The cooler weather is here – and what better way to enjoy the Dubai sunshine than with a pool or beach day. Here are 23 of the best, at the most stylish spots around the city.
Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort
Beloved desert resort Bab Al Shams has re-emerged from a year of closure like a butterfly from a chrysalis. The beloved retreat – just 40 minutes from central Dubai – has had a glamorous makeover, with new rooms and suites, dining concepts and refreshed public spaces. It’s the perfect setting for a pool day escape, with a serene pool area shaded by palm trees and beautiful arabesque touches, not to mention endless desert views. This summer, the resort is offering a fantastic pool day pass with the option to enjoy lunch at its chic pool cafe, Zala. Enjoy a cooling swim, mellow poolside bears and fresh and delicious food, before heading back to the city and back to reality.
AED275 pool pass (AED475 inc lunch) for adults Monday to Thursday, AED140 (AED240 inc lunch) for children; AED375 pool pass (AED595 inc lunch) for adults Friday to Sunday, AED190 (AED300 inc lunch) for children Friday to Sunday. +971 (0) 4 8096167, leisure@babalshams.com, babalshams.com
Tagomago
Tagomago is one of the newest beach clubs in Dubai – a beautiful ode to the dreamy, laid-back Balearic island of which it takes its inspiration and name. Opened by Rikas Group, the brainchild behind stylish spots like Twiggy by La Cantine and Kyma Beach, this stunning new beach club and restaurant takes guests to the golden shores of the Spanish island, with 120 sunbeds, a private beach, a protected stretch of sea for swimming and stunning restaurant – which has become a favourite for tapas and sundowners. Visiting Tagomago is like stepping into the pages of a colourful Assouline book, with bold pinks, reds and oranges throughout and stunning beachy interiors in the indoor-outdoor restaurant. Unwind on the beach with a glass of sangria and snacks like pan con tomate, patatas bravas and juicy lobster salad. This space occupies what used to be the beloved Italian restaurant Il Faro on Palm Jumeirah and has big plans for the lines of a house yacht and swimming pool built into the sea.
Palm Jumeirah; open 10am to sunset; AED200 per person on weekdays (AED100 redeemable on food and beverage), AED250 per person on weekends (non-redeemable); AED100 children aged six to 12 (non-redeemable), free entry for children under six; tagomago.ae, @tagomagodubai
Address Beach Resort
Usually reserved for in-house guests only, Address Beach Resort has opened its iconic sky-high rooftop pool for summer 2023. The sprawling infinity pool sits on the 77th floor of the five-star JBR resort, and officially holds the Guinness World Record for the highest infinity pool in the world. This summer, guests can enjoy the spectacular views over the ocean and Dubai from a private cabana. The package includes exclusive use of the poolside cabana for up to four people along with a bottle of white or rosé wine. Cabanas are more like mini hotel rooms with air-conditioning, a private bathroom, a cosy seating area, a television and Bluetooth music control.
AED2,777 per cabana for up to four people, including pool access and one bottle of house wine; open daily from 9 am to 6 pm; offer until 31 October; 21+ only, advanced booking and pre-payment required.
Beach by FIVE
Get a taste of one of Dubai’s most famous beach hotels this summer with a fantastic beach pass to Beach by FIVE – Five Palm Jumeirah’s 150-metre private beach of golden sands and good vibes. The beach – usually reserved for the ultra-luxury hotel’s guests – is one of the region’s most impressive and well-equipped, with VIP cabanas, a glass-lined pool, beach jacuzzis, a beach deck, luxury beach club and double-width loungers, ideal for a day of waterfront hedonism or relaxation. With the summer day pass, guests can enjoy the stunning views of Dubai Marina, Bluewaters Island and the Arabian Gulf, complete with a menu of delicious cocktails, small plates and a soundtrack provided by resident DJs. What’s more? All passes this season are fully redeemable for both ladies and gentlemen and all week long, and ladies enjoy free access from Monday to Thursday.
General access Monday-Wednesday, ladies free, gentlemen AED200 (fully redeemable); general access Thursday-Sunday, ladies AED200 (including regular sunbed and fully redeemable), gentlemen AED300 (including regular sunbed and fully redeemable). VIP sunbeds for two AED500 fully redeemable weekdays (AED800 weekends). VIP cabanas for up to 6 AED1,000 fully redeemable weekdays (AED 2,000 weekends). VIP sofa area AED1,000 weekdays (AED2,000 weekends) – both fully redeemable. +971 4 455 9989, @beachbyfive, palmjumeirah.fivehotelsandresorts.com
Twiggy by La Cantine
Rikas’ Group’s supermodel beach club is an idyllic spot to while away a day – lounging on its sandy beach on a white lounger, dipping in the sand-to-tile infinity pool, enjoying rosé and French-Mediterranean lunch at the elegant restaurant. As the name suggests, everything is preened to perfection: the infinity, sand-bottom pool, jetties with cabanas, and white-washed restaurant with swinging rattan lamps. Resident DJs take the tone from Riviera mornings to Ibiza evenings and facilities include a gleaming bathroom with showers and Dyson hair dryers. Sunbeds around the lagoon are available for the day for AED 200 on weekdays and AED 250 on weekends (non-redeemable against f&b), while cabanas start from AED 1,500 for groups of up to eight guests. It’s one of the priciest pool and beach day passes in Dubai, but it’s worth it.
