Best staycation destinations in UAE
Staycations are much needed to take a break from your fast-paced lifestyle, and it certainly refreshes your mind. Living in the UAE, residents have the luxury of multiple glitzy, glamourous hotels and resorts for a weekend escape to have some fascinating and thrilling experience.
From beachside resorts to traditional heritage to luxury hotels, Let’s explore the top 10 of the best staycation destinations in the UAE:
Dubai:
1. Address Beach Resort
The Address Beach resort is an iconic beachfront resort, a district that is world-renowned for its exotic experiences of waterfront leisure, dining, retail and entertainment and mostly about one thing – the incredible panoramic city views.
Located in JBR district, 300 m from Dubai Marina Beach, Address Beach Resort is built in the eye- catching, award-winning building design featuring two 77-story towers connected by a sky bridge. The resort has extensive landscaped and pool areas, all day dining, luxury gym and spa, podium level terraced bar, various leased restaurants, a roof top infinity pool and a bar area. The hotel Spa and Wellness Centre offers a full range of treatments and massages, and has a sauna, steam room.
The Address Beach Resort broke the record of having the world’s tallest infinity pool in direct view of the iconic Ain Dubai and Jumeirah Beach. The infinity pool length is 94.84m, width is 16.50m and height is 293.906m.
2. Atlantis, The Palm
The first resort built on the world’s largest man-made island of Palm Jumeirah offers its guests a world-class experience and as it is an epicenter of fun and adventure. This captivating resort has its stunning views over the Arabian Gulf. This resort has an aquarium with 65,000 amazing marine animals, one of the top ten largest aquariums in the world.
This resort also is unique with its best waterpark in Dubai – Aquaventure Waterpark with its nine-storey high slide and offers marine animal experiences including, Shark Safari and Cownose Ray Feeding along with a range of thrilling water slides, rapids and river ride. Atlantis has an underwater suite with its glass bedroom wall so you can lie in bed and watch the marine animals in Ambassador Lagoon. Can you believe it?
The other adventures in this resort includes swimming with the dolphins, dolphin scuba diving at Dolphin Bay. The resort houses 23 different restaurants including Japanese, Chinese, Arabian, Lebanese etc and including the award winning Ronda Locatelli, and the largest dancing fountain show in the world
3. Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, the historic cruise ship is the floating hotel on docks of port Rashid Marina, Dubai which is soon going to be rebranded as a boutique MGallery Hotel. The 13-deck hotel has 224 refurbished rooms and suites.
The hotel offers dine out in style in the Queens Grill, the ship’s former first-class restaurant, which offers a nine-course tasting menu from her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1969. A beautiful 515 seat Theatre onboard the QE2 hosting a wide range of shows including comedy, opera, tribute acts, pantomime, plays and much more.
4. Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa
Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, is situated in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve which is just a 45-minutes’ drive from the busy city of Dubai is an ideal getaway for retreating from the city. ‘Maha’, also known as the Arabian Oryx, is one of the many species of wildlife that you encounter at the conservation reserve.
The luxurious Bedouin style tents combine the heritage of Arabia with luxury, and offering private terrace with temperature controlled private swimming pools and guests can enjoy a pampering spa treatment too. The indigenous Arabian wildlife can also be viewed from the pool or sun deck seating area of all Villas.
The resort’s signature restaurant, Al Diwaan is at the heart of Al Maha’s Dining experience and offers organic international & indigenous delicacies.
Abu Dhabi:
5. Emirates Palace
A staycation in a palace? Sounds great, isn’t it?!
Situated on a private beach, this five-star extraordinary palace has high-end furnishings and the latest technologies. Each room has a marble bathroom, interactive television, free Wifi, private balcony and a 24-hour butler service. Huge, beautiful and historical palace that offers calming views, noise of the sea and birds, delicious food, amazing rooms, two huge pools, a waterpark with all adventurous water sports, footballs fields, tennis courts, gyms are some of the features of this hotel.
Their signature palace Cappuccino and camel meat burger, both of which glitter with 24-karat-gold flakes are a must try! The palatial hotel features glittering chandeliers and a series of domes, the grandest being meticulously decorated with gold, mother-of-pearl and crystals.
6. Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
This 5-star property of Park Hyatt is situated on a private beach at Saadiyat island. Holding 306 rooms with earthy tones, the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villa gives off coastal and open-air vibes like no other! This resort is mostly in demand due to its perfect combination of having a great time lounging at the silent shores of the Saadiyat and along with it some thrilling adventures on the sands of the Arabian Desert.
There are three in-house restaurants to choose from – the hotes’s signature restaurant.The Park Grill, offers steaks and seafood, the Beach House serves home-made dishes inspired by Mediterranean coastline. The Atarmia Spa, an outdoor lap pool, a fitness room, and a dedicated stretching studio are other features.
7. W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island is unique in its design with half set on water and other half on land. It overlooks the Formula 1 circuit.
On the ninth floor is the hotel’s new epicenter, WET Deck which has the showstopper swimming pool and also where the DJ’s are held during the F1 weekend.
The hotel boasts two outdoor rooftop pools, delicious international dishes at Garage, a 24-hour state-of-the-art FIT with grand views of Yas Marina, and an award-winning Spa designed as a traditional hammam.
Ras Al Khaimah:
8. The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach
Located on a private beach in Ras Al Khaimah, the resort features Bedouin-style tented villas each with their own oceanfront beautiful views and offers complete privacy which makes us feel we are far away from the rest of the world. Guests are transported by private boats after check-in at Welcome Lounge of Ritz-Carlton, Al Hamra Beach to their own villas.
Sharjah:
Shore House is the resort’s only Restaurant offers local middle eastern options, western and a few from other parts of the world – Japanese, Peruvian, and Italian.
9. The Chedi Al Bait
Located at the heart of Sharjah, the 53-room boutique resort is a unique collection of five preserved heritage houses that were previously owned by esteemed Emirati families in the country.
Literally translated as ‘The Home,’ The Chedi Al Bait delivers bespoke services where beauty of Arabian hospitality and a sense of home become inseperable . The resort houses UAE’s only round wind tower, as well as an in-house museum that showcases the city’s rich history.
Fujairah:
10. Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort
Fujairah’s only art inspired resort, Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort lies along the coastal region of Dibba overlooking the Majestic Al Hajar Mountains.
This luxury resort comprises 181 guest rooms and suites, all of them offering either idyllic marina or the inspiring ocean views. The resort’s interior is showcased with art pieces from around the globe thus infusing the modern bohemian with the arabesque touches.
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Fairmont’s signature health and wellness brand, the award-winning Willow Stream Spa promises unique experiences to its guests. The resort features five food and beverage outlets and wide range of activities for water sports.
