A neighbourhood guide on where to stay in Dubai

These are unusual times, the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Our writers visited some hotels below pre-pandemic.

With the international Expo poised to open and months of balmy days ahead, Dubai is a pleasingly solid bet for culture, extravagance and mid-haul winter sun. Finally removed from the UK red list in August, the city draws sunseekers and shoppers in their droves, and with Emirates offering a free day pass to Expo 2020 Dubai (postponed, like so many other events, last year) with every flight, you can now punctuate your R&R with a spot of architectural and technological innovation, too.

Each of Dubai’s neighbourhoods has its own charm – and an abundance of top-notch hotels – so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a base. Whether you’re after sky-high swimming, designer credentials or old-school service, our pick of the best places to stay in Dubai should help steer you in the right direction.

JBR and Bluewaters Island

Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) has been the home of sun-drenched holidays, beach hotels and seaside activities for all ages since travelling to Dubai became popular. But this shoreline destination is a particular hit with families, who head straight to spots such as AquaFun, an inflatable water park. From above, it spells out ‘I [heart] Dubai’; take a spin on The Flying Cup, a rotating ride reaching 40 metres high, and you’ll be able to read it. An extension of JBR, Bluewaters Island adds a few more miles to this shoreline destination patrolled by pram-pushing parents daily, and it’s about to become even more popular with the opening of the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, on October 21.

Where to stay

Downtown Dubai 

Like a gigantic location pin, Burj Khalifa places Downtown Dubai – dubbed “The Centre of Now” – on the map. At the base of the world’s tallest building, Dubai Fountain erupts into nightly displays of music, water jets and light projections, while either side stands Souk al Bahar, a medina-style mall housing the new Time Out Market Dubai, and the unmissable shopping and entertainment emporium, Dubai Mall. Families love it – parents can shop or quaff cocktails overlooking Dubai Lake while they unleash the little ones at Dubai Mall’s VR Park, a virtual reality den with an indoor rollercoaster. Or Kidzania, a miniature world designed exclusively for children and their social development. Hotels are varied, from budget to designer.

Where to stay

Jebel Ali 

As the site of Expo 2020 Dubai, Jebel Ali, a remote commercial port on the emirate’s southern outskirts has become the centre of attention, transformed into a sci-fi landscape with soaring tree-shaped solar-energy towers tracking the sun and country-themed pavilions. The area’s makeover includes a new metro station, so families can flock to the fair for world cuisine and cultural performances, reaching the site from Downtown Dubai in around 30 minutes. Existing attractions include the Outlet Village discount mall (Dubai’s answer to Bicester Village), and Dubai Parks and Resorts, a complex of hotels and Lego-, Bollywood- and Motiongate-themed amusement parks will soon be joined by a larger-than-life Legoland Hotel.

Where to stay

Business Bay

This hub of high-rise offices and residential towers straddles Dubai Creek, an extension of the canal that flows from Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, aflutter with flamingos, through Business Bay and on to neighbouring Jumeirah where it meets the glistening Arabian Sea. Strolling or cycling along the canal at sunset is a simple pleasure. After dark, head to the many rooftop bars and glitzy restaurants to mingle with the after-work crowd, before hitting up Former F1 boss Flavio Briatore’s theatrical supper club Billionaire Dubai (billionairesociety.com), ripe for star-spotting. 

Where to stay

Jumeirah

Only Emiratis can buy real estate in Jumeirah; everyone else has to rent or stay in one of the area’s luxury hotels to enjoy its generous miles of deep sandy beaches. Its boulevards are lined with designer coffee bars and trendy boutiques, while fashion designers, artists and gourmet artisans occupy the shipping containers at Boxpark on Al Wasl Road. Most independent cafes and restaurants are unlicensed, meaning alcohol isn’t served, but there’s no shortage of glamorous cocktail bars and romantic proposal-worthy restaurants within the resorts.

Where to stay

Palm Jumeirah

This man-made phenomenon – an island shaped like a tree that’s visible from space – attracts a crowd that likes to be seen and heard. Motor enthusiasts with fancy cars enjoy revving their engines up and down the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, much to the irritation of residents, but if you’ve come to ‘The Palm’ to party there are plenty of rooftop bars where DJs drown out even the loudest Ferrari. Family-focused attractions include Aquaventure water park and the island’s crowning glory, a 10-kilometre breakwater crescent and promenade. Take walks at dusk for cool views stretching to Ain Dubai and Dubai Marina on one side and to sail-shaped, seven-star hotel Burj al Arab on the other.

Where to stay

DIFC

The monied workforce of Dubai International Financial District has a taste for the finer things in life. Demand drives supply and there’s no end to the indulgences available. London’s members-only Arts Club launched a DIFC branch in 2020, and auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s have outposts here, as do fashionable fine-dining chains Zuma, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Mint Leaf of London, catering to the affluent business traveller. Casual bites can be found at South Market food hall inside Gate Avenue, DIFC’s new mall, which provides an air-conditioned walkway from the striking Gate Building to Central Park Towers, landmarks of the iconic skyline above. 

Where to stay

Deira

North of atmospheric Dubai Creek lies Deira. Modest by today’s standards, its high-rises once represented the emirate’s ambitious future. This was one of the best areas to stay in Dubai during the Sixties, when Deira Clock Tower was the emirate’s most recognised landmark. The neighbourhood has since expanded, especially in 2021 with Deira Islands adding prime coastline. The Gold Souk and Spice Souk remain popular with tourists shopping for Arabic-name necklaces, dried frankincense and “natural herbal Viagra”. Camel milk ice cream from Gershwin’s kiosk by the main abra boat station is another crowd-pleaser.

Where to stay