DUBAI GUIDE
A Curated 48-Hour Guide to Dubai: Where to arrive, stay, dine, and move with ease.
Touching down at DXB with only a day-or two-to spare? Consider this your ultimate Dubai layover guide: a tightly edited blueprint that drops you straight into the city’s glare of gold‑rimmed skylines, boundary‑pushing restaurants, and spa‑level comforts, all without a wasted minute. Curated for design lovers, every stop spotlights architecture, interiors, and objets worth lingering over. From touchdown to take‑off, we’ve distilled the emirate’s must‑dos into one seamless itinerary so you can claim bragging rights to Dubai-style credentials included-even on borrowed time.
Getting There
Touch down in style aboard Emirates First Class, then linger in the airline’s vast First Class Lounge upon departure. Think all-day à-la-carte dining, a dedicated Cigar Bar, complimentary Timeless Spa treatments, kids zone, and direct boarding from the lounge floor-more private club than airport terminal.
Tip: If you're flying Business or First Class with Emirates, enjoy a complimentary chauffeur service to and from DXB.
Getting Around
Pre-book a Blacklane sedan or van for seamless service: a uniformed driver will meet you after customs, track your flight, offer a full hour of complimentary wait time, and whisk you to the city-or back to DXB-at a fixed, all-inclusive rate. With in-ride Wi-Fi and your choice of luxury Mercedes vehicles, even rush hour on Sheikh Zayed Road feels serene. It’s our go-to way to navigate the city with ease.
Family perk: complimentary child or booster seats on request
WHERE TO STAY
Perched on Sheikh Zayed Road- minutes from Dubai Mall yet worlds away from the bustle- Shangri-La Dubai feels purpose-built for slow mornings above a fast city. The 42-storey tower rises like a discreet observatory, its clean lines and creamy stone setting a calming counterpoint to the glass spires that surround it. Step inside and you’ll find the tranquillity that defines the Shangri-La brand translated into airy volumes, soft lighting and an understated pan-Asian aesthetic The property is a space that is neither ostentatious nor trying too hard - it simply exists in that rarefied air of things that are both expensive and effortless; the kind of luxury that doesn't announce itself because it has nothing to prove.
ROOM & SUITES
Nothing says 'Dubai' quite like waking up to a panorama of city’s most famous silhouette. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame either the Arabian Sea or dazzling Dubai's skyline, while interiors layer soft neutrals with tactile aesthetics - plush fabrics, sleek marble, and the kind of lighting that smooths like FaceTune (but without the moral dilemma).
Bathrooms are spa-like sanctuaries, deep soaking tubs perfect for an unhurried evening, and beds that are engineered for the deepest of sleeps. Whether it's an intimate guest room or a sprawling suite, every detail is the epitome of luxury, ensuring that once you step inside, the rest of the world feels blissfully far away.
We checked into a One-Bedroom Suite and it ticked every box. The deep soaking tub, angled perfectly toward the skyline, quickly became our sanctuary, while the so-called mini bar (anything but mini) ranks as the most impressive we have encountered. A visual tour of our favourite features of the suite follows below.
LEVEL 42 - THE HOTEL’S ELEVATED HEART
Guests booking Horizon Club categories gain a access to Level 42: a light-filled lounge, indoor infinity pool and wrap-around terrace that gaze directly at the Burj Khalifa. Whether you’re drifting in the pool, sipping sunset cocktails or reserving the terrace for private dining “above the clouds,” the vantage is nothing short of cinematic.
THE FOOD
Breakfast is the curtain-raiser, and Dunes Café sets the stage with a globe-spanning buffet. A host greets you with old-school warmth, while an eye-catching pastry station, overflowing with buttery viennoiserie, tempts you to abandon the rest of the spread altogether.
By lunchtime, drift into Hoi An and taste Vietnam in full colour: Tamarind Black Cod, Beef Pho and fragrant herbs balanced by a roster of traditional teas and cocktails. It’s light, bright and perfect for the midday lull.
Evening ushers you to Shang Palace, where time-honoured Cantonese cookery takes centre stage. Start with Lobster Spring Roll’s, then linger over Wok-fried Wagyu Beef Striploin with Garlic or hand-crafted dumplings. These dishes draw Dubai insiders night after night.
Whenever hunger strikes between meals, the 24-hour in-room dining menu and the refined Lobby Lounge stand ready. Together, this quartet of venues lets you tour Asia and brush up against the Middle East without ever leaving Shangri-La’s marble podium.
Children’s meal plan: up to two kids under 11 eat free when a parent dines.
CHI, THE SPA
Down at podium level, Chi, The Spa channels the mythical valley of “Shangri-La”-a place of timeless calm. Treatments draw on traditional healing philosophies from across Asia, custom-blended with Arabian botanicals and administered in spacious, candlelit suites open until midnight- ideal for travellers landing on late flights.
