Dubai is designed to fascinate children. Its family-friendly hotels feature mini check-in desks, nurseries and kids’ clubs, special kids’ menus and curfew-free restaurants for teens, spa treatments for little ones, and big-ticket amenities that extend well beyond basic play areas. The best water parks are directly connected to hotels. Take advantage of the slides at Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wild Wadi and Jungle Bay at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina.
Many of Dubai’s other family-oriented attractions are easily accessible; It is rarely more than 30 minutes away by taxi. Kids will feel like all Christmas has come at once at Ski Dubai, an indoor snow park with an 85-metre slope and chair lift, and KidZania offers them the opportunity to role-play in a miniature version of the world. supermarket, gas station and medical centre. Other theme parks have been created around comic book heroes, cartoon characters, treetop rope courses and Lego building blocks. These are the best family hotels in Dubai.
How do we examine
Every hotel on this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are often hosted free of charge. They stay at least one night, test at least one meal, and try other experiences the hotel has to offer.
The best family hotels in Dubai at a glance
What might be perceived as ostentatious to the adult eye must appear majestic to a child: Atlantis’ tower-topped, red-brick facade recalls Disney fairy tales, its iconic central arch hints at gateways to mythical kingdoms; Inside, every detail looks exaggerated. There are shops selling toys, artwork, perfumes, clothing, jewelry and souvenirs, and guests have free access to the Aquaventure water park and The Lost Chambers Aquarium. With so many guests losing themselves in the streets, the extremely polite staff must feel like they’re herding cats forever, but they never show it. There is probably no more magical resort for kids than Disneyland, with all the family amenities and services available.
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One of Dubai’s original beachfront hotels – cleverly designed so that all rooms have views of the sea and the Burj – it offers guests free access to the Wild Wadi Water Park, the excellent entertainment area next door (where an 18-metre waterfall cascades every 10 minutes). Water sports are also available. , tennis and squash courts and a climbing wall. It is a friendly and relaxing place for children: the kids’ club is a large building with different play areas, protected from the sun, and is open (free of charge) from 8 am to 8 pm (for guests aged 2 to 12). Families can choose to stay in the ground floor garden suites, which feature a kitchenette and child safety lock on the sliding doors.
This affordable, all-inclusive beach resort is family-oriented, with a kids’ club, playground, and a small water park to keep the kids entertained. For adults, there is a spa, gym and a choice of two pools and a selection of bars, including one with a terrace overlooking the coastline. Guests tagged upon arrival must wear their armbands at all times to access all-inclusive facilities. It’s a bit festival-like, with buffet restaurants instead of food trucks, and live bands will likely be ABBA tribute shows.
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With a series of low-rise buildings set among gardens dotted with streams, waterfalls and peacocks, this resort feels incredibly relaxing. All suites can accommodate two adults and two children under 16 years of age. There are two shaded children’s pools, a kids’ club (ages 4-11) and a youth club, and camel rides. For even more activities, guests can opt for the Wibit inflatable water park, donut rides and water sports. Adults can try the challenging nine-hole golf course, which has hosted the likes of Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo.
This family-oriented, Polynesian-themed resort – a bit quaint but still stylishly done in the Emirates – is located within walking distance of Dubai’s theme park complex (Motiongate, Legoland and Bollywood Parks), with buildings set around a lagoon style. pools and a lazy river. There are two kids’ clubs for different ages, with activities such as climbing walls and henna painting. Parents can head to the spa, which offers massages and traditional hammam treatments. Connecting rooms, cots and rollaway beds make stays comfortable for all ages, and family-friendly events include a Friday brunch.
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This majestic estate features neoclassical architecture, soft desert tones and sophisticated interiors, but despite its grandeur, it is family-friendly as well as social and entertaining. There’s the Jungle Bay water park with loop slides and a wave pool, a shaded children’s pool and a big kids’ club (free for children over four). The playground and daily activities include soft archery, sensory games and face painting. For the little ones, high chairs and children’s menus are available in restaurants; Baby cot, bottle warmer, sterilizer and baby toiletries in the rooms; and baby care services. The resort has its own water sports center for water skiing, windsurfing and wakeboarding.
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This family-friendly resort is located in the heart of the expansive Madinat Jumeirah complex, landscaped around Venetian-style waterways and a private beach area. The free Sinbad Kids Club offers playgrounds and pools with activities such as face painting and handicrafts, children’s menus and high chairs, restaurants that appeal to young guests, baby cots and connecting rooms. Free and unlimited access to the Wild Wadi Water Park next door and on-site rides on abras will banish boredom. Mall of the Emirates is also a 10-minute drive away (home to the odd indoor ski slope).
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The Rixos may not have the typical architecture of many hotels on The Palm, but it scores big with its fantastic kids’ club (not to mention an authentic Turkish bath and great restaurants). There are two outdoor swimming pools, a separate children’s pool, motorized and non-motorized water sports, basketball and tennis courts, and the staff is friendly and attentive without being overbearing. While parents are taking care of themselves using the products of the spa brand Alissi Brontë, little guests are busy with a full activity program. The hotel is one of the few properties in Dubai that offers all-inclusive packages.
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One of Dubai’s most sought-after beaches is occupied by this large, low-rise property that is home to eight restaurants and six pools; One week isn’t long enough to experience it all. Two of the pools are for families and the other two are for children; If splashing around has gotten old, the Ritz Kids Club offers a program of daily activities and a private playroom. In some accommodation units, baby cots and roll-away beds can be provided free of charge for babies up to two years old. Dubai Marina, with its shopping mall, zip lines and yacht-lined waters, is a few blocks away.
Contributed by Lara Brunt and Jenny Johnson
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