Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort

★★★★★Palm Jumeirah, DubaiThe Palm Jumeirah, East Crescent, 71607Specialist pick

Overview

Anantara The Palm sits on the East Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, a low-rise Thai-styled resort built around three lagoon pools and the UAE's first overwater villas. It suits couples marking an anniversary or babymoon, and families who want a real beach without a 45-minute city commute every day.

The beach is 400 metres of proper sand, not reclaimed rubble, and the lagoons wrap around the room clusters so several categories let you step straight from your terrace into the water. The Tuk-Tuk Kids' Club and Chill Teens' Club run daily, there's a decent spa with hammam rooms, and evenings feel calm rather than clubby — this is not a resort with a big pool party scene.

Getting onto and off the Palm at weekend check-in and checkout can add real time to your journey, and the drive to Dubai Marina or JBR has been known to take close to an hour in traffic. If you want walkable nightlife or easy access to Downtown, this isn't it; if you want to switch off for two or three nights, it works well in both summer and winter.

400 metres private beach
three lagoon swim-out pools
overwater villas
tuk-tuk kids club and teens club
anantara spa with hammam
seven restaurants and bars
two tennis courts and padel
water sports centre
adults-only lagoon rooms
45 minute drive from dxb

Rooms

Good to know

Meal plans: Room only · Bed & breakfast · Half board
Paid at the hotel: The tourism dirham fee and any security deposit
Cancelling: Each room shows its own terms; cancel online from My trips while they allow

Eating and drinking

Mekong — The resort's signature restaurant, covering Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes with rickshaw-style seating. Dinner only, and the setting along the lagoon makes it a good choice for a proper date-night dinner rather than a quick family meal.
Bushman's Restaurant & Bar — An Australian-themed grill doing meat and seafood off a Parilla grill and charcoal ovens, dinner only. Family-friendly despite the steakhouse feel, and a solid option if the children want something simpler than Asian fusion.
The Beach House — Mediterranean and seafood dishes served right on the sand with sunset views. Works for lunch or dinner and is relaxed enough for children, especially earlier in the evening before it leans more romantic.
Crescendo — The all-day dining restaurant, running buffet breakfast through to themed dinner evenings. This is where most families end up for breakfast — plenty of choice for fussy eaters and no need to book ahead.
Revo Café — A more casual à la carte spot open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Useful if you want a quicker, lighter meal outside the main buffet times, particularly with younger children on a different schedule.
Mai Bar — The pool bar, serving cocktails, burgers, salads and light bites straight to your lounger by the main pool. Good for a poolside lunch while the kids are still in the water.
The Lotus Lounge — A more sophisticated lounge setting for evening drinks and a signature high tea. Better suited to couples or a quiet adult evening than a family dinner.

Getting there

It's about a 45-minute drive from Dubai International Airport, and roughly the same or longer from Abu Dhabi depending on traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road. The resort sits on the quieter East Crescent, so once you're off the trunk road it's a straightforward run in, though weekend traffic onto the Palm itself can add time. A transfer is worth arranging for Friday-night check-ins rather than relying on a taxi rank.

Ask about Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort

Another room type, more than one room, or a date that is not showing — send it over and a specialist replies with what is available and what it costs, usually the same working day.