ME Dubai by Melia

You would expect the first Dubai hotel by the Spanish brand ME to ascend new heights of luxury, and you’d be right on target. They’re always stylish, but the ME Dubai by Melia is unforgettable, thanks to the late architect Zaha Hadid, who was responsible not only for the hotel’s interiors, but for its setting, the H-shaped Opus by Omniyat building in Downtown Dubai’s Burj Khalifa district.

The rooms and suites are extravagant, even by Dubai’s standards, and the ultra-modern furniture lends them the air of sci-fi starship living — especially the curvaceous beds and headboards and the bathrooms, which seem to be extruded from liquid stone. Even the most relatively humble rooms span a generous 47 square meters, while the suites start out nearly twice as large and only ascend from there.

And the facilities are remarkably expansive, from the vast spa and fitness center to the rooftop pool. A luxury hotel of this caliber wouldn’t be complete without a handful of upscale restaurants and bars, which in this case include an outpost of the London-based Japanese restaurant Roka as well as Deseo, an al fresco Mexican restaurant and bar inspired by the nightlife of Tulum.