ANANTARA
THE PALM RESORT DUBAI
Why it’s got the Insta-factor…
Located on the artificial archipelago of Palm Jumeirah, this Thai-inspired resort is an oasis of serenity in a city that puts up skyscrapers in its sleep. A lazy river, complete with its own canoepaddling cocktail waiter, winds through a series of LagoonView Rooms – with a cluster of sea-front villas on stilts over the ocean. The food offering is also one of the best in the city, with high-end Pan-Asian at Mekong (its signature cocktail comes in an ornamental birdcage – need we say more?), and an Australian-style steakhouse on site that serves the juiciest T-bone you’ll have anywhere. While away the time between meals on a private beach, supping from coconuts brought directly to your lounger, and getting in some quality peoplewatching. How do I blend in? By slapping on your partywear and going for it. Dubai is not the place to do understated chic. Get your bearings by taking a trip up the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Then stroll around the Mall Of The Emirates (did we mention it’s tax-free?) before dragging your haul back to your hotel, ordering everything off the pillow menu (yes, it exists) and having a disco nap before exploring the legendary Dubai nightlife.
Any celebrity guests?
Everyone in this city looks like a celebrity even if they’re complete nobodies so… what’s the difference?
Don’t go home without...
Doing a food tour. Frying Pan Adventures runs a middle-eastern food pilgrimage around Dubai’s old town, Deira. You’ll go to six different places in one night, and, through the food you eat and the vendors you meet, discover a side to the city you’ll never see at its rooftop bars (Fryingpan adventures.com).