Welcome to my ultimate guide for the top 3 of the best luxury family-friendly hotels in Dubai.
I know it’s crazy, but before having children I had never been to Dubai. I thought of it as this glamorous and mystical land that attracts the likes of influencers, and wealthy expats. It’s only in the last two to three years since having children that I’ve heard just how great it is for family holidays. And if I’m honest that did shock me.
I was expecting high-end shopping malls and opulent brunches at the centre of things to do – perhaps not the activities you’d be taking kids along to. But the number of families I know who have gone to Dubai is ever increasing. Not only that, there is no end to the reports of how incredible the holiday was. They all come back saying it’s one of the most family-friendly locations they have ever been!
On the surface, Dubai is a pretty great location for a family vacation: sunshine, pools, beaches, low crime rates, spacious hotel rooms with amazing service, incredible views and luxury amenities… We’re ticking a lot of boxes here.
So I set out on a journey to discover just what all the buzz is about. My question is: which hotels in Dubai are the most family friendly for a memorable getaway?
What are the best luxury family friendly hotels in Dubai?
The absolute non-negotiables for me when travelling alone or with children are that the hotels have to be rated extremely well for comfort and for customer service. With that as the foundation for visiting Dubai, I’ve assessed each hotel based on five key factors that I find the most important when booking holidays with my two young children (a baby and a toddler).
Key Comparison Factors for Hotels:
- Kids Amenities
- Hotel Transfers
- Baby Food on Offer
- Children’s Pools
- Babysitting Services
The Four Seasons Hotel in Dubai: A Family-Friendly Haven
Nestled in the heart of Jumeirah, The Four Seasons Hotel is one of the top family hotels in Dubai, oozing luxury and comfort, and it’s a really great choice for the younger age groups of babies and toddlers. The staff are renowned (and with good reason) for being so friendly, helpful, and engaging with children, and you’ll see review after review mentioning this.
The next huge bonus for Four Seasons is the amount of space there is in the rooms. When kids are little, I find you need loads more space (probably spending more time in there because of naps etc?!). This is a hotel where the space in your room is abundant. You can also request extra beds and baby cots if needed. Finally, there are a number of dedicated facilities for children of all ages, which I will go through below. The Four Seasons Hotel is a perfect blend of luxury, practicality, comfort, and fun. It absolutely gets my vote as an ideal destination for families visiting Dubai! Let’s have a look into the reasons why:
Kids Amenities:
Okay I know this isn’t an actual reason to book a hotel, but miniature bathrobes are provided in the rooms for children, and honestly I can’t deal. There’s just something about a little baby and toddler wrapped up in their robes that is SO CUTE.
Right. On to the serious stuff. The Four Seasons greets children on arrival with a little welcome kit, which can include toys, books and activity backs. This sets the scene for how your children will be treated for the duration of the trip. Beyond that, there’s a complimentary ‘Kids For All Seasons’ program, offering a variety of child-friendly activities. This includes arts and crafts, games, and treasure hunts that you can access during your stay. 12 children are able to access the kids club at any given time. This measure is in place to be sure they are given the attention they need, so it is always worth booking space in advance.
Hotel Transfers and Child-Friendly Transport:
The Four Seasons Hotel Dubai offers private car services, and child car seats can be included if you request it. This means you can relax when needing to get to and from the airport or around the city. There are also complimentary shuttle services to key attractions, including the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. So it’s possible to get some sightseeing in as well as enjoying the pool and sunshine!
As expected from such a prestigious hotel, the concierge is always on hand to assist with arranging transport. They can also making sure travelling with young children is as hassle-free as possible. It is worth noting that the hotel is in a great location though. So many of the attractions are within walking distance, and it’s very easy for families to explore the city.
Childcare and Babysitting Options:
The Four Seasons in Dubai provides a professional babysitting service, allowing parents to enjoy some child-free time (if that is what you want). Babysitting services can be provided in-room, and at flexible times, including evenings and weekends. The babysitters are certified and trained to engage children with fun and educational activities, so you can be comfortable knowing your children are in safe hands.
