41 Best Hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Name: Meliá Dubai
Address: Kuwait St., Port Rashid, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Telephone: 4-386--8111
Price range: $$
Location: The South Bank

Dubai was built on oil and gold, and it shows. In the last decade or so, luxury and glamour have become synonymous with Dubai; it contains one of the highest ratios of five-star hotels in the world.

Although few would say that Dubai is an inexpensive place to stay, there are more budget-friendly options than ever before. Also, due to the glut of five-star hotels, it's also easier to find a great deal if you search carefully and have flexible travel dates. The deals are not always cash-based, so look for value-added packages; incentives might include complimentary meals in signature restaurants, spa treatments, and access to water parks or companion hotel beaches. Most four- and five-star hotels in Dubai have an executive floor or club. If you book a "club room," access to the club area, breakfast, evening cocktails, and canapés are often included in the rate. Considering the sky-high price of alcohol, those benefits may make it worthwhile to pay a higher rate. Note that Internet prices and rack rates might not include a 10% municipality tax and 10% service charge, so read your booking details carefully.

Peak tourist season is from November to April when the weather is mild. Prices drop as temperatures soar and also during Ramadan, but services are curtailed at this time.

Location is the prime consideration after checking your budget—what's the main reason for your visit to Dubai? If sunning and water sports are your prime objective, you'll probably want to stay in a beach resort around Jumeirah or Dubai Marina. For shopping and dining, stick to Downtown, and if you want culture and history then older areas around Bur Dubai and Deira are best. If it's just a quick overnight, there are plenty of options around the airport.

Meliá Dubai

$$ | Kuwait St., Port Rashid, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Italian-designed (Marco Mangili), Spanish-owned, with an Indian flagship restaurant, sleek and yet in an undeveloped area of Dubai, the Meliá is certainly a hotel of contrasts. There are few five-star hotels in this older part of Dubai, so when Meliá opened in 2011 it was a pleasant surprise. Public areas are dramatic, well sculpted, and sophisticated. The large rooms are plush and contemporary, and have exceptional oval baths. There is a small rooftop pool and bar with skyline views of Dubai's space-age towers, shipyards, and the Persian Gulf. The spa is well worth a visit, offering hydrotherapy, Moroccan bath, and a wide range of treatments.

The Palace

$$$$ | Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd., The Old Town Island, Downtown Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Aptly named, the entrance to The Palace is Taj Mahal-like, with Moorish arches, domes, and Arabesque lace reflected over its dramatic pond. The lobby is marble-lined, centered on a rose-petal filled water feature, and framed with carved teak screens for a deliciously exotic effect. Rooms are similarly themed, with silks, velvet, and cottons in cool colors, woodwork, and plush carpets. The hotel is somewhere between a city hotel and a resort---the grounds are spacious, with pools, gardens, alfresco eateries, and a luxurious day spa, it sits in the shade of the world's tallest building, next to the Dubai Mall, and close to the DIFC and other business districts.

Palazzo Versace

$$$$ | Culture Village, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When they were constructing this hotel, there were plans to chill the sand on the beach overlooking Dubai Creek; although that plan was discarded after an environmental uproar, it's a testament to how luxurious this hotel is. Public areas are as outstanding as one would expect for a Versace property. The rooms are gorgeous, like something straight from a Venetian palace, with parquet flooring and Versace-designed furnishings and prints. There are mosaics, marble, flocked wallpaper, and a 12,900-square-foot Imperial suite. Dining on-site offers some exceptional choices, but you have to hop in a car to get just about anywhere else.

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Park Hyatt Dubai

$$$$ | Dubai Creek Club St., Port Saeed, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This is the only hotel in the Deira area of Dubai that packs so much in, you'll never need to leave. Rooms are very spacious and all have views either over Dubai Creek, the sprawling pool, or palm-lined golf greens. Dining provides some exceptional options at Traiteur or the Terrace, and for diehard foodies, they also offer master classes at Thai Kitchen. The spa is one of the city's best, an exotic calm oasis, with decadent couples packages and a series of combination treatments along with the standard facials and massages.