Dubai Creek Resort; twiggy.ae, @twiggydubai
Aura Skypool
For a pool day with wow factor, look no further than Aura Skypool – the world’s highest 360-degree infinity pool at 200 metres above ground. The stylish pool bar and lounge sits on the 50th floor of Palm Jumeirah’s Palm Tower and offers guests the chance to swim, lol and frolic in a wrap-around infinity pool with uninterrupted views of the Dubai skyline (plus benefit from a cooling sea breeze). Guests purchase beds with views of either Marina, JBR and Bluewaters, The Palm and Atlantis, Marina or towards the Burj Al Arab and Downtown Dubai, but it’s possible to swim the whole way around and soak up all the views. A menu serves Pan-Asian and Mediterranean bites, it’s fully licensed and there’s even a stylish lounge area for those who want to soak up the views without the sun. Packages are priced by the time of day and guests can book a morning experience from AED250 – perfect for a relaxing morning – afternoon for AED275 – ideal for sundowners – or the full-day experience for AED 525.
Palm Tower, Palm Jumeirah; auraskypool.com, @auraskypool.dubai
Sofitel The Obelisk
While Sofitel The Obelisk’s lobby and overall theme takes guests back to ancient Egypt, its pool area is inspired by summer in Provence. The five-star hotel’s pool area is laid-back and elegant, with city views, a large swimming pool, sunken bar, loungers, plenty of shade, shisha, a Mediterranean-Levantine menu and private cabanas with personal jacuzzis and space to unwind. This summer, tourists and residents can enjoy a pool daycation at the property from AED175 per adult on weekdays, with AED75 redeemable on food and beverage, and AED200 on weekends and public holidays, with AED100 redeemable on food. Children aged six to 12 also have discounted rates of AED50 on weekdays and AED65 on weekends, both fully redeemable. Upgrade to a classic cabana for AED400 and enjoy AED300 redeemable on food and drinks, or a jacuzzi cabana for AED600 with AED400 redeemable.
8am to 8pm daily, sofitel-dubai-theobelisk.com
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai
Located on Pearl Jumeira island, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa is a stylish hotel complex where the air is fragranced with coconut and the vibe is Miami-meets-Mediterranean. Its beach is peppered with towering palm trees and looks onto nothing but Arabian Gulf and its pale blue pool is framed by loungers and has sunken sunbeds. It’s the perfect option for a more laid-back yet elevated pool day, thanks to the crowd largely being hotel guests, though a DJ does play around the pool in the afternoons.
AED 300 per person; Pearl Jumeira; dubai.nikkibeach.com, @nikkibeachdubai
Bulgari Yacht Club
For those looking to splash out on an uber-luxe pool day, look no further than Bulgari Yacht Club. Even the name conjures up images of sparkling seas, gleaming yachts and perfect days under the sun sipping cocktails. The luxury Italian brand’s first-ever yacht club looks out onto a 46-berth harbour and is part of the Bulgari Hotel Dubai, a property perpetually ranked as one of the city’s most expensive and exclusive. The dreamy yacht club is home to a swimming pool surrounded by manicured palm trees and shaded cabanas, and guests can book a ‘little gems’ cabana (AED600), deck cabana (AED600) and pool cabana (AED800). The cabana cost is fully redeemable on f&b on weekdays and partially redeemable on weekends, where costs rise to AED 1,000 (AED700 redeemable) for the little gems and deck and AED1,500 (1,000 redeemable) on pool cabanas.
9 am to sunset; Jumeira Bay; bulgarihotels.com, @bulgarihotels
Address Sky View
Address Sky View’s sweeping ground floor swimming pool is one of the most tranquil spots in Downtown Dubai. But you don’t need to be a guest at the architecturally dazzling hotel to make the most of its palm-lined poolside, as the hotel is offering a pool day pass for a reasonable AED 200, with AED 150 redeemable on food and beverage at the Deck Too pool bar.
AED200 per person with AED150 redeemable on food and drinks; Downtown Dubai; addresshotels.com
Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
The Waldorf Astoria on Palm Jumeirah is an elegant, American-style beach resort where every day feels like a holiday. Located on the outer crescent of the manmade island, it’s a good 20-minute drive from the mainland, making visiting this five-star resort feel like an occasion in itself. The extensive grounds have 200-metres of private beach and two swimming pools, plus a dedicated children’s pool, all included in the pool and beach day pass which costs AED 250 per person with AED 200 redeemable on f&b at Palm Avenue on weekdays and AED 150 redeemable on weekends.
