There’s no shortage of incredible luxury hotels in Dubai, and so it can be a bit daunting when deciding where to stay during your time in the destination. If you’re looking for the best luxury hotel in Dubai, look no further. Banyan Tree Dubai offers a fantastic location, one of the best beaches around, as well as excellent food.
You may know that Banyan Tree Dubai was once a Caesars Palace. But since the property became a Banyan Tree in early 2024, it has completely shaken off that association. The resort has transformed into a chic, opulent resort, with the Asian touches you’d expect from a Banyan Tree. Whether it’s for a honeymoon, a baby moon, a couples’ trip or a family stay, Banyan Tree Dubai is a great choice. I absolutely loved my time here.
Room rates vary depending on the time of year, and how far in advance you book. These can range from around £270 a night in the summer months, to over £1,000 for a last minute booking in high season. Check the latest rates here.
This review will cover everything you need to know about Banyan Tree Dubai, so read on to find out more!
Overview
Location
The resort is situated at the far end of Bluewaters Island, which is a man made island located just off the JBR coastline. A pedestrian bridge connects the two if you fancy walking over to JBR or Dubai Marina for dinner or other activities. Bluewaters is home to Ain Dubai, the landmark ferris wheel, as well as plenty of shopping and activities such as the adults-only games and entertainment centre, Brass Monkey. I’ve written a detailed guide to neighbourhoods in Dubai, including Bluewaters here.
From Dubai International Airport, it’s around 40 minutes by car to travel to the hotel. To take the metro, you’d almost be going from one end of Dubai to other other, and you’d need to take a bus or taxi from the final metro stop, so I wouldn’t recommend. The hotel is around 35 minutes to Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, and around an hour to Deira and the old souks of Dubai by public transport.
Review of Banyan Tree Dubai
First Impressions
Arriving by taxi, you pull up a steep driveway and into a very shiny lobby area. It’s calm and quiet, and just ahead of you, a huge glass walls reveals the stunning panoramic views across the hotel’s pool and towards the sea. Absolutely breathtaking. Staff greeted us for check-in, and once this was complete, I made a beeline for the pool area. As most other guests were still finishing breakfast, I had my pick of the sunloungers for the morning.
The same glistening morning view became a stunning sunset vista as I left later that evening. Beautiful, beautiful hotel!
The room
I had an entry-level Bliss Guestroom, with a stunning ocean view. As I’ve come to expect with Banyan Tree properties, their offer of a ‘Sanctuary for the Senses’ comes through strong, and the calming room scents instantly made me at ease. There’s actually a scent menu, and the room attendants have a roster of delightful scents they work through, including a lemongrass essential oil, which is my favourite. The bed, as always, is heavenly levels of comfortable, and has an extensive pillow menu.
Other room categories also include a range of suites with varying number of bedrooms, as well as the magnificent Banyan Tree Villa, which sleeps 10.
Facilities at the hotel
One of the main draws of this beautiful hotel is its stunning 500m long, private beach. Many other luxury hotels in Dubai do not have private beachfronts, with the public able to walk by just in front of the sun loungers. Not only is Banyan Tree Dubai’s beach private, but its view on the horizon isn’t obscured by any development or construction. Instead, the Arabian Gulf glistens as far as the eye can see.
The pool area, which is the focal point of the whole resort offers a separate side pool which is shallow and more sheltered for little ones. Staff are super attentive, whether you opt to lounge poolside or at the beach, and you have your own little cooler bag to keep your water cool. There are also plenty of sunloungers, and I never struggled for a seat.
There is of course an excellent gym, as well as as the Tropicool Kids Club, which runs daily.
Food and drink
Banyan Tree Dubai has some of the best dining of all of the UAE, including TakaHisa, which is an award-winning Michelin Starred Japanese restaurant. There’s also Demon Duck, which serves up a creative take on Chinese & Pan-Asian classic dishes by celebrity chef, Alvin Leung. Its interior is worth visiting for alone!
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of trying either of these, but I have enjoyed Saffron, which is Banyan Tree’s Signature Thai restaurant. There is also the excellent Alizée, which is both the setting for daily breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner. I enjoyed some delicious tuna tartare here, as well as breads and a fresh salad.
There’s also a Japanese tea house called Tocha, where I sampled my first ever Matcha! They offer afternoon tea too, as well as Japanese breakfast, and then Bento boxes during the day and into the evening.
You can order plenty of food and drink poolside too. I had the most refreshing fruit platter!
Banyan Tree Spa
The hotel group’s spas are known to be some of the very best in the world, and this one in Dubai is no exception. As well as a brilliant array of treatments, there is also the incredible Rainforest Experience. This is a unique journey through a series of different saunas, showers, steam rooms and jacuzzis, all with rainforest inspired theming. As always, the treatments are expensive but so, so worth it.
The staff and service
With so many hotels and resorts across Dubai, service really has to be top notch in each establishment in order to stand out. Banyan Tree Dubai really delivers on its service, and the staff, who hail from around the world, are all so lovely and thoughtful. Throughout the day, they’ll come over to check in you and the team bring around trays of fresh fruit ice lollies around or wellness shots.
The Best Resort Hotel in Dubai?
So there’s my overview of Banyan Tree Dubai, one of a few Middle East outposts for the luxury Asian hospitality brand. I found my stay to be faultless and loved the island feel, yet walkable distance to JBR and Dubai Marina. The perfect balance of both worlds. Make sure to check the latest rates here.
If you’re looking for more information on all the different neighbourhoods across Dubai, then make sure to read my detailed guide. I’ve also written a complete overview of public transport in Dubai – a city which is surprisingly easy to get around without a car or using endless taxis!
I hope this guide helps in planning your trip to Dubai and deciding on whether to stay at this beautiful resort, easily the best luxury hotel in Dubai.
Feel free to ask any further questions below if there’s something I haven’t covered.
Disclaimer: My visit to Banyan Tree Dubai was a mixture of an independent visit paid for by myself, with some elements hosted. However, as always, my reviews are entirely honest and my own.
