UAE Hotels
Hotels In The UAE: Our Guide For 2026 / 2027
By the My Budget Break team. Last checked October 2026.
Taxes, entry rules and travel advice on this page are checked against official UAE and UK government sources.
Most people booking a hotel in the UAE are really booking Dubai, and that's fair enough: it has the biggest choice of hotels, the most flights from the UK and almost guaranteed winter sunshine. But the United Arab Emirates is seven emirates, not one city, and some of the best-value hotels are an hour or two up the road.
Abu Dhabi has quieter beaches, the Louvre and the Yas Island theme parks. Ras Al Khaimah has all-inclusive beach resorts at prices Dubai can't match, plus the country's highest mountain. Fujairah, on the east coast, faces a different sea entirely and is good for snorkelling. Where you stay changes the whole feel of the trip, so it's worth getting right.
The short version: first time, and you want the beach and the big sights? Stay in Dubai, at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Marina or on the Palm. For a calmer beach holiday with culture thrown in, choose Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island. For the best-value all-inclusive, look at Ras Al Khaimah. And go between November and March, when daytime temperatures sit in the mid-20s rather than the mid-40s.
Before You Book: Travel Advice (Checked 11 October 2026)
The UAE was caught up in the regional conflict involving Iran in 2026, with missile and drone attacks from late February and disruption to flights in and out of the Gulf. The UK Foreign Office lifted its advice against all but essential travel to the UAE in June 2026, but it still warns that the regional situation is unpredictable and that airspace can close at short notice.
Hotels are open and visitor numbers are recovering. Before you book, we'd suggest:
- Read the latest FCDO travel advice for the UAE when you book and again a few days before you fly.
- Choose a free-cancellation or flexible rate where you can.
- Check your travel insurance carefully. Many policies exclude disruption caused by war or by events that were already known about when you bought the cover.
- A package holiday with flights is ATOL protected, which gives you more protection if flights are cancelled than booking a hotel and flights separately.
Where To Stay In The UAE
The Emirates: Where To Base Yourself
Dubai
Dubai has more hotels than anywhere else in the country, and the area you pick matters more than the star rating. The city is long and spread out along the coast, and a taxi from one end to the other in rush hour can take the best part of an hour. Our full guide to Dubai hotels goes into more detail, but in brief:
- Dubai Marina and JBR: high-rise hotels, a proper public beach, a long promenade full of restaurants, and the tram and metro on the doorstep. The best all-round base for a first visit.
- Palm Jumeirah: resort hotels with private beaches, including Atlantis and its Aquaventure water park. Lovely, but you'll rely on taxis to go anywhere else. See our Palm Jumeirah hotels guide.
- Downtown: the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the fountains. Brilliant for a short city break, but there's no beach.
- Jumeirah: lower-rise and more relaxed, with long beaches and a more local feel between the Marina and the old town.
- Deira and Bur Dubai: old Dubai around the Creek, with the souks, abra boats and the cheapest hotels in the city. Handy for the airport, but a long way from the beach.
What To Know Before You Book A UAE Hotel
Tourist Taxes & Fees
Dubai adds a Tourism Dirham fee of AED 7 to AED 20 per room per night, depending on the hotel's star rating, for up to 30 nights. On top of that come service charges, municipality fees and VAT. Package prices usually include these, but room-only rates often don't, so check the final total.
Best Time To Go
November to March is peak season, with daytime highs in the mid-20s. From June to September it regularly tops 40°C. Hotel prices are at their lowest then, but you'll be moving from air-conditioned room to air-conditioned taxi. October and April are a good middle ground.
Visas & Passports
British passport holders get a free visa on arrival, allowing up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport needs at least six months' validity from the date you arrive. Some prescription medicines need approval in advance, so check before you pack.
Hotel Rules & Local Laws
Alcohol is served in licensed hotel bars and restaurants (but never in Sharjah). Swimwear is fine at the pool and on the beach, but cover up in malls and the old town. Drinking in public and public displays of affection can get you into real trouble.
How To Get A Better Price On A UAE Hotel
UAE hotel prices vary enormously by season, and the headline room rate isn't always what you end up paying. Here's what makes the biggest difference:
- Book it as a package. Hotel and flights together often work out cheaper than booking separately, especially in winter, and you get ATOL protection. Compare our Dubai holidays with the price of a room-only booking plus flights.
- Go just outside peak season. Late October, early November and April still have reliable sunshine, without the Christmas and February half-term premium.
- Do the board-basis maths. Eating and drinking out in Dubai is expensive, and hotel drinks prices are high. Half board or all-inclusive often pays for itself, especially in Ras Al Khaimah, where most resorts are a taxi ride from anywhere else to eat.
