Why: This Middle Eastern playground can make every generation feel like a kid again – whether that’s riding the slides of its water parks, sledding down a ski slope in a shopping mall, or jumping around on its giant trampoline park, Bounce. And while Christmas isn’t a national holiday here, bling-bling Dubai can’t resist this twinkly time of year: the malls and hotels are all a-sparkle with lights and enormous trees. Add to that the weather (highs of 26˚C in December), plentiful beaches, and all-ages fun (such as ogling a giant dancing fountain or speeding up the world’s tallest building), and it’s not such an out-there idea.\
Insider tip: Don’t miss the surreal experience of shopping centre Souk Madinat Jumeirah at Christmas, when there’s a German market, a snowball zone, and Santa riding a gondola-sleigh around the mall’s canals.
Where to stay: 2024’s most talked-about opening is The Lana – a Dorchester Collection hotel set back from the coastline with views that span the entire city. Festive plans for the first Christmas since opening are sure to be elaborate, even by Dubai’s standards. For a change of pace, try 25hours Hotel One Central, where 30-something hipsters and creatives move between the co-working spaces, pottery and podcast studios, and mixed-gender saunas. The rooms and suites here are equally un-Dubai, with hammocks, sheik-sized beds, and private bar areas with room for a DJ.
Source link
