Dubai's best luxury hotels for a 'seven-star' stay, from beach butlers to lavish designer spas
Sail-shaped landmark Burl Al Arab was dubbed the world’s first seven-star property. With so many contenders in Dubai’s luxury market, those able to rise to the top set global benchmarks in hospitality. Helipads and grand tourer transfers aren’t enough to stand out – the little details decide things. Cashmere blankets at Bulgari Dubai and Natura Bissé bath products at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira are just some the assets that furnish the rooms that so many wish they could call home.
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
Regularly touted as the world’s most luxurious hotel – it's Dubai's only seven-star property – with an eye-catching aesthetic and fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Burj Al Arab has always delivered on decadence. Seamlessly stretching more than 300ft out into the sea, the sleek outdoor terrace features two pools – including a saltwater one that seems to melt into the horizon – flanked by 32 butler-serviced cabanas and 120 luxurious day sunbeds. The hotel’s interiors, meanwhile, scream opulence with a soaring atrium flanked by golden columns, vibrant colours, lashings of gold leaf and more than 30 different types of marble. Read expert review From £707 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
Inspired by an upscale Mediterranean village, this private island retreat just off the Dubai coast is the work of renowned Milan-based architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and has been created with the same level of craftsmanship and precision as a Bulgari jewellery piece. Rare raw materials like green onyx from Iran and Mongolian black granite are complemented by displays of heritage Bulgari pieces. Facilities include a serene outdoor pool, beach club with Burj Khalifa views, and a sumptuous spa. A highlight is the is the sleek Il Ristorante by three Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito overlooking the glittering marina. Read expert review From £378 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best spa hotels in Dubai
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
Mandarin Oriental has outdone itself with its first foray into the UAE, with five stunning pools, a private beach, deluxe spa and impeccable service throughout the hotel. The fitness centre offers beach-based classes and the region’s first Outrace frame. Rooms come with marble bathrooms, rain showers, bronze lampstands and sumptuous orange or teal upholstery popping against a pearl-hued backdrop. Most of them have balconies or terraces, aimed at either the Arabian Gulf or Dubai’s city skyline. Don’t miss acclaimed chef Jose Avillez’s menus at Tasca which feature dishes from his Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurants. Read expert review From £214 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best restaurants in Dubai
Jumeirah Al Naseem
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
This fashionable resort offers a fresh interpretation of Arabian style in a luxurious palette of cream and gold, with pale drapes ruffling in the breeze of colonial-style wooden fans and giant potted palms flourishing in corners. Glass walls present a picture-perfect view of Burj Al Arab, and the low-rise resort unfolds beneath it, dotted with azure pools, turquoise parasols and landscaping by Bill Bensley. On arrival, staff present guests with rolls of frosty jasmine-infused flannels and iced tea. A wide range of pools include one concealed within an Ibiza-worthy Summersalt Beach Club. Most impressively, Jumeirah Al Naseem has its own turtle rehabilitation lagoon. Read expert review From £177 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best family-friendly hotels in Dubai
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
If first impressions are everything then the bright lobby at this elegant beachfront hotel – filled with freshly cut flowers in Murano crystal vases and a giant two-floor picture window framing views across the manicured lawns to the ocean – certainly leaves a lasting one. The property melds classic Four Seasons style with opulent Middle Eastern touches like gold-leaf ceilings, shimmering mosaics and marble floors. Stylish beach and pool attendants waft by hourly with complimentary refreshments like blueberry muffins, melon bowls and citrus shooters – unless you have pressed the ‘do not disturb’ button by your sun lounger. Read expert review From £220 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• Where to go shopping in Dubai
Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
Helicopter tours from the hotel’s helipad and water bed recliners in the spa hint at the opulence in this palatial pile, which proudly faces the sail-shaped silhouette of Burj Al Arab across the Arabian Gulf. A clock tower in the reception area adds old-world charm to a glossy grey marble atrium, and Peacock Alley is a catwalk of afternoon teas with a pianist setting the tone. The facilities are beyond expectation with a tennis court, a water sports centre, three temperature-controlled pools and a spa par excellence. All rooms have balconies and almost all have sea views. Bathrooms come with twin sinks and sublime Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries. Read expert review From £108 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Taj Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
It may be in the business district, but this bastion of modern luxury is all about pleasure. Little touches reinforce that sense of being looked after; leg cushions to elevate the knees for added comfort on four-poster cabanas are a prime example. Indoors, there's a designer gym and Jiva Spa offering authentic Ayurvedic therapies. More than 3,000 Indian sculptures and artworks adorn rooms, restaurants and public spaces in this glossy skyscraper. Other than the magnificent Maharaja Suite, Taj Dubai's rooms are without balconies but Downtown views and elegant décor with Indian accents compensate for the absence of private outdoor space. Read expert review From £81 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The best things to do in Dubai
Palazzo Versace Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
8Telegraph expert rating
In Dubai, where too much is never enough, this sprawling, blingy, behemoth is gloriously OTT, but top-notch dining and first-rate staff manage to make the whole experience enjoyable. If you’re a fan of the “Medusa Madness” style of Versace Home Collection you’ll be in absolute heaven as you revel in your inner Donatella. If not, you might think you’ve ended up in a posh south Florida condo complex, circa 1987. There’s a large infinity “lagoon” pool that looks out over the Creek and a Versace spa, plus good fine dining options including Enigma which hosts rolling three-month stays for visiting Michelin-starred chefs. Read expert review From £132 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
• The world's most expensive hotel suites
Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Finance Centre
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
Far smaller than the region’s standard five-star hotel receptions, this 106-key conversion is almost 'boutique’ – a rarity in Dubai. Every inch is suitably polished and gilded, and crowd-pulling restaurants and bars have dazzling Dubai skyline views. There’s a glass-sided rooftop pool that garners a lot of likes on Instagram and the spa offers world-class products and treatments: Neom’s warm wax candle massages are superb and the Platinum Hydrafacial rehydrates airplane-dried complexions in 60 minutes. Some therapies can also be enjoyed alongside the rooftop pool. Read expert review From £135 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Armani Hotel Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
9Telegraph expert rating
The design is so cohesively Armani, it’s easy to picture yourself at one of Giorgio’s stylish house parties – and that’s the intention. Sculptural flower arrangements inject rare shocks of colour in an otherwise uniformly sable and taupe palette, and with muted lighting it’s easy to get lost in the almost identical maze-like corridors. Armani/Spa, on the third floor, offers elegant domed treatment suites and thermal therapies in the form of a dry-heat laconium, steam room and sauna. Out on the terrace, there’s a pool, bar and sun loungers. Charming Lifestyle Managers take the role of both butler and concierge, and can arrange everything from delivery of irons to massage appointments. Read expert review From £212 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Contributions by Lara Brunt, Sarah Hedley Hymers, Will Hide and Jenny Johnson
