Delano Dubai, UAE Hotel

UAE

Discover the chilled-out side of UAE at an abode with more than a hint of Miami, as you head to the pool for days that seem far removed from the hectic pace of Dubai

Bright lights, beach clubs, blue sea and Burj Khalifa backdrops... Dubai is the go-to destination for Generation Instagram. But where can the discerning traveller find relaxation, away from the selfie sticks and ring lights of DIFC, JBR and The Palm?

Enter (man-made) Bluewaters Island, and the Delano Dubai. Back in the Nineties, the US- based, design-focused Delano stable made its name with Delano Miami, offering a relaxed riposte to the fast pace of the city – and it is still channelling this welcome vibe in Europe and the Middle East.

With a palette of egg-yolk yellow and crisp white, the hotel has 251 rooms over seven floors. All routes lead to the pool, where the action unfolds. The cabana-lined space has been curated with downtime
in mind: the beds and loungers are well spaced, staff well briefed and the lunchtime menu well selected. Think Miami wellness with a touch of roadside diner: poké bowls, grain salads and crudités, but also loaded fries, nachos – and devilled eggs, which are still having a moment.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are at Tutto Passa, an Italian kitchen with panoramic views of the pool and pristine private beach. A set lunch menu for those on half- or full-board is available alongside the à la carte, which is also served at dinner. The pizza of the day is not to be missed – eyes on Taleggio and truffle – although the show-stealer is the chef ’s lobster pasta: trimmed with all the excess of Dubai, but with a sauce so rich in tomato it could have been drawn from Nonna’s pot in Tuscany.

The Rose Bar is an evening-only cocktail hideaway with drinks as good as any in Dubai, produced by a bar team recruited from leading programmes across Southeast Asia. While nods to the need for influencer content are found in a Studio 54-style dancefloor replete with disco ball, it’s not a hotel where you’ll find captions exalting the experience as either ‘demure’ or ‘mindful’. MS. Doubles

Doubles from £230.

Words by Mark Sansom.

This article was taken from the February/March 2025 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.