Pearl Marina Hotel Apartments

$ | Al Seba St., Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

It's unassuming, pretty old-school, and not much to look at, but this is one of the cheapest places to stay in the glittering Dubai Marina area. Families and groups tend to stay here for the price, which starts at just AED300 per night in the off-season. All apartments have kitchen and laundry, with reduced facilities in the studios. There is a small pool and a gym, a supermarket nearby, and a basic restaurant. The building is marina-side, but at the older end, meaning that although there are facilities close, the swimming beach, glitzy shopping, and restaurants are a 10-minute walk or a 15 dirham taxi ride.

Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre

$$ | Baniyas Rd., Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

For diehard shoppers, this location attached to the Deira City Centre mall can't be beat. The Pullman is divided into two parts, hotel and "residences," the latter of which start with studios and extend to two-bedroom apartments with kitchen and laundry. Interiors are bold and contemporary, with good quality linens and a swathe of other five-star services at a four-star price. Other benefits include golf across the road, minigolf for the kids, a tennis court, and a lovely rooftop pool area.

Raffles Dubai

$$$$ | Sheikh Rashid Rd., Umm Hurair, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The crowning glory of Wafi City (an ancient Egyptian-inspired mall), this majestic glass pyramid houses a classy five-star hotel. It's a beautiful property—albeit extravagantly opulent. The theme goes overboard only in the huge lobby where Egyptian columns overwhelm the space. The rest of the hotel is more subtle, with contemporary Arabic and Asian design themes that increase in grandeur with the price of the room. Suites are very generously sized, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows leading to wide terraces, many with views of Dubai Creek and the downtown skyline. There's a lovely pool, complete with gold mosaics, and a luxurious spa. The hotel may be older than some of Dubai's five-star properties, but remains incredibly plush, and is frequented by high-profile visitors.

Ritz-Carlton Dubai

$$$$ | The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The water is warm and the air is scented with frangipani at this Italianate low-rise beach-side resort, with the golden towers of Jumeirah Beach Residence hovering directly behind the sanctuary. It's a popular resort for weddings or young honeymooners; there are secluded pools and romantic restaurants aplenty, and rooms are large and plush with designer bathrooms with oval tubs. But families will also enjoy the added extras that traditionally come from Ritz Carlton hotels, including the kids' club, scavenger hunt pack and kids' pool (complete with a water slide). The resort fronts a private beach, and directly out the other side is The Walk, a vibrant restaurant and shopping strip.

Sofitel Dubai, The Palm

$$$$ | East Crescent Rd., Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Palm Jumeirah has some of the most expensive hotel real estate in Dubai, but the Sofitel offers a good balance between luxury, convenience, and price. This large, Asian-inspired resort is lush and exotic and sprawls over many zones. The 182 apartments make this an excellent choice for families. There is a kids' club, complete with water slides and waterfalls, and the main pool (one of six) is lined with a good proportion of cabanas and shaded areas, perfect for watching progeny splash while adults rest and rejuvenate. When it's time for more activity, there are a plethora of water sports on offer, and for golfers, there is an "eco golf" driving range on the beachfront---the balls fall into the Arabian gulf and disintegrate into fish food.

Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay

$$ | Al Abraj St., Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

For those who are willing to forgo the glamorous side of Business Bay in exchange for five-star luxury at a four-star price, the Steigenberger is perfect. It sits in a growing hotel area (along with the Oberoi and Taj), which will expand further with canal works creating the new Dubai Creek. Despite not having fountain views, the Burj Khalifa is still easy to spot, and you're walking distance from the Dubai Mall and Souk al Bahar. Both rooms and public spaces are neutral and modern, except for the lively, hipster-styled Brothaus Bakery. The greatest asset Steigenberger have are their staff. The hotel is known for friendly and accommodating service, a rarity in the city.

XVA Art Hotel

$$$ | Al Fahidi Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai's first boutique hotel still has a faithful following of on-trend and artsy guests. Housed in a century-old mansion in the old creekside Fahidi district, the property has just 14 unique and quirky rooms set around two intimate courtyards. Each room is individually designed by local professionals and personalized by local art. Within the complex is one of the hippest galleries in the city, which hosts prestigious exhibitions of avant-garde arts, film festivals, and product launches throughout the year. XVA also has a cool courtyard café that serves light and traditional Arab fare, and a fabulous cup of Turkish coffee. Note, no alcohol is served.

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