Even by the standards of an emirate that shows all the constructional restraint of an overtired toddler with a trunk of Lego, Dubai is in turbocharge mode. Superhotels are springing up on manmade islands, manmade islands are springing up from placid Gulf waters, and prestige hotel groups are flooding in, eager to woo their share of the high net worth (HNW) holiday set. Yet for all Dubai’s breathless veneration of the new, decades of touristic innovation have left a legacy of eye-catching and in some cases surprisingly affordable sanctuaries in which to bed down, whether you’re basing yourself in Burj Khalifa-dominated Downtown, the buzzing Marina or amidst the sugary sands of Jumeirah Beach and the Palm. Rooftop pools and daily-raked beaches make the most of the perennial sunshine. Rooms and suites pair extravagant dimensions with bold design. And the entire hospitality ecosystem seems to hum with an air-conditioned, customer-is-king efficiency.

ONE&ONLY THE PALM
Best for: lying low in luxury
(££)

To be in the heart of the city yet feel miles from it is the precious alchemy that underpins One&Only The Palm’s enduring appeal. The low-rise, exuberantly landscaped resort is draped across the sandy tip of the artificial island’s eastern crescent; Dubai Harbour and Marina are just across the water (launches are provided for guests) yet a half-hour slog by road. A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio favour the self-contained villas which open directly on to the manicured, wave-free beach and the tasting menus of the two-Michelin-star STAY by Yannick Alléno. Others come simply to loaf on a day bed by the 9,000 sq ft Grand Pool. Surrounded by frangipani, olive trees and date palms that ring with birdsong, it’s one of Dubai’s most enchanting.

Rooms: from 2,115 AED (£422), room only
www.oneandonlyresorts.com/the-palm

JUMEIRAH MARSA AL ARAB
Best for: ocean-front refinement
(£££)

Dubai’s biggest opening of 2025 feels like an old-money counterpoint to the chunky-gold ostentation of the neighbouring Burj Al Arab. The sotto voce colour scheme is big on cream and pale wood and the fabled seven-star service of the Burj has, if anything, been nudged upwards. Guests in the yacht-contoured sanctuary are treated like emirs by an army of staff who outnumber the 386 rooms by a factor of three. The chameleonic Fore (as in, opposite of aft) communal area on the ground floor morphs into a quartet of fine-dining restaurants by night via sliding partitions and chandeliers that emerge from ceilings. Umi Kei, serving delectable Japanese dishes in tapas-style portions, is among Dubai’s best. Opt for a room on the port side for sunset Burj views.

Rooms: from 4,940 AED (£985), B&B
www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/jumeirah-marsa-al-arab

ME DUBAI
Best for: fashionistas
(££)

The only hotel that the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid designed both inside and out, ME is squirrelled away in the Business Bay area of Downtown – and all the more conspicuous for it. From the outside, the building resembles a giant dark-blue ice cube melting from within, with an eight-storey, curved-glass void at its centre. Inside, the hotel norm has been subverted, with communal spaces orientated inwards towards the boldly futuristic atrium with its sleek, leaf-shaped sofa pods and faint Starship Enterprise vibes. There are just 93 rooms, but nearly a dozen restaurants and bars and a third-floor gallery with rotating artworks keep non-resident footfall, and energy levels, high. 

Rooms: from 1,000 AED (£199), room only
www.melia.com/en/hotels/united-arab-emirates/dubai/me-dubai

ATLANTIS THE ROYAL
Best for: showstopping maximalism
(£££)

Architecturally as well as financially it takes quite some effort to stand out among Dubai’s top hotels these days. This £1.2bn exhibition of architectural Jenga on the outer Palm certainly achieves that. Dwarfing its once skyline-commanding neighbour and sister hotel, Atlantis the Palm, it has nearly 800 rooms and a selection of suites that start at lavish and work upwards (the Royal Mansion, occupied by Beyonce when she performed at the hotel’s opening in 2023, is a neat $100,000 a night). Influencer types love the Dolce & Gabbana-partnered Cloud 22 with its chilled beats and thrilling infinity-pool views. More refinement is found at Milos, a Greek restaurant so authentic that 90% of ingredients come directly from the Aegean. The dancing fire-and-water fountain outside exemplifies the Royal’s vaudevillian zaniness.

Rooms: from 2,920 AED (£582), B&B
www.atlantis.com/atlantis-the-royal