9.5/10★★★★★ · Jebel Jais
Jais Ridge Retreat
High on the Hajar ridge, where winter nights need a fire and July needs a jumper after dark.
1,400 m elevationZipline accessFireplaces
887 reviews
Where to stay
A room in the landscape you came for.
From a camp on the edge of the Empty Quarter to a room on the Hajar ridge at 1,400 metres.
12 stays
9.5/10★★★★ · Liwa, Al Dhafra
Liwa Dune Camp
Twelve tents at the edge of the Empty Quarter. No generators after ten, which is the entire point of the place.
Empty QuarterStargazingLow impact
612 reviews
★★★★ · Hatta
Hatta Mountain Lodge
Cabins above the wadi, ninety minutes from the skyline and about six degrees cooler in summer.
Dam kayakingTrail access
508 reviews
★★★★★ · Saadiyat Island
Saadiyat Lagoon Resort & Spa
Ten minutes from Louvre Abu Dhabi, on a protected beach where hawksbill turtles nest between March and June.
BeachfrontTurtle baySpa
2,841 reviews
★★★★ · Kalba, east coast
Kalba Mangrove Retreat
On the oldest mangrove stand in the country, on the Gulf of Oman side of the mountains.
Kayak from the deckBirding
342 reviews
★★★★ · Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai
Creekside Heritage House
A restored courtyard house in the coral-and-gypsum lanes, ninety seconds from the abra station.
Wind-tower buildingAbra at the door
1,288 reviews
★★★★★ · Al Zorah, Ajman
Al Zorah Lagoon Resort
Between a protected mangrove reserve and an empty beach, forty minutes from Dubai airport.
Flamingo lagoonGolf
1,104 reviews
★★★★★ · Downtown Dubai
Downtown Skyline Suites
Rooms facing the fountain, and a lift that reaches the mall without going outside in August.
Burj Khalifa viewMetro 4 min
4,102 reviews
★★★★ · Al Mureijah
Heart of Sharjah Courtyard
Inside the restoration district, with eleven museums and the creek within a fifteen-minute walk.
In the museums quarterAlcohol-free
731 reviews
★★★★ · Al Aqah
Snoopy Bay Dive Lodge
Coral a hundred metres off the sand, tanks filled on site, and mountains directly behind the car park.
House reefDive centreTurtles
964 reviews
★★★ · Umm Al Quwain old town
Old Harbour Inn
Beside the fort and the watchtowers, where the boats unload at first light and the island trips leave.
Fishing harbourIsland boats
226 reviews
★★★★ · Abu Dhabi Corniche
Corniche Tower Hotel
On the eight-kilometre corniche promenade, with the public beach across the road and the old souk behind.
City viewWalk to beach
1,943 reviews