Need to know
Rooms
229, including 51 suites.
Check–Out
Noon. Earliest check-in, 3pm; both are flexible, subject to availability.
More details
Rates at One&Only One Za'abeel include breakfast at Aelia or the private club; plus, use of the Movement Studio, and access to the adults-only Tapasake pool or family-friendly garden pool. Stays in suites get a whole host of extra perks.
Also
There are lifts at the hotel, but none of the rooms are specifically adapted to wheelchair users.
At the hotel
Gym, charged laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, climate control, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, minibar, free bottled water, bathrobes and slippers, sun hat, beach bag, flip flops and bespoke bath products.
Our favourite rooms
You might forget to take in the swish Jean-Micheal Gathy-helmed interiors at One&Only One Za’abeel, so mesmerising are the city views from each bedroom. There’s no need to press your face up against the floor-to-ceiling windows for a decent look — though the views are that good — as some rooms are rewarded with Burj Khalifa glimpses, and others spy the distant sea or local Za’abeel neighbourhood. Take in bird’s-eye views from the day-bed in the Za’abeel King Rooms; host a cocktail evening in the Creative Suite, where perfume-like pre-made concoctions line the bar, or make yourself at home in the all-frills Villa One, with its private infinity pool and cosy cinema room.
Poolside
Adorning the cantilever’s rooftop terrace, the adults-only (over-21s) Tapasake infinity pool is one of Dubai’s places to be seen: in-pool sunloungers, city-backdropped cabanas and a sushi-serving restaurant and bar are soundtracked by DJ sets. And when you’re not checking out the other pool-goers, views of the Burj Khalifa — especially at dusk — are deserving of your attention. The garden pool on the fourth floor is a verdant contrast: it takes cues from Balinese rice paddy fields with its turquoise shallows, lagoon-like areas and palm-shaded terrace. This nature-inspired pool is family-friendly and there’s a dedicated section for little Smiths.
Spa
The hotel’s souped-up spa, the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, is a cavernous sanctuary with a sauna, steam room, pool and hammam for escape-from-reality relaxation. Its Swiss clinic partner is globally renowned for its medicalised approach to wellness, which you’ll be able to sample: cryotherapy, IV drips and neuro-wave stimulation are the more niche offerings on the menu (traditionalists can also pick from classic treatments, such as hydrating facials and detoxifying massages). And for wellness devotees, there are anti-ageing injectables, nutritional support and laser treatments. Stays in the Sanctuary Suite and above are also treated to one Longevity Index assessment.
Packing tips
Save room in your suitcase for Dubai’s designer-doting boutiques. You might also want to clear your camera roll: we’re predicting you’ll feel snap-happy at the gleaming cityscapes on show at every turn.
Also
The state-of-the-art Movement Studio is open at all hours; Technogym kit, high-energy classes and personal trainers are on hand for endorphin-releasing fitness sessions.
Children
Welcome. Double Queen rooms sleep four; suites can accommodate a third guest. The space-themed KidsOnly club (ages four to 12) is set near the family-friendly garden pool, which has an area for little Smiths. Babysitting is available on request.
