Hotels in Dubai

Dubai is built on superlatives — the Burj Khalifa, mega-malls with indoor ski slopes, man-made islands — and if that is the holiday you want, nowhere does it better or more efficiently. There is an older city too: the creek at Deira and Bur Dubai, with abra boats, gold and spice souks, worth an afternoon of anyone's trip.

Honesty: it is a car-and-taxi city with vast distances, summer (June to September) is a 45-degree endurance test, and little here is cheap. The metro is good but limited in reach. Stay in Downtown for the Burj and fountain shows, Dubai Marina or JBR for beach-and-promenade life, or Bur Dubai for character and markedly lower room rates.