Flyboarding above the Arabian Gulf after work or ordering a coffee made from 24-karat gold to start your day, are the norm for some.
So as you can imagine, when it comes to hospitality in Dubai, any old place to staycay at, just won’t do. Other cities may well just get away with a welcoming reception on arrival, bubbles in the room or 24-hour room service.
But for Dubai, there’s a new generation of hotels showing everyone else just how it’s done: floating hotels.
These impressive builds are being drawn up as we speak, and will soon be popping up all over town. To keep up with Dubai’s reputation of living in the future and being totally impressive, big-name resorts are branching out to new heights, or in this case, waters, extending their current offering so out-of-this-world they echo a film set.
But if you’re struggling to picture what one looks like without envisioning that scene from Disney’s Up, here are four floating hotels to know (and to look out for) in Dubai.
QE2
Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is currently the only floating hotel in Dubai.
The 13-deck ship, named after the late monarch, was once a cruise ship that the Queen herself used to travel across the world’s oceans, completing 1,400 voyages.
Located in Port Rashid, the QE2 is minutes away nearby Downtown, where the Burj Khalifa calls home. Dubai International Airport is also a short drive away so the QE2 makes an impressive but logical option to lay your head at night
If you find yourself staying there, your room would be one of 447, alongside the QE2’s international restaurant, Lido and the Golden Lion – the oldest pub in Dubai.
Kempinski Floating Palace
A floating hotel to look forward to is the Kempinski Floating Palace, expected to open in 2026, according to a report by Arabian Business.
Once it does, it will be a five-star 163-key hotel with all the trimmings – restaurants, bars, a spa, pools, boutiques and banquet areas.
And it’ll also have a 25,000 to 30,000-square-foot floating restaurant – one can only imagine the vista.
The Kempinski Floating Palace will have a glass pyramid roof on the main building and yacht-parking facilities that can accommodate up to 16 yachts.
The Floating Seahorse
The first of Kleindienst Group’s 131 Floating Seahorse villas is in position in The Heart of Europe (a manmade ‘Europe’ essentially, found in an archipelago of small artificial islands constructed in the shape of a world map, named The World Islands, located in the waters of the Arabian Gulf).
When complete, each three-level underwater villa will vary in layout and size but will cost around Dhs11.7 million to put together.
Proudly designed and developed in the UAE, the Floating Seahorse takes inspiration from the design of a private yacht.
A typical villa will be surrounded by sea (naturally) and will boast an underwater level bedroom (the world’s first), a sea level (the living room) and an upper deck (the al fresco lounge room and snack bar). Expect ceiling-to-floor glass doors, state-of-the-art technology a soothing colour palette – the ultimate holiday retreat or Dubai staycation if you manage to snap one up. They are currently listed for sale at around Dhs20,000,000 if you fancy to call this place home.
Rumours are whirling that completion is expected in 2026, but one can dream of a weekend getaway there soon.
The Floating Venice
The five-star Floating Venice (otherwise referred to as the Floating Lido) is set to become the world’s first five-star on-the-water accommodation with multiple underwater cabins, paying tribute to the culture of Venice to Dubai, also found in The Heart of Europe.
Wherever you find yourself standing in the resort, you will be able to experience the best of both the real Europe and the Dubai edition of the Mediterranean, with stunning Dubai skyline views and the view of passing gondolas.
We’re not yet sure when you’re able to rent or indeed buy the underwater cabins at the resort, but you will be the first to hear when the ribbon has officially been cut.
