Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

Few buildings command such a reputation as the Burj Al Arab on the Dubai coastline. Located on its own little island across from the popular Jumeirah Beach, this billowing sail of a building is famous for catching the golden light come sunset and is one of the most photographed towers in the entire city. 

Opulence is the name of the game here: everything is dripping with glamour and style, from the golden-walled, two-Michelin-star Italian restaurant by Andrea Migliaccio to the decadent bedrooms trimmed in gold and dark wood. The spa eschews the usual muted, neutral colours and instead enjoys intricate technicolour tiles and gold loungers, and outside is a private beach and infinity pool that stretches 100 metres out over the ocean. 

Bedrooms here are lavish, with two-storey duplexes and sea-view suites, furnished with velvet chaise lounges and built-in dressing rooms. Each has a spectacular view, either of the open seas beyond the island, or facing back towards the city where glittering skyscrapers huddle on the mainland.