The best hotels in Dubai
Just over 30 years ago, the Dubai World Trade Centre stood tall and lonesome as the only skyscraper in the city. Today, there are over 200 towers within the bigger-is-better desert fortress that is Dubai, each addition offering a unique jewel to the city’s crown in the form of architecture-meets-art creations and sky-high structures – including the tallest building in the world. Within this skyline are also some of the best hotels in the world, where the boundaries of luxury are pushed and prodded higher and higher with each opening. It’s not all gold leaf and white gloves – although there is a lot of that – some of the best hotels in Dubai are found on the ground, lining the golden beaches or even out in the desert dunes. Here we share our favourite Dubai hotels.
How we choose the best hotels in Dubai
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We're always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
Francois Nel/Getty/Atlantis DubaiAtlantis the Royal
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Any retreat that bills itself as “the most ultra-luxury experiential resort in the world” is not going for subtlety – but here, that’s very much the point. Sitting alongside its famous sister, Atlantis the Palm, on Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis the Royal’s eye-catching curves contain 795 rooms, suites, and penthouses, 17 restaurants and bars, a 1.2-mile beach, and more than 90 pools. Beyoncé performed at its opening celebration, and Tiësto wrote its theme song. (Yes, it has its own soundtrack.) Guests enter the lobby between walls of fire and water, conceived by Moshe Safdie, who created the Rain Vortex at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport. The spaces are vast, with light bouncing off enormous swathes of marble and massive fish tanks; stately internal boulevards lined with luxury boutiques crisscross the property. Up in the rooms, the mood is calmer, with soothing palettes and surprisingly minimalist decor accentuating views, from the Palm-facing balconies especially. The suites and penthouses elevate the experience even further with landscaped terraces and glass-walled pools. Rooms from about £911. Nicola Chilton
See our first in review of Atlantis the Royal for more
Natelee Cocks/Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort, DubaiBab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Since 2004, this desert resort has been a favourite of residents and visitors for its mix of family-friendly fun, lush gardens, and Arabian architecture. Freshly reopened after an extensive renovation, Bab Al Shams is looking better – and brighter – than ever. The dark furnishings and textiles have given way to a new design aesthetic that features a lighter colour palette and a more contemporary mood, all while remaining true to its Arabian roots. Hardcore fans can still find some of the original elements, albeit with a modern style and renewed energy. The much-loved swimming pools on the edge of the sands are now flanked by fresh new restaurants, including Mediterranean Zala and rooftop Anwā for Asian dishes and sunset views. A brand new fleet of Land Rover Discoveries is also on hand for desert excursions. While you’re bouncing through the dunes in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, you’ll likely spot herds of endangered Arabian oryxes and wandering sand gazelles. Don’t come expecting a golden sea of towering dunes – you need to head 300 kilometres inland to the Empty Quarter for that – but for a taste of desert adventure a short drive from downtown Dubai, you can’t do much better than this. Nicola Chilton
AlamyJumeirah Al Qasr
Featured on our 2023 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
I never expected to fall so hard for Jumeirah Al Qasr. This marble-clad, gold-encrusted palace at the nucleus of Jumeirah’s multi-resort beach enclave is the polar opposite of the less-is-more look that I, a self-proclaimed sophisticate, usually gravitate to. But within hours after checking in, I had already bought into its arabesque fantasy, and by the next morning, I fancied myself a veritable royal. It's impossible not to feel princeling-special when you have an army of staff ready with mint tea at the drop of a hat, or when you float down the resort’s labyrinthine canals in an abra boat. Wander the hallways, with their Arabian-inspired columns and mashrabiya latticework. And the more than 50 cafés, bars, and restaurants spread across the palm-tufted compound cater to every spur-of-the-moment whim. The rooms, too, are fit for a sheik, with bathrooms replete with marble tubs. Rooms were refreshed in 2018 with mother-of-pearl inlays. And then there’s that balcony view: a city of sand-coloured wind catchers poking out from a meticulously landscaped sprawl of palm trees and swirling pools, backdropped by Dubai’s gleaming skyline in the hazy distance. At first glance, Al Qasr might look like a Disney-fied bubble in the desert; spend a few days here, and you'll find that its royal hospitality is the real deal. From about £265. Chris Schalkx
Courtesy One&Only Royal MirageOne&Only Royal Mirage
Featured on our 2023 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
