Region
Futuristic ultra-luxury and desert serenity.
24 hotels profiled in Middle East
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
A fortress-like retreat rising from the dunes of the Empty Quarter, where the world's largest sand desert supplies the drama and the silence.
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Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem's storied 1931 grande dame in pink limestone, whose gardens and terraces look straight across the valley to the Old City walls.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A sculptural mega-resort on the Palm where stacked-block architecture, sky pools and a deep bench of celebrity-chef dining redefine Dubai showmanship.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The palatial heart of Madinat Jumeirah, where abra-laced waterways, private beach and Burj Al Arab views meet Arabian summer-palace grandeur.
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Muscat, Oman
Oman's ceremonial palace-hotel of 1985, set between the Hajar Mountains and its own bay, with one of the Gulf's most magnificent domed lobbies.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A low-rise, Moorish-inspired beach estate at the tip of the Palm that trades Dubai's usual scale for gardens, quiet and skyline views across the water.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai's sail-shaped icon remains an all-suite spectacle of gold, marble and butler service on its own island off Jumeirah Beach.
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Muscat, Oman
A serene study in Omani-Zen minimalism, where black reflecting pools, white arches and lantern-lit gardens meet a long private beach outside Muscat.
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Jerusalem, Israel
A 19th-century pasha's mansion turned legendary East Jerusalem retreat, famed for its flower-filled courtyard, Cellar Bar and long literary pedigree.
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Jabal Akhdar, Oman
A stone-built eyrie 2,000 metres up in Oman's Al Hajar mountains, perched on the rim of a vast canyon with cool air and huge stars.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The apex of the Palm Jumeirah and the Middle East's definitive family mega-resort — a 1,500-room ocean-themed palace wrapped around Aquaventure, the world's largest waterpark, and the Lost Chambers aquarium.
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi's monumental palace hotel pairs gilded Arabian grandeur with Mandarin Oriental polish, a kilometre of private beach and vast landscaped grounds.
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Giorgio Armani's fashion-house hotel occupying the lower floors of the Burj Khalifa, all muted tones, curved corridors and Downtown Dubai at the door.
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Amman, Jordan
Amman's benchmark hotel on a hilltop in the leafy Fifth Circle district, pairing sweeping city views with the most polished service in Jordan.
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Doha, Qatar
An all-suite statement inside one of Doha's crescent-shaped Katara Towers, where futuristic Qatari design meets Raffles butler tradition.
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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
A vast palace originally built to host state guests, set in landscaped grounds beside Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter and run with ceremonial polish.
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Beirut, Lebanon
An antique-filled Relais & Châteaux hideaway in a 1930s Achrafieh townhouse, the most romantic small hotel in the Levant.
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Beirut, Lebanon
A design-led boutique on Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut, famed for its rooftop pool and terraces looking to the mountains and sea.
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Manama, Bahrain
Bahrain's first true boutique hotel, an art-packed, adults-only bolthole beside the Manama souq with a rooftop pool over the old town.
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Damascus, Syria
A restored Ottoman-era courtyard mansion in the old city of Damascus, all fountains, striped stone and centuries of layered craft.
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Damascus, Syria
The Syrian capital's long-serving garden hotel in Umayyad Square's orbit, with courtyards, pools and decades of institutional memory.
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Sana'a, Yemen
The Yemeni capital's principal international-standard hotel, on high ground above the city, long the base for agencies and delegations.
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Damascus, Syria
A large central Damascus hotel by the Barada river, long a hub for delegations and one of the capital's most dependable addresses.
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Aden, Yemen
Aden's leading operating hotel, on the Gold Mohur bay beneath the volcanic crags, serving the port city's official and business visitors.
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