Apparently the hotel choice of many Premiership footballers, including John Terry and Peter Crouch, with WAGs in tow, the Royal Méridien is one of the older beach resorts you’ll find in town, but thankfully doesn’t show its age. In fact, it has fabulous landscaped gardens, a sizeable private beach and not one, not two, but three temperature-controlled pools to its name. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, including Rhodes Twenty10, a steakhouse by the famous British chef. We have to warn you though, the meat is sublime but be prepared to make a dent in your savings. You can choose from a range of rooms and suites but, if you do decide to pay more for a Tower room with a sea view, make sure you insist on one of the rooms nearer to the ocean or you might end up with a panoramic view of JBR Walk, with a sliver of a sea view if you crane your neck.

The essentials
• There’s plenty to do here, from the holistic Caracalla Spa to making the most of the tennis and squash courts. It’s more fun to join the kayakers and windsurfers out at sea, though.

• There are 14 restaurants and bars offering culinary delights from Mexican to Mediterranean.

• Be sure to visit the Time Out award-winning Maya, where a frozen margarita on the spectacular roof terrace is a must-do. Fusion captures the flair of Asia, while Mediterranean fare is represented in the stunning selection of seafood at Mi Vida.

• The hotel is close to Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Marina, The Walk at JBR and the Palm Jumeirah.

• If you love your designer labels, make sure you visit Boutique One at The Walk, just a few minutes by foot from the hotel, for this season's latest looks.