At a time when luxury properties seem to be cutting back on small things they think guests won’t notice, One & Only Royal Mirage remains unfalteringly consistent. From in-room details like fresh flowers and thoughtful amenities like poolside iced fruit and a cleaning service for sunglasses, it all adds up to a pleasing sense of indulgence. Enter the marbled lobby (to chimes from a welcoming gong), where intuitive staff perceive your every need without ever being annoying or intrusive. When the original Palace opened in 1998, on the shores of the emirate’s Jumeirah Beach, its traditional domes and arches elegantly surpassed the ruling family’s flanking beach residences. Even though it has increased its footprint to include the Arabian Court and Residence & Spa, there’s an innate sense of space and privacy, undoubtedly helped by 65 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds. Unsurprisingly, golf buggies are the vehicles du jour, saving Loro Piana-clad guests from taking too many steps to the eight restaurants, two of which are overseen by three-Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco. Amid Dubai’s showboating, posturing pretenders to its crown, One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, quite simply reigns supreme. From about £681 per night. Stella Rosato
Dan KullbergFour Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Featured on our 2022 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
There aren’t too many places that can offer a true beach and city break – but this elegant compound on Jumeirah’s crisp-white shores manages to feel like part of Dubai while also being gently removed from it. Mostly, the hotel sits on the serene side of Middle Eastern opulence, with marble, Murano chandeliers and gold-leaf ceilings cut through with calming, earthy tones inspired by the desert and Arabian Gulf. Staff around the curving, shadow-draped lagoon pools seem ever-ready with citrus shooters and blueberry muffins, and there’s often a procession of couples heading towards the orb-like sculpture by the beach, fire-lit as the sun goes down. The spa has treatments designed by Swiss anti-ageing guru Pauline Burgener, and much of the food runs fresh – from detox salads at vegetarian Folia to yellowtail ceviche at Sea Fu. But this is still Dubai, so there’s also room for the flash of Nusr-Et, the steakhouse created by divisive Turkish showman Salt Bae. Jumeirah is the closest beach to Downtown, and the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa still loom large, best viewed from the rooftop Mercury Lounge, with its Arabian archways framing the twinkling city. I can’t think of a better way to see and do Dubai. By Alice Holtham
Ingrid Rasmussen25hours Hotel One Central
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Forget the glitz and glam, this cool new un-Dubai hotel is a hub for creatives, digital nomads, and those in the know. There’s plenty of co-working spaces, a lobby filled with thousands of books for all to read, a podcast recording room, a pottery studio and desks filled with typewriters and paints for guests and visitors to get creative. In the daytime communal spaces are filled with savvy business owners, artists, trendy expats and Emiratis looking for something different. Hotel guests spend most days lounging on beds and bean bags around the rooftop pool, nibbling tacos and sipping margaritas from the pool bar. Swim to the pool's edge for the best views of the newly opened Museum of the Future which lights up in the evening. Come evening, once you've had a full body massage at The Extra Hour Spa, and your hair styled at the on-site hairdressers, you can choose from five restaurants and bars within the hotel. Dressed up guests should venture downstairs to the delicious Indian restaurant Tandoor Tina before heading up to the roof for sun-down punchy cocktails at Monkey Bar. For a more casual vibe, you can get a large steine and bratwurst at Bavarian bar Ernst – the first hotel serving pork in Dubai.
The hotel has 434 rooms and suites split over multiple levels, with interiors on the first floor public spaces coloured beige like the desert. As you head higher up, more colours are introduced to each floor as a homage to Dubai rising from the desert and becoming the futuristic hub it is today. Room interiors are modern and playful – there’s hammocks, freestanding baths to roll into from bed, walls filled with local photography and polaroid cameras should you wish to buy film from the lobby and snap away. Sophie Knight
Address: Trade Center St, Trade Centre, Trade Centre 2, Dubai
Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
The Anantara World Islands have been in the making for a long time, starting and stopping over the decades due to financial and environmental reasons. Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort is the first resort to open on the man-made archipelago, and it’s hard to imagine that any subsequent properties will afford better views of Dubai’s glittering skyline. This is the kind of place you get to and then stay put, exploring the water by way of jet skis and hydrofoils. And though it’s still in its soft opening phase, the family-friendly suites and incredibly lovely staff are already heading in the right direction.
FIVE Palm Jumeirah
If you want to join the party people, then head to FIVE at the base of Jumeirah Palm. This place puts music at the forefront of its offering. From daytime pool parties with giant bubbles and live saxophone to sunset beach raves with world-class DJs, and late nights in the blingiest of nightclubs, you can dance from morning to night in the hotel that never sleeps. When you do feel the need to hit the pillow, you can do so in stylish rooms – all bronze fixtures and fittings, and elegant Art Deco bars. Open the doors to your sea-facing terrace if you want to nod off to distant hypnotic house music, or close them for cocooned silence.
