Promising year-round sun, warm turquoise seas and miles and miles of soft desert sand beaches, Dubai is a fantastic family holiday destination. Dubai hotels take fantastic family experiences very seriously and many offer cool kids’ clubs, stylish, child-friendly restaurants and even on-site water parks. Check out our top seven Dubai hotels dedicated to family fun…
1/7 Find utopia in Atlantis, the Palm
In the centre of The Palm’s crescent, the deep sea-themed Atlantis, the Palm is a dazzling pink palace perfect for all the family. There’s a kids’ club for nippers up to 12, and Club Rush, a cool hangout zone for 13 to 18 year olds. Guests also have free access to the resort’s Aquaventure Water Park, where the bold and brave can tackle the Tower of Neptune, a death-defying slide through an actual shark lagoon. Make sure you dine in Ossiano, the resort’s acclaimed underwater restaurant with floor-to-ceiling views into the Lost Chambers Aquarium.
Book your family holiday at Atlantis the Palm
2/7 Take the rebels to Jebel Ali Beach
A 30-minute drive from Downtown Dubai, the JA Jebel Ali Beach Resort makes a great base for thrill-seeking families. It’s just a 15-minute hop from the theme parks at Dubai Parks and Resorts complex; MOTIONGATE Dubai, LEGOLAND Dubai, LEGOLAND Dubai Water Park, and Bollywood Parks. The hotel offers a CoolZone kids’ club for those aged 4-12, and a ChillZone club for teenagers up to 16 years. From the hotel’s private beach, kids and adults can make full use of the JA Wibit Water Park, a huge inflatable aquapark, as well as the two pools with swim-up bars, a floating seafood restaurant, and a 9-hole championship golf course.
Book your family holiday at JA Beach Hotel
3/7 Have all the fun of the Fairmont
Set on a private 800m beach on Palm Jumeirah, this super-swish beachfront resort promises unbeatable views of the glittering Arabian Gulf and the Dubai Marina complex. With stylish interconnecting family rooms, an array of kid-friendly internationally themed restaurants, and the Fairmont Falcons kids’ club for children from 18 months to 16 years, the Fairmont the Palm is a perfect Dubai getaway. It has four swimming pools, a host of beach and water sports, plus the award-winning Willow Stream spa so mum and dad can really relax safe in the knowledge the kids are having fun.
Book your family holiday at Fairmont the Palm
4/7 It’s all about location, location, location at The Address
Located inside the Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping centres, this smart, chic yet family-friendly hotel has almost instant access to some of Dubai’s top family attractions. Come face to face with sharks in the mega Dubai Aquarium, ride to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and let the kids loose in the biggest sweet shop on the planet. And even in the summer temperatures, kids can keep cool on the Dubai Ice Rink, in SEGA Republic or KidZania theme park. While the hotel has three in-house restaurants, including the poolside restaurant, Cabana, there’s a wealth of dining options in the mall to suit all the family.
Book your family holiday at Address Dubai Mall
5/7 Livin’ Lapita Loca
Part of the new Dubai Parks and Resorts, a 573-acre theme park and hotel complex near the Palm Jebel Ali, the Polynesian-themed Lapita Hotel brings a taste of the South Pacific to the Arabian Desert. Situated a 45-minute drive south of Downtown Dubai, it’s a relaxing alternative to the bright lights of the big city. It has two lagoon-style pools, a lazy river, and a trio of cool kids’ clubs, Luna, Nova and Teens Club, all with their own modern club house. The hotel is a 7-minute walk from LEGOLAND Dubai, MOTIONGATE and Bollywood Parks, as well as the Riverland Dubai dining and entertainment district. Every hotel guest has unlimited entry into all three parks, plus free Q-fast passes.
Book your family holiday at Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts
6/7 Splash around at Le Royal Méridien
Cocooned by its own private beach, little ones can live a life of luxury at Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa. The hotel is situated moments from Jumeirah Beach Residence’s, The Walk, Dubai’s swanky beachfront promenade lined with boutiques, bars and stylish alfresco restaurants. It has two swimming pools, including a splash pool for tinies, plus water sports instruction, a games room and teen fitness studio for the teenagers. Le Royal Méridien’s popular (and free) Penguin Club is aimed at kids aged four to 12, and includes donut rides, bonfire nights and sandcastle competitions, as well as meals in the pizzeria and a kids’ bar selling ice cream and pop cocktails.
Book your family holiday at Le Royal Méridien
7/7 Take a walk on the Wild Wadi side at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Set within splashing distance of the Wild Wadi Waterpark, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel is a modern Arabian palace which appeals to families with children of all ages. Shaped like a blue-silver wave on Dubai’s Jumeirah beachfront, every room has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the turquoise sweep of the Arabian Gulf. Sinbad’s is the complimentary kids’ club, aimed at children aged four to 16, plus all families have free and unlimited access to the Wild Wadi water park next door. After all that watery action, refuel in one of the resort’s 21 restaurants, including Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian.