Year-round sunshine, stunning dunes and pristine beaches are just a few of the features of UAE’s capital and largest of the Emirates. It make sense an extraordinary destination would offer plenty in the way of extraordinary lodging, and Abu Dhabi delivers with a selection of stunning hotel choices and meeting spaces. With a heady position on Al Maryah Island in the new financial district, the Rosewood Abu Dhabi provides around-the-clock personalized butler service, 154 rooms, 35 suites, an expansive spa, eight event spaces and nine restaurants and lounges. Next, and for sheer opulence, the Kempinski Emirates Palace Hotel is hard to top. Along with a private beach, marina and bay, the hotel offers suites decorated in gold and marble, equipped with private butlers and the latest in technology. Two pools give guests the choice of relaxing or engaging in adventure, while the Emirates Palace Spa includes a traditional Moroccan hammam with heated marble, an ice cave, two steam rooms and a multitude of pampering services.

At the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara in Abu Dhabi’s mystical Empty Quarter, indulgence reaches new levels with an oasis-like setting among glittering dunes. Each of the 205 rooms, villas and suites reflects Arabian décor and desert views, with leisure options that include a pool, desert walks, falconry, camel trekking, tennis and desert sailing. There’s more luxury nearby at the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri. The property is connected with a meandering canal where guests can sail leisurely from one part of the resort to another aboard traditional Arabic abra boats. There’s a private beach and expansive garden, and the hotel even has its own souk for shopping. All 213 rooms have either a balcony or terrace with views over the canal. Additional accommodations include 161 serviced apartments and six four-bedroom villas. Enchantment is the theme at CHI, The Spa where locally inspired healing therapies include an Arabic Coffee Scrub and Arabian Date Body Wrap, with a soothing and hydrating application of blended dates, almonds, vanilla and coconut milk.