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With the elegant Royal Meridien towering above it, you’d expect the Al Ain Palace to have an inferiority complex. Yet, this friendly hotel is home to some of the best restaurants, making it an attractive option for those who don’t feel like heading out after a hot day’s sightseeing.

The airport location seems to keep this outstanding five star hotel’s pricing well below other hotels of similar quality. Rooms are spacious and well-equipped. The hotel is also home to some of the city’s best eateries.

Slightly more upmarket than its nearby sister hotels, the Capital is nowhere near the quality you’d expect from the five star classification it has. More of a mid-range business hotel, it repre-sents a good deal only if you can get it for mid-range prices off the web or as part of a package.

While Al Diar’s Mina property is very similar in quality to the chain’s Regency hotel, Al Mina’s rooms are more expensive. It is centrally situated and guests can use the facilities at the Regency. The one advantage Al Mina has over the Regency is its splendid sea views.

Located close to Hamdan Street, this hotel has tinted-mirror and marble-tiled lobbies that seek to impress. Unfortunately, the decor in the rooms is tacky. However, the rooms are clean and have cooking facilities. Women should avoid the hotel’s bars if unaccompanied.

Book here for a real taste of heritage flavour. Located on the Deira side of the Creek, Al Hijaz has spacious, traditionally styled rooms in a renovated courtyard building.

This is a popular Mediterranean-style hotel. Regular guests like the comfortable rooms and personable but professional service, while expats have taken a liking to the many relaxed restaurants and cafés on site.

The opulent Al Qasr (“the palace” in Arabic) is graced with enormous wooden doors, graceful arches and Moroccan stonework. You’ll find mashrabiya screens, Moroccan lamps and terracotta urns all over the place. There’s a gorgeous white sand beach and great views of Mina A’Salam and Burj Al Arab (see Madinat Jumeirah ).

The fine views from the Arabian Courtyard are some of Dubai’s most fascinating. The Arabian-inspired rooms are spacious and the staff is friendly.