Where to stay in Dubai: our top picks

Liberally speckled with hotels – mostly four and five star options – downtown Dubai’s handful of roads sit at the heart of the modern, brash international city, between Dubai Creek and Sheikh Zayed Road.

Although it isn’t the most authentic or homely of places to stay in Dubai, it’s a trustworthy pick for first time visitors looking to be just a short stroll from many of the emirate’s top attractions. Dominated by the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 2,722 feet tall, its sidewalks are thronged throughout the day with residents and visitors alike busy being mesmerized by the dancing jets of Dubai Fountain.

It’s not difficult to lose a couple of hours at the neighboring Dubai Mall either, especially if you decide to delve beneath the world’s waves at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo or grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants running the length of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Boulevard.

Entry to plenty of Dubai attractions in the Downtown area and beyond is included with the Go City Dubai pass, which can save you bags of cash if you're planning  to do a few tours, activities and attractions – that's more dirhams in your pocket for those essential baklava and pistachio kulfi ice-cream breaks!

Sandwiched between the Persian Gulf, Dubai Creek and the international airport, Deira is a good choice for those on stopovers and shorter breaks. Only a couple of minutes from the airport by the city’s streamlined metro system (versus Downtown’s 25 minutes), Deira isn’t short of charms.

Life in Deira remains on a more human scale than elsewhere in Dubai, with smaller independent stores rather than world-record-smashing malls, and inhabitants who are mostly Emirati or long-term residents from other nations in the region.

Dubai’s old commercial hub, Deira isn't huge on specific attractions. However, the narrow alleyways forming the souks are well worth exploring for their glittering gold and rich perfume of spices – and the souks themselves are sensory smorgasbords and an absolute riot for those who love to haggle. The creek promenade provides photo opportunities of some of Dubai's oldest surviving structures, and the chance to get out on the water with a dhow dinner cruise too. Its highest rated hotels tend to line the creek, with budget-friendly one- and two-star options a couple of blocks inland.

Highly popular with Dubai’s expat community, Jumeirah has the feel of a coastal neighborhood in southern California. It runs along the Persian Gulf for several kilometers, from the Etihad Museum to the north and the Burj Al Arab’s artificial island to the south, and is our top pick for beach stays in Dubai.

The family-friendly sands see a steady stream of visitors from October to May (the rest of the year it’s simply too hot) searching out fun in the sun. Jumeirah Public Beach has everything you would expect and maybe even some things you wouldn’t.

Open Beach has impressive views down to the Burj Al Arab from its soft golden sands, while Kite Beach is the place to head for water sports including kitesurfing, jet skiing and stand-up paddleboarding.

Sometimes known as Old Dubai, Al Fahidi stays offer visitors modern comforts within the most traditional of neighborhoods. Streets largely free of vehicles and shaded by the high mud walls of historic structures lead to a multitude of museums, including the Dubai Museum, spanning the region’s history and culture.

At the opposite end of the neighborhood stands the house – now a museum – of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, ruler from 1912 until 1958. Elsewhere you’ll find plenty of opportunity to stop for a traditional cup of Arabian tea or coffee, or even an authentic Emirati meal.

The residential tower blocks of Dubai Marina are moored to one side of the Palm – that extraordinary man-made island archipelago that's shaped to look like a palm tree from above (pro-tip: it's perhaps best seen from the observation deck at the top of the Palm Tower).

Back at sea level there’s plenty to keep visitors entertained, from coffee joints to boutique stores. Its outer reaches include Marina Beach, lined with places to eat and watch the activity on the water. You'll see jet skis zipping to and fro; look up and you might even catch brave souls halfway through a skydive over the Palm!

Most prefer to take it all in from the water with a Dubai Marina sightseeing cruise, for sparkling views of the shoreline and absolutely enormous Ain Dubai observation wheel. In the evening, the Marina's bars and nightclubs jolt into life, delivering one of the finest nightlife scenes in town.

Sure, you could choose a glitzy Jumeirah pad, or a budget break in old Dubai, but where's your sense of adventure? For a different take on Dubai, look to its desert dunes, those undulating, color-changing sands that are home to endangered Arabian oryx and offer endless 'lost in the desert' selfie opportunities.

Nor do you have to rough it out here in the sand. Accommodation options are fairly limited but often rival anything Dubai-proper can offer when it comes to comfort and luxury – think high-end dune glamping, Bedouin-style pool villas and pods-with-views. And, if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to staying the night, there are still plenty of ways to do the desert by day, from high-octane dune buggy adventures to desert dining experiences that come complete with dune bashing, camel rides, belly dancers and traditional music.