These five-star hotels and beach clubs make for a stylish day out
Near+Far
The cooler weather is here – and what better way to enjoy the Dubai sunshine than with a pool or beach day. Here are some of the best, at the most stylish spots around the city for winter 2025.
The best pool and beach day passes in Dubai
Alizée Pool & Beach
Home to the serene Banyan Tree Dubai resort, Bluewaters Island is one of the best spots in the city for escapism, with uninterrupted ocean views and palm-tree-lined sands. At Alizée Pool & Beach, guests can enjoy a sophisticated ambience with lively beats, luxe poolside seating and Italian cocktails and granitas, with Monday to Thursday passes from AED300 per person (fully redeemable on food and beverage) and Friday to Sunday passes from AED400 per person (AED300 redeemable). Children under 12 years old get complimentary access with every paying adult.
Bluewaters Island, open daily 10am to 7pm; beds from AED250, cabanas from AED1,200 (all 50% redeemable on f&b)
Summersalt
Located on the picture-perfect sands of the Madinat Jumeirah, with the closest views of the Burj Al Arab you’re going to get, Summersalt is one of the city’s chicest beach clubs. The beautiful beach destination has just launched a new weekday pass offer, with new weekday passes and a popular wellness Wednesday offer too. From Monday to Thursday, guests can book a AED500 day pass , which also includes AED250, redeemable on F&B – to be spent on Mediterrasian favourites like king crab sushi rolls, Summersalt ceviche and wagyu beef ribeye. The beach club comes alive from 1pm to 6pm with a line-up of DJs and live performances – so expect a lively mood.
Monday to Thursday passes from AED500 (with AED250 redeemable); jumeirah.com
Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort
Beloved desert resort Bab Al Shams re-emerged from its makeover like a butterfly from a chrysalis. The beloved retreat – just 40 minutes from central Dubai – is 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 winter, the resort is offering a fantastic pool day pass which includes a one-hour massage at the spa and 25% off a buffet breakfast or lunch at its Mediterranean restaurant, which combined with a day lolling in its temperature-controlled pool makes for a glorious day of relaxing and rejuvenating.
Monday to Thursday, AED675 including one-hour massage +971 (0) 4 8096167, [email protected], 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. For non sea-swimmers, there’s a stunning newly opened adults-only swimming pool.
Palm Jumeirah; open 10am to sunset; AED150 per person on weekdays for beach, AED200 for pool; AED200 per person on weekends for beach, AED250 for pool (both non redeemable); AED100-AED150 children aged six to 12 (non-redeemable), free entry for children under six; tagomago.ae, @tagomagodubai
Twiggy by La Cantine and Twiggy Family Beach
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. Twiggy has also recently opened a new family area, Twiggy Family Beach Club, where little ones can safely splash around and enjoy mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken strips, pizzas, ice cream and frozen milkshakes and parents can unwind in the sun.
Dubai Creek Resort; open daily 9am until sunset; ADD200 weekdays, AED250 weekends (non redeemable); 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 sunrise, morning, afternoon or evening experience from AED200.
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 AED150 per adult on both weekends and weekdays, with AED100 redeemable on food and beverage. Children under 12 have complimentary access when accompanied by an adult. Upgrade to a classic cabana from AED250 .
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.
AED200 per adult (weekdays), AED300 per adult (weekends); 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 for AED400 on weekdays and AED500 on weekends.
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 300 per person with AED 150 redeemable on food and beverage at Palm Avenue on weekdays and AED350 with 150 redeemable on weekends.
Weekdays: AED300 for adults (AED150 redeemable on food and drink), AED100 for children (aged 5-11) AED50 redeemable. Weekends: AED300 for adults (AED150 redeemable on food and drink), AED150 for children (AED100 redeemable); Palm Jumeirah; hilton.com
Address Dubai Mall
Address Dubai Mall’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
