Bold and beautiful: Eight incredible hotels to check in to in Dubai

Break the journey to or back from Europe at one of these hotels.

Palazzo Versace: Perched in the up-and-coming Jaddaf Waterfront precinct, this opulent hotel is a shrine to the house of Versace. Think gilded balustrades; Roman-inspired mosaics and plush silks bearing the luxury brand's distinctive Medusa emblem; and swathes of marble.

There are multiple restaurants, but the entertainment highlight is Q Bar, where the jazz is handpicked by Quincy Jones, the bar's namesake. From $609 per room, per night; palazzoversace.ae

ME Dubai: Checking into this hotel is a bit like entering a super-slick spaceship, from the curved walls of the tower it calls home - designed by the late Pritzker-award-winning architect Dame Zaha Hadid - to the wavy accents and avant-garde furniture commissioned by Hadid herself. Some rooms are desert-themed, others come with midnight-blue walls; regardless of which you choose, you're guaranteed thoughtful curations of art. The restaurants also draw a creative crowd, and while there are only three (petite by Dubai standards), each is styled with signature Hadid flair. From $246 per room, per night; melia.com

One&Only One Za'abeel: One Za'abeel may be set across two futuristic towers, but inside, Jean-Michel Gathy's interiors bypass Dubai's signature raddle-dazzle in favour of pale sand, taupe and gold tones, with marble floors and silken carpets.

When you're not being pampered in the hotel's Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie - the Swiss clinic that pioneered medical wellness - or sunning yourself beside one of the four pools, hop between a starry roster of 11 restaurants, including La Dame De Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic and Sagetsu by Australia's own Tetsuya Wakuda. From $583 per room, per night; oneandonlyresorts.com

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort: Channel the stories of One Thousand and One Nights at this desert beauty, its Arabian architecture enveloped by lush gardens of date palms that provide a shady oasis for the sand-side swimming pools.

There are family rooms, if you're travelling with a crew, and plenty of wild experiences to keep young explorers entertained, from dune-bashing in 4WDs to horse-riding on the lookout for oryxes and sand gazelles. From $422 per room, per night; babalshams.com

Jumeirah Burj al Arab: Part sailboat, part spaceship in building design, the Burj - self-proclaimed as the world's only "seven star" hotel - sits on its own artificial island. And you can't get in unless you have your passport and a reservation number. From the soaring lobby to the rooms - replete with 18-karat gold iPads - and Hermes amenities, no extravagance is spared. There are Michelin stars galore across the nine bars and restaurants, including L'Olivo, a rendition of Capri's applauded eatery by Andrea Migliaccio, which features a full-wall aquarium that casts a glow over tables. From $1455 per room, per night; jumeirah.com

Read more on Explore:

Jumeirah Al Qasr: If you like the idea of rubbing shoulders with royalty, you've come to the right address. The showcase beach accommodation within the enormous Madinat Jumeirah resort complex, Al Qasr was modelled after the 19th-century palace of the current ruler's grandfather. Think ornate marble columns, carved latticework, inlaid furniture and picturesque walkways lined with palms. From $338 per room, per night; jumeirah.com

Atlantis the Royal: Bold is one way to describe the $1.6 billion twin buildings that hold the new Atlantis the Royal, its gold- and sand-hued exterior stacked like a series of curvaceous Jenga blocks all linked by a sky-bridge that's punctuated with pools.

Within you'll find a top-tier roster of dining rooms from the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Gaston Acurio. From $1426 per room, per night; atlantis.com

The Lana: This is The Dorchester Collection's first property in the Middle East, and they called upon the house of Dior to oversee wellness offerings. Because who better than this French purveyor of all things fabulous to deliver life-changing rituals like Kobi-Dior anti-ageing treatments and Iyashi Dome infra-red therapy?

Like the rest of the hotel, the Dior Spa is the epitome of understated opulence. From $562 per room, per night; dorchestercollection.com