic, boundary-pushing street food by Dabiz Muñoz at StreetXO, or family-style Indonesian dishes at Andaliman. The hotel is also home to the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, where pioneering health-science, well-being, and aesthetic technologies help visitors fight the scourge of aging and cling to the illusion of youth. In a city as young as Dubai, it’s fitting escapism. Read Afar’s full review of One&Only One Za’abeel.

25hours Hotel One Central

Courtesy of 25hours One Central

• Location: One Central
• Why we love it: A community centric stay that draws digital nomads and local creatives
• From $235
• Book Now

Despite its size—the hotel has 434 rooms—there’s an unexpected feeling of community at 25hours Hotel One Central which, since its opening in 2021, has become a popular spot with creatives and digital nomads. Locals and visitors alike congregate in the design-driven, art-filled spaces. The Analog Circus mezzanine level is filled with nostalgic gadgets, including Sony Walkmen, typewriters, and a vinyl LP station, all there to be played with.

Room themes—Bedouin, glamping, farm stay—are inspired by the heritage of the UAE, with tasseled fabrics, leather details, and hammocks in some of the suites. The party-perfect maximalist Hakawati Suite even comes with a triple king-size bed. On the roof, Monkey Bar’s terrace is the place to gaze at the extraordinary architecture of the Museum of the Future, right next door. Add to all of this pod chairs for swinging in the lobby, an astonishingly authentic Bavarian beer hall and the Extra Hour Spa with its own hammam, and it’s no surprise that 25hours has become a much-loved fixture of the city.

XVA Art Hotel

Courtesy of XVA Art Hotel

• Location: Al Fahidi
• Why we love it: An intimate lodging option in a former family home
• From $122
• Book Now

One of the most atmospheric places to stay in the city, XVA is tucked away in a former family home among the restored pearling and trading houses of the Al Fahidi heritage district alongside Dubai Creek. The 15 guest rooms are comfy and intimate, but the common areas filled with contemporary Middle Eastern art and the rooftop sun deck is where visitors will want to spend most of their time. Order a fresh mint and lemon shake from the onsite vegetarian café in one of the shady, birdsong-filled courtyards before checking out the boutique, which is filled with caftans, cushions, and contemporary accessories.