5-star hotel guide to Dubai
Subtlety is not the currency of Dubai, but if suite excess is what you are after this is a very convenient sun-all-year escape or stop-over to somewhere, well, less vulgar. Some have described Dubai as Las Vegas without the casinos and though we’ve tried, we haven’t bettered the description.
You cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer ambition of the place. Only thirty years ago this was a smallish city in the desert with a charming old quarter, a handful of high rises and one shopping mall, Wafi. Now it looks like New York on steroids with similar appalling traffic problems, despite its 16-lane Sheik Zayed Road which connects Dubai International Airport with much of the rest of the city, including the Marina, the two Palms, Jebel Ali and onwards towards Abu Dhabi.
The world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – will amaze in the haze and 10 miles of sandy beaches are there if you’re after rays. Everywhere you go are symbols of obvious wealth and enterprise but success does seem to attract success.
Try as we might, for years we’ve found it difficult to handpick a 5-star hotel that we feel happy to recommend. We’ve quite enjoyed our stays at One & Only Royal Mirage, but it was only when Bulgari opened Bulgari Resort Dubai in Jumeira Bay on its seahorse-shaped, man-made island with its own marina and yacht club that we found a luxury hotel we were totally happy with. We’re now confident that Bulgari Resort Dubai is the best 5-star hotel in Dubai offering tranquillity, luxury, spa and more, all set against the dramatic backdrop of Dubai’s extraordinary skyline.