Abu Dhabi
Always popular, this big tower has a cracking central position in Downtown and friendly staff, making it a solid option. Rooms are spacious, comfortable…
Must-see hotels in Arabian Peninsula
Dubai
Classic Ibis: a good deal with low-frill but sparkling-clean rooms. If you’d rather drop your cash in the adjacent mall than loll by the pool or nosh on…
Saudi Arabia
Out towards the northwestern edge of the city, near the U-shaped bay area off Hwy 55, this family resort is popular with Saudis from the south and has a…
Northern Coast
Right in the heart of town, this simple hotel has basic but spotless rooms (a tad on the dark side) within easy walking distance of the old souq and the…
Salalah
At the heart of the city's busiest shopping enterprise, this hotel offers easy access to all the amenities of Salalah Gardens Mall. It is also a short…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Tucked into the far end of the Dubai Marina, the Pearl may not be as flashy as its high-rise neighbours, but who cares? The price tag is only a fraction…
Mecca
The Fairmont may have an air of controversy around it for its association with the modern architectural design of the Abraj Al Beit complex, but there's…
JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai
Downtown Dubai
Standing 355m tall, the mammoth Marriott has 1600 rooms split across two jagged towers inspired by the trunk of a date palm tree. Cathedral-like loftiness…
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
An older but well-kept 500-room resort flanks a gorgeous beach and counts extensive gardens, three pools, a Roman-themed spa and an excellent kids' club…
Saudi Arabia
With a good location near the old town and the intersection of two main highways, the Onaizah is the best place to stay in a town that isn't blessed with…
Saudi Arabia
In a city with very limited accommodation options, this hotel is a step up from the lower end of the budget scale. Rooms are generally cleaner, and decor…
Manama
This great budget option is on the doorstep of Manama Souq, overlooking its best chai (tea) shops. The hotel's faux-traditional Bahraini facade makes up…
Fujairah City
Central and well run, the Novotel is your best bet if you're planning to bed down in Fujairah City. The bright, comfortable rooms have a funky teal-and…
Yas Island
There may be few stylish bells and whistles, and the wall-mounted TVs seem a bit lost floating alone in all that empty wall space, but these good-sized,…
Tabuk
Adwa caters to families and is popular with airline crews and holidaymakers. The prices are reasonable, so go for the self-catering apartments for extra…
Al Wusta
On the opposite side of the highway from the town of Haima, this basic hotel, arranged around a courtyard, offers a clean bed for the night. The English…
Grand Millennium Al Wahda Hotel
Al Bateen & Al Mushrif
Popular with the business crowd, this always-busy big hotel has large, modern rooms in beige and navy blue. Porters Pub is downstairs, there's a pool, gym…
Jeddah
The draw of this midrange option in Al Ruwais is the rooftop swimming pool, while the rooms are spacious, clean and great value for money. If you don't…
Mecca
The spacious, smart rooms here have decent views over the city. The hotel is a bit away from the Kaaba, but the 24-hour bus shuttle is very reliable…
Jabal Omar Hyatt Regency Makkah
Mecca
This high-end hotel offers large rooms with partial views of Al Masjid Al Haram from its floor-to-ceiling windows. The bathrooms are the height of luxury,…
Riyadh
The decor here is a little tired, but this hotel is actually not a bad place to stay. The rooms are a good size, the staff are very friendly and the…
Al Bateen & Al Mushrif
The loft-like rooms, landscaped pool and high-tech gadgetry in this hotel scream urban chic but compared to many other hotels in this price range (and…
Oman
Given its location in the middle of almost nowhere, this well-run desert hotel in Mahout (also spelt 'Mahoot' and 'Mahouth') is a surprise find. With…
Deira
Dubai’s only Hostelling International–affiliated hostel is just north of the airport, far from most Dubai attractions but only 300m from a metro station…
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Dubai
Linked to the Mall of the Emirates, the Kempinski exudes modern European sophistication and is a perfect launch pad for a shopping immersion. The…
Jebel Akhdar
Near the junction to the upper plateau and without a view, this hotel feels empty even when full. With an open fire in the lobby in winter and a wind…
Jebel Akhdar
Encompassing a large tract of flat open space, ringed with magnificent mature juniper trees, this area makes a perfect wild campground. It neighbours the…
Bahrain
The only accommodation option on the Hawar Islands is getting a huge face lift and is starting to resemble a decent resort. Rooms are smart and come with…
Al Ain
Set within flowery gardens, this resort has a kid-focused pool area set up with slides and a separate one for swimming laps. Although furniture and…
Oman
Given the moniker 'White Beach' because of its fine, powdery sand, this is the most popular beach for wild camping along this part of the coast. There are…
Sharqiya Sands
This new camp, accessed from near Al Wasil, looks a bit raw, with rows of concrete cabins that don't quite blend in with the landscape. It's a peaceful…
Al Afiah Corniche Hotel Apartment
Sur
Don't get excited by the sparkling pillars holding up the porch: the glamour doesn't extend to the plain and cavernous interior. That said, rooms are…
Bur Dubai
Opened in mid-2018, this new building was designed to emulate local traditional architecture with sand-coloured rough-hewn walls and rooms set on two…
Bahrain
This tired but clean little resort is a decent budget option for those spending more than a day in the area. It has its own clean, private beach, a cafe,…
Al Ain
This behemoth of a hotel is Al Ain's most central lodging, with a big outdoor pool area and soaring atrium complete with fake palm trees. Spacious rooms…
Umm Al Quwain
The lush gardens and big, inviting pool area, leading down to a well-maintained strip of sand, are the nicest points of this old-school resort where…
Oman
This old faithful, located on Hwy 23, 10km northwest of Al Wasil, has returned to a sleepy hollow after its brief flowering as a trendy little sleepover…
Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
United Arab Emirates
This hotel put Fujairah on the beach-holiday map. Today, with its dimly lit lobby home to classic cars and throne-like velveteen chairs, it's looking old…
United Arab Emirates
It's a bit long in the tooth, and the room furnishings are very 1980s-esque, but if the staff learned to vacuum in the corners, this property, sitting…
Al Ain
Al Ain's sentimental favourite has a marble-clad foyer with mirrored ceiling and an arched atrium with stained-glass dome. Although the rooms aren't as…