- Stay outside Dubai and visit for the day. A beach resort in Ras Al Khaimah or Ajman plus a couple of day trips into Dubai can cost far less than a week at the Marina.
- Check what "beach" means. Some hotels described as beach hotels are across a road from the sand, or run a shuttle bus to a beach club. If a private beach matters to you, look for "private beach" in the hotel facilities rather than "beach access".
- Watch Ramadan dates. Ramadan in 2027 is expected to start around 8 February and finish around 9 March, depending on the moon sighting. Hotel prices often drop. Hotels still serve guests normally, but some restaurants outside hotels open later and the nightlife is quieter.
Getting There & Getting Around
Direct flights from the UK to Dubai take around seven hours. Dubai International (DXB) is the main airport, though some flights use Dubai World Central (DWC) further south, and Abu Dhabi has its own airport, Zayed International (AUH). Emirates and Etihad fly from several UK airports, and British Airways also flies from London. Virgin Atlantic isn't flying to Dubai this winter. See our flights to the UAE for current options. The UAE is four hours ahead of the UK in winter and three hours ahead in summer.
In Dubai, the metro is clean, cheap and air-conditioned, and the tram links Dubai Marina, JBR and the Palm monorail. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced by UK standards. Away from the metro line, and outside Dubai, you'll be using taxis, ride-hailing apps or a hire car.
Which UAE Hotel Suits You?
Families
For a water park on site, Atlantis on the Palm is hard to beat. Yas Island in Abu Dhabi puts four theme parks within a few minutes of your hotel. Ras Al Khaimah's all-inclusive resorts, most with kids' clubs, are the value option.
Couples
Saadiyat Island, the quieter Palm resorts and the east coast at Fujairah are the most relaxing choices. Dubai Marina and JBR suit couples who want restaurants and nightlife on the doorstep.
Budget
In Dubai, look at Deira, Bur Dubai and Al Barsha, which is near the Mall of the Emirates and on the metro line. Further afield, Ajman's beach hotels are some of the cheapest in the country. Sharjah is cheaper still, if you don't mind a dry emirate and the traffic.
A stopover
If you're breaking a long-haul journey, stay near the airport in Deira or Garhoud for one night, or Downtown for two or three, so you can see the Burj Khalifa and the souks without much travelling.
Popular Hotels In Dubai
UAE Hotels FAQs
Dubai, at Dubai Marina or Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). You get a public beach, restaurants on the doorstep and the metro and tram to reach the main sights.
For weather, travel between November and March. For price, October, early November and April give you warm sunshine at lower rates. The summer months are the cheapest but uncomfortably hot, regularly over 40°C.
The Tourism Dirham fee is AED 7 to AED 20 per room per night, depending on the hotel's category, and is charged for up to 30 nights. It's paid at the hotel. Service charges, municipality fees and VAT are added to the room rate as well.
The UK Foreign Office lifted its advice against all but essential travel to the UAE in June 2026, but it still warns of regional tensions and the risk of short-notice airspace closures. Check the latest FCDO advice before you book and before you travel, and choose flexible bookings where you can.
No advance visa is needed. British passport holders get a free visa on arrival for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive.
Yes, in licensed hotel bars and restaurants in most emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Sharjah is the exception: alcohol isn't available there at all. Drinking in public places, or being drunk in public, is against the law.
Yes, though fewer than in places like Turkey or Egypt. Ras Al Khaimah has the most all-inclusive resorts and the best value. Dubai has some, mostly on the Palm and along Jumeirah, while many other Dubai hotels offer half board instead.
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February and end around 9 March, with Eid Al Fitr straight after. The exact dates depend on the moon sighting. Hotels stay open and serve guests as normal, and prices can be lower.
Dubai if you want nightlife, shopping and the big landmarks. Abu Dhabi if you'd rather have a quieter beach, the Yas Island theme parks or more space for your money. With the new Etihad Rail passenger service between the two, it's easy to stay in one and visit the other.
About an hour by road from Dubai International Airport to the Al Marjan Island resorts, depending on traffic. Most UK visitors fly into Dubai and take a transfer.
How We Put This Guide Together
My Budget Break is an independent UK travel site focused on affordable holidays. For this guide we checked entry rules and travel advice with the UK Foreign Office, tourist taxes with official UAE sources, and recent openings and transport changes with the operators themselves. Everything was last checked in October 2026. Because the regional situation has been changing, we check the travel advice section more often than the rest of the page.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, the holiday or hotel company may pay us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't affect which areas or hotels we recommend. You can read more in our affiliate disclosure or find out more about us. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.