Taking a Beach Break in Style: Your Guide to Living Like a Baller in Dubai

While the colors of fall and the mosquito-killing cold weather is proving to be a refreshing break from the muggy days of summer, soon you’ll be pining for when the top of thermometer shattered and you spent most of your time lounging in the pool because spending any appreciable amount of time outside of it would have turned you into a puddle of sweat.

You’ll also miss long Sunday brunches at your favorite sidewalk cafe, which is an activity that doesn’t tend to be very enjoyable when the snow is pelting down outside.

With the daylight hours dwindling and your emotions flagging as a result, it’s time for you to travel to Dubai for some sun, as this super modern Middle Eastern metropolis offers plenty of exposure to the Vitamin D granting orb of fire in the sky during the winter months.

While you will likely spend plenty of time at the beach as a result, there are many other ways to live life large in the United Arab Emirates, as you will see in our guide to living like a baller in Dubai.

STAY: 

If you have the scratch to stay there, the recently opened Armani Hotel Dubai will allow you to stay right in the heart of the action, as it occupies the first 39 floors of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.

If you aren’t that loaded, or want a hotel right on Jumeirah Beach, the Metropolitan Club offers Turkish style architecture, a private beach, squash and tennis courts, and a restaurant that serves up Italian and Lebanese favorites.

Those that have a modest amount of money can still feel like royalty at the Hyatt Regency, which is located right across from the Dubai Creek Golf Club.

DO:

The first activity of your day won’t require much of a commute if you’re staying at the first hotel on our list, as heading up Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, is virtually mandatory. Its commanding view over the uber modern city of Dubai and the barren desert that stretches beyond will be well worth the price of admission.

Love to shop? Then Dubai Mall, which is the world’s largest commercial shopping center by area, will contain something to quell your consumerist urges. Since you came here to soak up the sun though, not spending significant time on Jumeirah Beach would be crime. The pure white sand and inviting blue waters will be a place that you will spend many gorgeous afternoons, so don’t feel bad about not seeing more sights. Relax. You’ve earned it.

EAT:

After a long day lounging in the tame winter sun, you will likely have worked up a voracious appetite. Those that love seafood will want to eat out at Pierchic, which focuses on various European takes on fish, crab, lobster, and more, and its location at the end of a pier makes it an excellent place for couples seeking a romantic environment.

If you want to have dinner on the beach, there is no better place than Majlis Al Bahar, which serves up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern specialties as the sun slips into the horizon, while those craving Chinese will want to dine at Zheng He’s, with a canalside location adding to the ambiance of this high class establishment.