Fairmont, Fujairah, UAE

When it comes to Middle Eastern holiday destinations, Dubai offers the glitz, and Abu Dhabi, the glamour. But over on the eastern coastline of the UAE, the hospitality industry is blossoming in Fujairah, providing the ideal location for the Fairmont Hotel group’s newest luxury resort in the region.

Tucked between the rugged Al Hajar mountains and the Gulf of Oman’s sparkling aqua hues, the property has some of the best natural views in the UAE. Designed by Dubai-based firm Stickman, the 180-room resort, with its modest, pale pink exterior, provides a decidedly different type of luxury to some of its more ostentatious neighbours.

While every bedroom maintains an impressive view of the local marina, guests will hurry out of bed to spend their days lounging in the resort’s cosy bohemian Arabesque interiors, or cooling off with a cocktail in the Persian-rug inspired central pool. Throughout the hotel, polished mosaic tile floors, offset by a mix of Berber textiles reflect the area’s varied cultural history; in the Arteasan tea room, traditional mashrabiya screens provide just the right amount of privacy. 

And in the evening, executive chef Giovanni Pugliano takes care of dinner at The Copper Lobster, peppering the Fujairah daily catch with local Arab flavour. When the resort’s private beach club finally opens later this year, the Fairmont will truly be an oasis.