Dubai

Riu Dubai

The Riu Dubai rolls out the red carpet, with three pools, six bars and four restaurants. You’ll
find this place on the Dubai Islands, a quiet manmade area on the outskirts of Dubai’s city centre. You won’t be far from the action, though – a souk and a bustling spice market will be 20 minutes’ drive away. Facilities-wise, this place goes all out. Three pools, including a couple with swim-up bars.

Staying here puts you right in the middle of The Walk, a mile-long promenade filled with boutiques, cafés and restaurants. As well as offering up a private beach and seven different restaurants, this place is as central as it gets in Jumeirah Beach. You’ll find it in the middle of The Walk shopping and dining promenade, with a beach on one side and the Dubai Marina on the other.

Atlantis, The Palm

Atlantis, The Palm offers other-worldly luxury, combining top drawer skyline views with a never-ending list of facilities, including free access to an underwater aquarium and a waterpark. This hotel's pink, palatial structure towers over its neighbours, with soaring turrets and a distinctive Arabian archway. It’s bagged an exclusive spot on the Palm Jumeirah Island’s crescent, which means you can expect breathtaking views of the Dubai skyline and the Arabian Gulf.

Dukes The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

This hotel’s set on the Palm Jumeirah peninsula – home to some of Dubai’s most lavish hotels. Dukes the Palm is on the trunk of the tree-shaped peninsula, and has views across the bay of Dubai’s skyline. For the best vistas, head to the hotel’s infinity pool or its sandy private beach. A sea-facing Mediterranean restaurant and an Indian restaurant  serve gourmet dishes. After dinner, you can chill in the cigar and whisky lounge or the Champagne and Tea Lounge. Show more

Hyatt Andaz Dubai The Palm

The Hyatt Andaz Dubai The Palm is pitched on a private beach and comes with an infinity pool that pulls right up to its edge. The hotel’s pitched on Palm Jumeirah within a stone’s throw of Nakheel Mall. Plus, you can ride the monorail to Atlantis, The Palm in eight minutes. Trips into Downtown Dubai are easy work, too – you can catch a taxi ride there in 20 minutes. Thea lagoon-style pool sits on the edge of a private beach. The other swimming spot is on a 14-floor rooftop – it's just for adults and comes with curtain-cloaked cabanas, sun loungers, and a bar. Food-wise, there’s a choice of two dining spots including a Mexican joint and an underground bar-cum-restaurant serving small plates.

Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah

The Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah packs loads of luxury into its beachfront plot on the Palm. When you stay here, you’ll have one of Dubai’s most exclusive postcodes – the hotel’s got a spot on the famous Palm Jumeirah. There’s a stretch of private beach on your doorstep, and you can reach the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall in about 20 minutes by taxi. Inside, there’s a line-up of 10 restaurants and bars, including a place with over 200 cocktails on its menu. The pool’s a sea-view number lined with plush loungers. Youngsters get a kids’ club, and grown ups can chill out in the swanky spa.

Fairmont The Palm

With its soaring turrets, marble interiors and stately archways, Fairmont The Palm looks more like an Arabian palace than a hotel. And, it comes with some of the best panoramic views in town. You’re right on a private stretch of white sand here, which rolls out sweeping views of the city's skyscrapers. If you want to take a daytrip, Dubai Marina’s a 10-minute drive away, or you can be outside the huge Dubai Mall in less than half an hour. Luxury’s the byword at this hotel – a handful of gourmet dining options, an award-winning spa, and pools with city views are all part and parcel. There’s a lengthy list of water sports, as well, with everything from water skiing to banana-boating on offer.