Indian Ocean and Africa
Middle East and the Americas
Every hotel we shortlist170 hotels, one listFilter by place, by what each hotel is best for, and by the judges behind it.Browse all hotelsJourneys
Rail · 5 trains
Luxury train journeys
Five great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.
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Cities · 1 perfect day
One day in Rome
Sunrise to midnight: the walk, the tasting menus and a view of St Peter's.
Read the guide
Islands · 12 months
The Maldives, month by month
When the sea is glass, when the mantas come, and when the price halves.
Read the guide
Wild · Jul to Oct
The Great Migration
Where two million animals will be, and where you should be waiting.
Read the guide
Rail · London to Venice
The Orient Express
When it runs, what each cabin costs, and the best month to board.
Read the guide
Flights · Door to door
Emirates business class
From the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.
Read the guide
The Shortlist
Beach, skyline or desert: the hotels independent judges rate highest, area by area, and who should book somewhere else.
Norlando Pobre, CC BY 2.0
The short answer
The best hotels in Dubai sit in three kinds of place: the beach resorts of Jumeirah and the Palm, the towers of Downtown, and the desert an hour inland. Our 2026 shortlist has 19 hotels, every one holding a Michelin Key or a Forbes Travel Guide star rating. The most decorated are ME Dubai, Bvlgari Resort Dubai and The St. Regis Downtown Dubai. In winter, stay on the beach; in summer, a Downtown hotel with great restaurants makes more of the heat.
Shortlisted means chosen on research: a Michelin Key or Forbes Travel Guide rating, or praise from two independent publications, each linked below. We have not stayed at these hotels yet. Read how we choose.
Towers and restaurants
The city centre around the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the DIFC financial district, with Business Bay alongside the canal. It is tower hotels, rooftop pools and restaurants rather than beaches.
Shortlisted 2026
A tower hotel with St. Regis butler service and views towards the Burj Khalifa.
Rooms and suites in a city tower. Private pools: no.
Shortlisted 2026
Dorchester Collection's first Middle East hotel, overlooking the canal and the Downtown towers.
Rooms, suites and penthouses in a Foster + Partners tower. Private pools: no.
Shortlisted 2026
A compact city hotel among DIFC's galleries and restaurants, with a glass-walled rooftop pool.
106 rooms, 28 of them suites, up to a Penthouse Suite with Burj Khalifa views. Private pools: no; shared rooftop pool with four cabanas.
Shortlisted 2026
A design hotel inside Zaha Hadid's Opus, with interiors also by Zaha Hadid Architects.
93 rooms and suites. Private pools: no; rooftop pool.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Resorts on the fronds
The palm-shaped island, with the largest resorts on its outer crescent and quieter hotels on the trunk. Beaches are private to each hotel and the city is a drive away.
Shortlisted 2026
A stacked tower resort with a long list of chef-led restaurants and sky pools.
Rooms, suites and penthouses, some with private terrace pools. Private pools: some suites and penthouses.
Shortlisted 2026
A low-rise, Moorish-style resort that is calmer and more private than its Palm neighbours.
Rooms, suites and beachfront villas in low-rise mansions. Private pools: some villas.
Shortlisted 2026
A large family resort with Aquaventure waterpark included for guests and 29 restaurants.
1,548 rooms, including two Underwater Suites and the three-bedroom Royal Bridge Suite. Private pools: no.
Shortlisted 2026
A beach resort with a temperature-controlled lagoon pool, an adults-only pool and a Heinz Beck restaurant.
Rooms and suites, most with sea views. Private pools: no.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Classic beach resorts
The mainland coast south of the old town, with public beaches, low-rise villas and the Madinat Jumeirah canals. It sits halfway between Downtown and the Marina.
Shortlisted 2026
An Italian-designed resort on a private island, with a marina and a beach facing the Downtown skyline.
101 rooms, suites and villas. Private pools: villas yes; rooms and suites no.
Shortlisted 2026
A beachfront city resort between the old town and Downtown, with a large spa.
Rooms, suites and residences, most with sea views. Private pools: no.