Set in an architecturally striking building, which curves like an amphitheatre around a pristine stretch of beachfront overlooking Dubai Marina, the hotel offers plenty of downtime, too. There are hydrotherapy jets in the rooftop spa pool and talented therapists working away the knots in tired muscles. Italian al-fresco lunches take place at poolside Cinque restaurant, while you can eat sushi with a view of the Dubai skyline in the Penthouse or dine on dim sum at Maiden Shanghai. Whether you’re eating tempura seafood on the beach or slurping a power juice at breakfast, the food here is excellent. And if you order bottles of booze, you’ll be treated to elaborate dances, sparklers and perhaps some drumming, so that everyone in the room knows you are getting the party started. Antonia Windsor
Tommy PiconeBulgari Resort Dubai
The fifth addition to the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts portfolio, following Milan, Bali, London and Beijing, Bulgari Resort Dubai was designed by Italian-based Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel with the same perfection as the brand’s jewellery. A stay here melts understated Italian minimalism with ramped-up extravagance, with low-key luxe rooms that are dressed in an almost all-Italian catalogue of furnishings. The private island location makes for thrilling views of the city’s skyline plus the benefits of its own marina and yacht club, a first for the hotel brand and for Dubai. The jewel in the crown is the 25-metre indoor pool, with giddying ocean and city views, backed by a Vitality Pool lined with shimmering green and real gold mosaic tiles. Read our full Bulgari Resort Dubai review.
Address: Jumeirah Bay Island, Dubai
ME Dubai
This (relative) low-rise stands tall amongst a sea of skyscrapers thanks to its boundary-breaking design by the late, Pritzker-awarded architect Dame Zaha Hadid. Found within The Opus tower, the curved glass structure means entering the bedrooms is like stepping onto the bridge of a super-slick spaceship, with curved walls further accentuated by wavy furnishings, puddles of plush rugs and a bathroom that verges on trippy. Alongside Hadid’s specially designed furniture, there’s also a keen focus on art and curated exhibitions throughout the hotel. The combination draws a creative crowd, especially to al fresco restaurant Deseo which serves seasonal local fish and Latin American dishes in a tropical space. For more, see our full review of ME Dubai.
Address: The Opus by Omniyat, Al A'amal St, Business Bay, Dubai
Fernando Guerra / ANARCHITECTAl Faya Lodge
A Dubai hotel that’s not in the city itself, Al Faya Lodge is a mirage-like destination stay that brings a unique glamping experience to the desert. Located on the lonely Al Faya Road an hour east of Dubai, the mountainside plot was once just a dusty petrol pit stop in the 1960s. In 2016, government developers set about an ambitious plan to transform the derelict cement blocks into a five-room lodge retreat. The result is a pioneering breed of boutique design hotels in Sharjah, where rooms feature stargazing skylights and fire pits, and the spa has a sea saltwater pool and Himalayan salt therapy room. Read our full Al Faya Lodge review.
Address: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Mandarin Oriental Dubai
There are plenty of beachside hotels in Dubai but few can claim to be as shiny and well placed as the Mandarin Oriental, which opened up on a private stretch of Jumeirah in 2019. The hotel is shiny new and shiny shiny, with rows of towering bronze trees with leaf-shaped crystal bulbs lining the lobby, creating a glittering fairy forest that leads out to the beach. The other talking point is Tasca, one of the six restaurants in the hotel, headed up by Portuguese chef José Avillez of two-Michelin-starred Belcanto restaurant in Lisbon. See our full Mandarin Oriental hotel review.
Jumeirah Mina A'Salam
This is Dubai insider’s hotel – cooler and more understated than most of its neighbours. Jumeirah itself is a heavyweight within the city’s scene and the name behind many of its most well-respected restaurants and residences in Dubai. Mina A’Salam is one of the nine Jumeirah hotels, a 40-hectare project designed to look like a traditional Arabian hub, blended seamlessly into the gateway of the mighty Madinat Jumeirah souk, where bougainvillaea frame the white walls and everything is linked by canals. The hotel also includes Dar Al Masyaf, a cluster of summerhouses beloved by Hollywood stars, while the private beach, one of the finest in the city, has hosted many Dubai International Film Festival opening parties. See our full Jumeirah Mina A'Salam review for more.
Hakan AkdemirThe St. Regis Downtown, Dubai
Located on the expansive Dubai Water Canal, The St. Regis Downtown combines the spirit of its New York sister property with the very best of what the city’s modern financial Downtown district has to offer. In terms of location, all of the famed landmarks are within easy reach, from the world’s largest shopping mall, the Dubai Mall, to the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa. Inside, the aesthetic is classic through a Middle Eastern lens. Rooms are generous in size, each with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook either the Dubai Water Canal or Burj Khalifa – two very good options – and access to the legendary St Regis butler service as standard. The hotel also has the first St. Regis Spa in the Middle East, impressively spread across six therapy suites including a Hammam. Signature treatments include a purifying 24-carat gold facial (this is Dubai, remember) along with flotation pod therapy and a traditional Moroccan Hammam. See our St. Regis Downtown Dubai review for more.
Address: Marasi Dr, Business Bay, Dubai