Children’s Pools:
The hotel has a small children’s pool specifically for young babies and toddlers – so it’s shallow, well-heated, and separate from the other swimming pools. In addition to that, there are family-friendly pools with differing depths, and loads of shaded areas. To make sure children really have the best time at the pool, there is a big box of pool toys and floats which are free to use! If you find yourself looking for a break from the pool there’s also a fully serviced private beach where you can dip your toes in the sparkling azure waters of the Arabian Gulf. Juuuust dreamy.
Baby and Toddler Food:
The hotel’s restaurants offer a selection of baby-friendly dishes and the chefs are more than happy to prepare fresh and healthy baby puree upon request. Baby food and snacks are also available 24/7 through in-room dining. For toddlers and younger children, there are specially curated kids menus available too, and what I find particularly helpful is that you can order takeaway from all restaurants, meaning you can dine in your room if it’s easier when juggling kids/naps/emotions, but still be able to eat restaurant quality food!
The Raffles Hotel in Dubai: A Luxurious Retreat for Families
You might think Raffles is the obvious choice for a honeymoon, but I’ve found one of the best family-friendly hotels in Dubai. This is particularly the case for those looking for sun, exceptional service, and children to be treated like mini-royalty. This hotel has made my top 3 list for very good reason! Raffles Dubai has been open since late 2021, and is pure golden luxury in every sense of the word. They also claim the title for having the largest hotel rooms on the Palm!
Renowned for its blend of Asian and Middle Eastern design, the setting for the hotel is on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach within The Palm. The rooms are spacious, and the grounds are absolutely immaculate. If you stay here with your family, your experience is going to be both luxurious and culturally rich.
As you’ll have gathered from this post so far, it’s super important for me to find a hotel that offers luxury, comfort, amazing customer service. AND knowing my young children are also really well looked after. Surely not too much to ask for? Certainly not for Raffles Dubai. They tick all the boxes when it comes to offering an exquisite blend of luxury and family-friendly amenities. It’s completely fine for children to just be children and you don’t have to ever worry what anyone is thinking. The staff are there to support you.
The service here is outstanding! The hotel really does provide everything a family needs for a delightful time in Dubai. With its comprehensive range of amenities and services tailored to the needs of young children and their parents, the Raffles Hotel ensures a relaxing and enjoyable stay for all family members.
Kids Amenities
When you arrive, your children will be given a mini backpack welcome gift to make them feel really special. There is of course a kids club at Raffles, known as the ‘Young Voyager’ club’. It’s dedicated to providing educational and entertaining activities – ‘edultainment’ is the phrase they coin! Open until 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends, little ones can do arts, crafts, play with puzzles and games.
They are invited to explore art, nature and culture – there’s even an option for kids yoga lessons. Kids aged 3 – 8 can visit the club. Like most of the hotels in Dubai, the kids club is not suitable for under 3s. So babies and toddlers will have to stay with parents, unless you book an in-room babysitting service. That being said, there’s a fantastic playground and outdoor pool where the whole family can spend time together.
Hotel Transfers:
Efficient transfer services are available to key landmarks and shopping destinations, facilitating convenient travel.
Private cars provide hotel transfers, and car seats are added upon request. The Concierge services help you get wherever you need around the city. Smooth and hassle free travel experience all round!
Baby and Toddler Food:
The chefs at Raffles’ offer a menu of super fresh and nutritious baby food, catering to any dietary needs. Raffles has five different dining areas to choose from. With the variety of options available there really is something for everyone- even the picky toddlers…
Children’s Pools:
To say the pools at Raffles are truly idyllic is an understatement. I’m talking about beautiful shades of blue, sparkling water, cabanas, and a swim-up bar. There’s a children’s pool with a sloped entry, and monitored by lifeguards. There are also heaps of shaded areas so you can very easily escape the sun. The hotel actually has seven swimming pools, so never feels overcrowded in your little slice of heaven.
