Meliá Desert Palm Dubai

Another entry on the more sedate end of the Dubai hotel scene, Meliá Desert Palm Dubai lies some twenty miles outside the city center, and trades construction cranes for polo grounds. And if your visit’s purpose allows you to choose the country over the city — well, it’s not much of a choice, to be honest. True to its name, it's an oasis, a sedate resort-style experience with clean-lined modern villas surrounded by gardens, hedges, trees — greener than your average desert experience, that’s for sure.

The Palm Suites are arrayed about the upper floor, each one equipped with all the basics: flat-screen televisions and surround-sound systems, plus views of the polo grounds and the gardens. Villas spread out a bit, each one with a private pool, while the two- and three-bedroom Residences add kitchens, multiple bathrooms, and nine-foot privacy walls, making each one a self-contained compound.

It’s on one level very much a spa retreat, offering a wide range of treatments featuring Eminence and Kerstin Florian amenities. But it’s a sporting experience as well; this might be the world’s first boutique polo hotel, offering riding lessons as well as tennis and squash as a break from the ponies.

Please note: Polo games and riding lessons are offered between October and April and are subject to weather conditions and availability.