SHANGRI-LA’S EAT PLAY LOVE
Shangri-La’s new Eat Play Love campaign is the brand’s summer love letter to experience-hungry travellers: pick one immersive “Eat,” one spirited “Play,” or one restorative “Love” activity for every night you stay, and build a stay that feels completely your own. Conceived as a choose-your-own-adventure journey of self-discovery and connection, the programme runs across 15 global properties and invites solo guests, couples and families to “fall in love with life all over again.” Discover all things Eat Play Love here.
THE VERDICT
For travellers who want Dubai’s headline attractions at their doorstep yet crave a sanctuary above the spectacle-Shangri-La Dubai offers the best of both worlds: harmonious interiors, destination dining and arguably the city’s most photogenic balcony. From sunrise laps on Level 42 to after-dark skyline silhouettes, every moment here feels perfectly framed. For more information, or to make a reservation, please visit Shangri‑La Dubai’s official website.
WHERE TO DINE
Location: the new J1 Beach promenade in La Mer South.
Vibe: a retractable-roof pavilion where Dubai’s largest wood-fired grill blazes at the centre; primal-luxe interiors, live DJs after dark.
Food: Chef Glen Ballis delivers flame-kissed sharing plates- think dry-aged tomahawk, ember-roasted whole sea bass, and charred seasonal vegetables- perfectly paired with a thoughtfully curated drink menu. Whatever you do, save room for dessert. You won’t regret it.
Tip: For a high-energy affair where cocktails flow and the DJ spins visit INÁ on a weekend for a restaurant turned club vibe.
SUSHISAMBA – Palm Tower, Level 51
Location: 230 m above ground on the 51st floor of The St Regis, Palm Jumeirah.
Vibe: floor-to-ceiling glass, a 3-D printed ceiling sculpture, and unobstructed 360° views of the Palm, Ain Dubai and the skyline; reached by two dedicated glass elevators.
Food: Nikkei fusion that riffs on Peru, Brazil and Japan-anticucho-glazed sea bass, samba rolls, wagyu gyoza-plus an extensive sake and pisco list; a “Samba Room” lounge opens late.
Tip: Welcomes children at lunch/early dinner and offers a Samba Kids menu
FLAMINGO ROOM BY TASHA - Jumeirah Al Naseem
Location: perched beside the Jumeriah Al Naseem’s turtle lagoon.
Vibe: African-glam meets Dubai chic-scalloped blush banquettes, hand-blown baobab chandeliers, playful bronze meerkats; terrace tables overlook the water, situated on turtle lagoon with the backdrop of the azure blue of the Arabian sea
Food: elevated “iconic” dishes with a modern twist-lobster vol-au-vent, calamari Mozambique, short-rib bourguignon, plus a theatrical Baked Alaska finale.
Tip: arrive early for a lagoon stroll, spotting rehabilitated turtles from the deck.
WHERE TO SHOP
Tucked into the Grand Atrium, Cartier’s flagship unveils a little secret: a discreet café nestled behind the salon’s mirrored corridor. Slip in for an espresso etched with the maison’s “C” and a rose-petal mille-feuille before browsing high-jewellery vitrines and the latest Panthère watches.
O’ de Rose ranks among Dubai’s pioneering concept stores. It curates interior accents, jewellery, and one-of-a-kind fashion from Middle-Eastern designers.
Nicola Greig’s Collective Africa, a glorious homage to the continent she was born on, now has a presence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Handwoven basketry, beaded jewellery, glass vases and fantastical safari-inspired earthenware by Ardmore Ceramics, crafted on a farm in KwaZulu-Natal, appear alongside coffee table books by Assouline, scented candles and skincare by Africology.
Just steps away, Fashion Avenue lines up the world’s marquee labels beneath a mile of marble. For footwear obsessives, the 96,000-square-foot Level Shoes offers everything from sneakers to bespoke sandals, plus on-site cobblers for speedy touch-ups.
Kids’ Zone, Second Floor – Dubai Mall
gives mini style icons the royal treatment: Brunello Cucinelli Kids, Gucci Kids, Majestic Kids and more cluster along the second-floor promenade. Newcomer Boo Boo Laand in Chinatown adds an eye-popping play park and concept store so parents can shop while little travellers get to run around.
ONDA Lands in Dubai
“Your perfect layover companion.”
Dubai already brims with private-club swagger, yet few concepts feel as border blurring or future proof as this membership platform from hospitality entrepreneur Luca Del Bono. Think roaming key card: one annual fee, a sleek app, and instant access to more than 250 curated clubs, co-working lofts, and wellness enclaves in 75 cities, from House of KOKO in London to The Britely in Los Angeles, plus an expanding constellation across the UAE.
For globetrotting creatives, digital-nomad families, and Dubai residents who split life between Sheikh Zayed Road and SoHo, ONDA delivers a single-membership, many-door solution. Pair that with the city’s appetite for bespoke spaces, Neera today and something new tomorrow, and the wave icon on your phone becomes the definitive access-all-areas pass. Discover more about ONDA here.
Dubai, where sun‑kissed desert meets futuristic skyline, is among the world’s most exhilarating destinations. We hope our 48‑Hour Dubai Guide, helps you navigate the city effortlessly and collect memories that sparkle as brightly as its towers!
- Team Splendid x