Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort

Anantara The Palm stays open through winter 2026-27, but with building work: the resort begins a phased renovation in November 2026. The main lobby is closed from 2 November 2026 to 1 May 2027, and the main pool and its terrace from 9 November 2026 to 1 April 2027. If you travel during those dates, book with your eyes open; outside them, this is the most affordable way to sleep in an over-water villa on the Palm.

The winter 2026-27 works, plainly

According to the resort:

The only closed areas the resort lists are the lobby and the main pool: the lagoons, the beach and the villas are not among them. The restaurants announced as open during the renovation are Mekong, Revo Café and The Beach House.

Our tip: for a stay between November 2026 and April 2027, pick a room with direct lagoon access or a villa so you don't depend on the main pool, and ask for a room away from the lobby. For a March trip, remember that the main pool reopens on 1 April and the lobby on 1 May. If quiet matters most, also look at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray or One&Only The Palm on the same island.

The over-water villas

Anantara opened the first over-water villas in the Emirates here. For a honeymoon, the over-water villa, with its deck above the water, the Dubai skyline opposite and a glass floor panel for watching the fish, is the obvious choice (see honeymoon); a villa host looks after your stay. Couples who prefer the sand take the beach villa with its private pool; families, the two-bedroom villa, with a kitchenette and a sala (a Thai-style pavilion) for eating outdoors.

Three lagoons and 400 m of beach

The resort is built around three swimming lagoons open 24 hours a day, with direct access from some rooms. One of them is for adults only. The private beach is 400 m long. There is also a tennis court, padel courts and a water sports centre. See also our Dubai beaches guide.

Which room to book

Outside the villas, the Deluxe Lagoon View Room is the all-rounder: a balcony over the lagoon and room for a family of three adults and a child. During the works, couples do best with the adults-only Lotus Lagoon Access Room, which opens straight onto the adults' lagoon and includes breakfast, daily drinks and snacks, and a spa credit. For the villas, see above.

The resort has 293 rooms and villas, plus 128 apartments in adjacent buildings. The lowest rate we found was for a "Residence" room in those buildings.

Where to eat

• The Beach House: seafood and Mediterranean dishes facing the Gulf, 12.30 pm to midnight;
• Mekong: Southeast Asian cooking, dinner from 6 to 11.30 pm, closed on Tuesdays;
• Crescendo: breakfast buffet (7 to 11 am), Saturday brunch and themed dinners on some evenings;
• Revo Café: casual lunch, 11.30 am to 6 pm;
• Mai Bar, a pool bar with swim-up service, and The Lotus Lounge;
• 24-hour in-room dining.

Times are local. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, outside diners have to use street parking, so coming by taxi is easier.

Spa and children

Anantara Spa has 13 treatment rooms, six of them couples' suites, plus Turkish and Moroccan hammams. See our spa and wellness page.

For families, the Tuk-Tuk Kids' Club looks after children and the Chill Teens' Club teenagers. A complimentary shuttle runs to the shopping malls. See also our family page.

Practical information

• Location: East Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, about 45 minutes from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and 30 minutes from Downtown Dubai, according to the resort. See our Palm Jumeirah page.
• Prices: in October 2026, for a stay in March 2027, the cheapest room, in the residences, with breakfast and free cancellation, was offered at around €380 a night for two adults, including taxes and fees, with a possible per-night tourism fee on top. A Deluxe Lagoon View room was around €470.

Sabaro's view

Who it's for: couples who dream of an over-water villa without flying to the Maldives, families who love lagoons, and price-conscious travellers.

Strengths: the over-water villas; three lagoons open day and night; the adults' lagoon; prices below those of the Palm's big-name neighbours.

Good to know: the works from November 2026 to spring 2027 (lobby, main pool, daytime noise); the beach is shorter than at some neighbours; its 8.4 out of 10 rating on Booking.com (2,905 reviews) is the lowest of the Palm hotels we offer. Forbes Travel Guide, the American guide that rates hotels after inspection, gives it four stars.