Dubai

Dubai turns the shoreline into a statement of ambition. Beaches, islands, marinas and skyline views are composed as part of a larger vision, where contemporary hospitality, shopping, dining and coastal leisure create one of the world's most recognisable modern resort cities.

Dubai is a city built on transformation. Its skyline, beaches, islands, malls and hospitality scene create a destination where ambition becomes visible, turning desert shoreline into one of the world's most recognisable urban resort environments.

Dubai began on the Creek, a saltwater inlet where pearl divers, dhows and traders from Persia and India met. The historic quarters of Al Fahidi, Deira and the souks still line its banks, with abras crossing between them for a few minutes at a time. From the 1970s, oil revenue and a deliberate strategy of trade, aviation and tourism turned a small emirate into a global hub.

The modern city runs for miles along the coast. Downtown gathers the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the Dubai Opera; Jumeirah keeps a lower, residential shoreline of public beaches; Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina extend the city onto reclaimed land. Inland, the desert begins within half an hour, with dunes, camps and the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

The season runs from late October to April, when days are warm and dry and the sea is pleasant for swimming. December to February is the coolest and busiest period, and the city’s calendar fills with events: the Dubai Shopping Festival in winter, Art Dubai in spring and the Dubai World Cup horse race at Meydan in late March or early April.

From June to September the heat is severe and life moves indoors, to the malls, spas and air-conditioned restaurants, while hotel rates fall. The timing of Ramadan changes each year; during the month the city remains open to visitors, with a quieter daytime rhythm, restrained public dress and evening iftar gatherings that many hotels open to their guests.

Dubai’s leading beach hotels line the Jumeirah coast: Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, low-rise and calm on its own stretch of sand; Jumeirah Al Qasr, the palace-style hotel at Madinat Jumeirah with its waterways and souk; and One&Only Royal Mirage, set in long gardens on the shore near Dubai Marina. In the city, Armani Hotel Dubai occupies the lower floors of the Burj Khalifa.

LVXVRY books Four Seasons through Four Seasons Preferred Partner and Jumeirah Al Qasr through Jumeirah Passport to Luxury — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges each programme attaches to the stay. For One&Only Royal Mirage and Armani Hotel Dubai, LVXVRY advises on the stay and arranges it directly with the hotel.