Shortlisted 2026
A low-rise beach resort with an adults-only pool, a family pool and 11 places to eat and drink.
237 rooms and suites. Private pools: no; private day villas at the adults-only pool.
Shortlisted 2026
A palace-style hotel on the Madinat canals, with abra boats and a mile-long private beach facing the Burj Al Arab.
Rooms and suites, up to a two-bedroom Presidential Suite. Private pools: no.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Beach and skyline
A dense district of towers around a yacht marina, with the JBR beach walk and its cafés along the front. It is busy, social and the furthest of the beach areas from the airport.
Shortlisted 2026
A twin-tower beach hotel known for its high-level infinity pool overlooking Bluewaters and the sea.
Rooms and suites, all with sea views. Private pools: no.
Shortlisted 2026
A low-rise, Arabian-style resort set in gardens along a private beach of about three-quarters of a mile.
452 rooms and suites across the Palace, Arabian Court and The Residence & Spa. Private pools: no; four shared pools, two adults-only.
Shortlisted 2026
Twin 45-floor towers with more than a dozen restaurants and bars, including Buddha-Bar.
750 rooms and suites. Private pools: no; one pool in each tower.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Close to the airport
The historic side of the city around Dubai Creek, with Al Fahidi, the souks and abra crossings, and the new Dubai Creek Harbour district across the water. The shortlisted hotels sit at Creek Harbour, close to the airport.
Shortlisted 2026
A waterfront hotel with skyline views back across the creek to Downtown.
223 rooms and suites, up to the Skyline Suite. Private pools: no; outdoor infinity pool.
Shortlisted 2026
A modern tower hotel with harbour and skyline views and a short run to the airport.
223 rooms and suites. Private pools: no; outdoor infinity pool.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Dunes and stars
Inland dunes south and east of the city, with conservation reserves, oryx and gazelle. Stays are about quiet, open space and night skies.
Shortlisted 2026
A conservation-led desert resort of Bedouin-style suites within a protected reserve.
Suites and villas. Private pools: yes, every suite.
Shortlisted 2026
A fort-style desert resort, reopened after renovation, with a newer set of Desert Pool Villas.
Rooms and suites, plus eight one and two-bedroom Desert Pool Villas. Private pools: villas yes; rooms no.
* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
Coming in 2027
None of the hotels above carries our second stamp yet. Hotels we stay at earn the Stayed and verified stamp, with what we found written down and any hosted stay disclosed. Run a hotel on this list? See how verification works.
If you want old streets, nature or a quiet beach with local life around it, Dubai's scale and polish will feel like a stopover rather than a destination. For winter sun with more character, try Morocco: the best time to visit Morocco.
Questions people ask
Our 2026 shortlist has 19 hotels. The most decorated include Atlantis The Royal, with three Michelin Keys, and One&Only The Palm and Bvlgari Resort Dubai, with two each. Every pick holds a Michelin Key or a Forbes Travel Guide star rating.
For a beach holiday, Jumeirah or the Palm. For restaurants, shopping and the Burj Khalifa on foot, Downtown. For a stopover of a night or two, Downtown or the Creek, closest to the airport.
Atlantis The Royal and Atlantis The Palm, with the waterpark next door, Four Seasons at Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Al Qasr and the Waldorf Astoria on the Palm all suit families.
For one or two nights, yes, between October and April. Al Maha and Bab Al Shams are about an hour from the airport and offer silence, dunes and stars. In summer, the desert is too hot to enjoy outdoors.
Yes. The Burj Al Arab is closed for renovation, with a reopening expected late 2027, and the Armani Hotel and Park Hyatt Dubai are also renovating. We will review them when they reopen.
Not yet. Every hotel on the 2026 list is Shortlisted on research. Hotels we stay at will carry the Stayed and verified stamp, and any hosted stay will be disclosed on the page.
When to goDubai, month by monthAt its best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.The journey · FlightsEmirates business classFrom the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.
Pair it withThe Maldives, month by monthAt its best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.Where to stayThe Maldives: the shortlist20 hotels, each one recognised by named judges.