AED250 weekdays (AED200 redeemable on food and drink), AED250 weekends (AED150 redeemable on food and drink); Palm Jumeirah; hilton.com
Address Fountain Views
Address Fountain View’s 12th-floor pool looks straight onto the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountains, making it one of the most scenic spots to swim and unwind in Dubai. The pool itself is long and curved around the hotel, meaning there’s plenty of space to splash around and sunbeds to claim, and there’s lots of shade for the hotter months. The pass is AED 200 per person on weekdays with AED 150 back in f&b credit to spend at the poolside restaurant and bar (think burgers, wraps and all-day classics) and AED 300 on weekends with AED 200 redeemable.
AED200 weekdays with Dhs150 redeemable on food and drink, AED300 weekends with AED200 redeemable on food and drinks; Downtown Dubai; addresshotels.com
Byron Bathers Club
Beachfront bar and bistro Byron Bathers Club is one of Palm Jumeirah’s best-kept secrets, popular with those in the know, families and residents of the Shoreline apartments. The effortlessly stylish Aussie venue is the brainchild of chef Tom Arnell and his Eatx group (behind much-loved names like The Sum of Us, Tom&Serg, Common Grounds, Hawkerboi and Splendour Fields) and offers a more laidback, family-oriented alternative to the party beach venues of Palm West Beach. Guests can get complimentary access to the venue’s small slick of golden sands and large swimming pool when purchasing food and drink, making this one of Dubai’s most attractive pool and beach day pass offers.
Weekdays from 12pm, weekends from 8am; @byronbathersclub
Drift Beach Club
Drift Beach Club has long been one of Dubai’s best pool and beach days, thanks to its prime position on the grounds of the serene One&Only Royal Mirage, access to the hotel’s one-kilometre stretch of golden beach, views of Palm Jumeirah and all-round superlative vibe. The vibe is relaxed and grown up yet party-like and playful, a difficult balance to get right. You’d happily bring a book to sit solo and enjoy the setting, or order a magnum to part in the pool to the Ibiza-style DJ. Sunloungers dotted around the pool and the manicured green lawns are available for AED 200 Monday to Thursday and AED 250 from Friday to Sunday, including a locker and bottle of water, while ‘Drift Island Beds’ are located right next to the pool and cost AED 1,500 for two (including a bottle of Moet Ice Imperial or R De Ruinart). VIP beds and a sprawling air-conditioned beach cabana with a lounge, terrace, private pool, private grounds, toilet and shower can accommodate eight people.
One&Only Royal Mirage; driftbeachdubai.com
Kyma Beach
Kyma is French Twiggy’s younger, Greek sister, offering a similar vibe seen on the shores of the Creek, yet in a more accessible location on the Palm Jumeirah. As one of the newest beach clubs on the Palm West Beach development, Kyma channels the lazy, hazy summer days of the Athenian Riviera and Greek Islands with its white sands (whiter than any other on West Beach), striped loungers, pool and outdoor restaurant serving Greek cuisine. Sunbeds can be booked out for the day with full beach and pool access, plus access to a menu of poolside dishes, AED200 on weekdays, AED250 on weekends, and gazebos for two from AED500 and cabanas from AED1,500.
10am until sunset; Palm Jumeirah; kymabeach.ae, @kymabeachdubai
Palazzo Versace
As one would expect from a hotel bearing the name of an extravagant Italian fashion house, the Palazzo Versace hotel is bold, beautiful and befitting of VIPs. The hotel’s creekside swimming pool La Piscina has a fantastic beach and pool pass fully redeemable on f&b, offering waterfront views and served by a vibrant pool bar offering playful cocktails and healthy twists on poolside favourites. A resident DJ creates a laidback party vibe from afternoon till sunset where the vibe moves indoors to outlets like sultry Q Bar.
Daily 10am-7pm; AED100 for ladies, AED200 for gentlemen; Al Jaddaf; palazzoversace.aend-services/pools
Côte d’Azur Monaco
The highly anticipated World Islands The Heart of Europe development is finally open to the public, and guests can now zoom over, by private yacht transfer, to Côte d’Azur Monaco resort. Costing AED300, the pool and beach day allows access to the yet-to-be-opened hotel’s pool and private beach, overlooking the Dubai skyline and neighbouring World Islands. The entry fee is fully redeemable on food and beverage, of which there’s a Mediterranean-inspired menu of bites and cocktails, and the transfer to the island.
Passes from AED300 (fully redeemable); call/WhatsApp +971 55 226 9353, thoe-hotels.com
