United Arab Emirates
This old-fashioned, salmon-pink resort sits on a stretch of sand facing Dibba Rock, a popular diving and snorkelling site thanks to its shallow coral…
Must-see hotels in Arabian Peninsula
Al Ula
In an area where any tourist-ready accommodation is scarce, these apartments/hotel rooms in the heart of Al Ula's new town are good value for money. The…
Jeddah
Overlooking the Red Sea in North Jeddah, very close to the dive site Sharm Obhur Coral, the Bahadur is a family resort with a small floating water park…
Abu Dhabi
Showing its age a bit, the Crowne Plaza's rooms are big, bland and a tad old-fashioned. On the plus side though there are plenty of excellent reasons to…
Deira
Just off Baniyas Sq, this is one of the better hotels in a hyper-busy business district near the Gold Souq. Rooms have laminate flooring, warm colours and…
Bur Dubai
This traditionally run hotel is a hop, skip and jump from BurJuman mall and metro station, and has well-kept, modern studios and one- or two-bedroom…
Muscat
Perched on top of a hill overlooking the pearly-white suburbs of Muscat, this Arabian-style hotel, with its crenellations and casements, marble lobby and…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Not your classic hostel, this place in a Marina high-rise consists of dorms in apartments, with men and women on different floors. It's a hop, skip and…
Sharqiya Sands
This intimate camp, run by a Bedouin family, offers personal service in the heart of the dunes. Accommodation is in barasti (palm-leaf) huts with shared…
Yas Island
A little less glossy than neighbouring hotels, Centro's neat-as-a-pin, compact rooms offer Yas Island's most budget-conscious choice. As long as you're…
Muscat
Beside Ruwi Bus Station, this budget hotel – with its bright and cheerful lobby, fish bowl, enormous plastic potted orange trees, and large rooms with…
Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
United Arab Emirates
This Khor Fakkan landmark, with its distinctive rooftop rotunda, is still going strong thanks to package-tour deals. Yes, it's a bit (well, a lot) dated,…
Muscat
In need of a makeover, this tired old Mutrah stalwart has large rooms, seven with grand views of the harbour. Given its prime location, plumb in the…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
This old-timer pulls in the punters thanks to decent-sized rooms (filled with a surfeit of 1980's orange-wood furniture) and bags of cheap and cheerful…
Sharqiya Sands
Located at the end of a long corridor of orange sand, this camp makes a good base for deeper exploration into the sands. Concrete huts decorated with…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
Always busy with regional travellers, the Dana has big studio-style rooms with old but well-kept furnishings and shiny, spotless bathrooms. Slight…
Sharjah
Mere steps from Al Qasba and Al Majaz Waterfront, the Golden Tulip has mostly good-sized rooms – some with lagoon views – with rather frumpy, bland…
Northern Coast
Guests can watch herons parachute into the adjacent tidal pools at this local hotel. The term 'resort' is a bit far-fetched, although there's a pool and…
Abu Dhabi
With some of the cheapest rates in town, this friendly little 55-room hotel opposite the gold souq largely caters for Indian and Asian business clientele…
Ras Al Khaimah
The heyday of RAK's first hotel is long gone, but this hilltop orange block is still a reliable standby if you're looking for a cheap sleep. Sure,…
Jebel Akhdar
Offering apartment-style accommodation, this new Omani-run hotel in the middle of Saiq offers either one-bedroom or two-bedroom flats. The flats are…
Saudi Arabia
Farasan Park Hotel is the only place suitable for tourists to stay on the islands. This resort is relatively close to Farasan Town yet backs onto its own…
Kuwait City
This central city hotel has simple, clean rooms with dated soft furnishings. It's in a prime downtown location just five minutes' walk from Souq…
Deira
In a convenient location near some of Deira's best budget eats, the good-value Coral hides considerable comforts behind its business demeanour. The tone…
Savoy Central Hotel Apartments
Bur Dubai
These roomy studios with kitchenettes and big purple sofa beds put you within steps of fabulous budget eats and the Al Fahidi metro station, and are a…
Al Wusta
Signposted off Hwy 32, this modern, low-key business hotel is marooned in the middle of the bondu (waste ground), alongside a vast, empty dual carriageway…
Oman
Housed in a multi-storey building, this budget hotel is marooned in the bondu (waste ground), alongside the old WWII runway. The communal area is decked…
Hajar Mountains
With powder-blue roundels and a wealth of rather quaint decoration, this hospitable if labyrinthine hotel sports an elaborate ceiling on the 5th floor and…
Dubai
In the heart of polyethnic Satwa, the Chelsea has traditionally furnished rooms with patterned carpets, shiny-dark furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows…
Dubai
Although the lobby exudes buttoned-up business flair, this mid-size hotel actually has plenty in store for leisure travellers, including a superb location…
United Arab Emirates
This hotel tower doesn't get any 'wow' style-points, but rooms are all super clean and comfortable if a bit dowdy. Cheaper rooms don't have sea views…
Oman
The only place to stay in Rustaq is Shimook Guesthouse, opposite Rustaq's new public park. This unexceptional two-storey hotel is accessed via a steep…
Oman
The artist engaged to work on the exterior of this hotel must have been homesick as the overflows are decorated with cashew nuts and tropical birds, while…
Downtown Dubai
The functional but comfortable Novotel adjoins the convention centre and has generic if well-thought-out rooms with a sofa that pulls out in case you've…
Salalah
This well-maintained hotel with its Arab-style flourishes (like florid furniture, geometric tiles and darkened windows in the foyer) is recommended for…
Al Ain
The cornerstone of the new Al Ain Square development, Aloft has quickly become the buzziest place to stay in town with its on-site bars, two of the city's…
Hajar Mountains
This enormous hotel on the outskirts of Buraimi has the potential to be something quite special, but it is currently being run as a visa stopover for…
Salalah
This hotel is a bit tired, but it has large, comfortable rooms and friendly staff. Close to the new souq area and almost opposite the bus station, it is a…
Sharjah
This basic but super-clean hostel occupies a nicely restored historic courtyard building on the edge of the Heritage Area. Carved wooden doors lead to…
La Villa Najd Hotel Apartments
Dubai
One of the older hotel apartments near the Mall of the Emirates, Najd has 64 tiled-floor apartments that make maximum use of space, packing a living room,…