If the pool isn’t taking your fancy, Raffles has a private beach too. But no matter whether youre at the pool, or beach, attentive staff are on hand to help. With literally Anything. You. Need.
Babysitting Services:
Trained babysitters are available through the hotel, and the hours are flexible to suit your needs.
Fairmont The Palm in Dubai: A Perfect Family Getaway
Fairmont The Palm, located on The Palm Jumeirah, offers a really luxurious beachfront escape, with a significant focus on family-friendly hospitality. It’s such a good destination for families with babies and young children. That being said, if you have older children they may get a little bored as most of the child-friendly offerings are for the under 12s. The main word I would use to describe the Fairmont is ‘serene’.
Despite being extremely family-friendly, it never feels overwhelming or loud. It’s a luxury hotel that caters extremely well for young children. The other thing I love about the Fairmont is how spacious it is- with huge hallways, wonderful open family suites with pull-out toddler beds, numerous restaurants, extensive grounds, and a private beach.
Kids Amenities
A team of qualified child-minding professionals run The Fairmont Falcons Kids’ Club. Children between 18 months – 12 years are welcome. This is unique amongst the hotels I’ve reviewed in Dubai, as the other kids clubs all accept from age 3 upwards. If you’re staying at the hotel you can have two free hours per day at the kids club, but there is a fee for babies who are under 3.
Activities at the Falcons Kids’ club include arts and crafts, storytelling, a climbing wall, dressing up… the list goes on! Older children can be entertained by the game consoles found in the chill-out zone. If you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity for the family, the hotel also offers mini golf .
Hotel Transfers
The Fairmont provides complimentary shuttle services and can arrange private transfers, ensuring seamless connectivity to major attractions. You can request to have child car seats fitted, but make sure you ask for this in advance. The Fairmont is also conveniently located near Dubai Marina, providing easy access to various family-friendly attractions.
Baby Food on Offer
When on holiday, I’m not great dealing with the faff of getting to and from restaurants with a baby and a toddler. That, and being under the time pressure of getting back to the hotel for bath and bedtime… So it’s really helpful that the Fairmont has seven restaurants on site. You have loads of variety of dining options, and if you do need to have an early-ish dinner then you can easily do that and make it back to your room for bath and bedtime.
The buffet restaurant opens at 6pm, the rest of the restaurants at 6:30pm. Chefs at the restaurants are fantastic at preparing a variety of baby-friendly dishes, using fresh ingredients tailored to young palates. There are also baby food and snacks available to order through room service, 24/7.
Children’s Pools
There are two outdoor swimming pools at The Fairmont, one for adults-only and the other one for children. Sun loungers surround each of the pools, so there’s plenty of space to relax between splashing around. The children’s pool has different areas of varying depth, with the shallowest of areas being perfect for toddlers to stand. I found being able to order food to the poolside particularly useful for hungry tots. Swimming always seems to muster up an appetite, doesn’t it?!
Finally, The Fairmont has a private beach with loungers, and a whole box of beach toys for children to play with – one less thing to pack for your beach holiday!
Babysitting Services
On-demand babysitting services are available, staffed by certified professionals, and this service is chargeable. Babysitters are trained to engage children with fun and educational activities, ensuring they are well-cared for and entertained during their stay.
CONCLUSION
So there you have my reviews of the top family-friendly hotels in Dubai. Each of the top 3 hotels reviewed offer a unique blend of luxury and family-friendly amenities, making them all excellent choices for family travellers in Dubai. However, depending on specific preferences and needs, some might stand out more than others:
- Four Seasons Hotel Dubai is best for families seeking a refined and elegant experience with top-notch kids’ programs
- Raffles Dubai is best for cultural flair, luxurious family-oriented services, and huge rooms. And children treated like royalty!
- Fairmont The Palm Dubai is the most relaxed of the hotels. It offers a perfect blend of serenity and family-friendly activities, ideally suited for families with babies and toddlers. A tranquil yet engaging vacation!
No matter which of the three hotels you choose, you’ve chosen a good one. Onwards to a super memorable and fun vacation in Dubai!