My love for travel started at a young age but shifted into high gear as a result of a group trip to Greece my sophomore year of high school. The woman who ran the trip was a friend’s mother who bravely took a group of high school students to various destinations around the world every summer. 

Many years have gone by since then and she has now retired; however, her travels continue. Through the wonders of Facebook, I am able to follow her journeys and was particularly interested when she visited Dubai for the first time this past month. It was very different to see the United Arab Emirates, which I personally visited many times on business, through the eyes of a purely leisure traveler.

This got me thinking about where I would like to vacation in the region, and two places immediately come to mind. In Dubai, the answer would be Mina A’Salam, meaning “Harbour of Peace,” at the entrance of Madinat Jumeirah. Walkways and waterways weave between the many restaurants, shops, boutiques and galleries. It feels like a maze with something different around every corner. Sitting on the grand boutique hotel’s beach and taking in the stunning view of the Burj Al Arab certainly seems like a nice way to spend a holiday.

My other choice, this time in Abu Dhabi, would be The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. I toured the property two years ago just before it opened. Its expansive and quite isolated beach was as close to paradise as I could imagine. In the coming years it will be surrounded by attractions that include Zayed National Museum (opening in 2016), Louvre Abu Dhabi (opening in 2015) and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (opening in 2015). But in my opinion, there is no need to wait for that; The St. Regis is an attraction unto itself.

— Danielle Hudena Pitonyak, executive vice president