Luxury Dubai Itinerary: SIRO & One&Only One Za’abeel

A return to Dubai after two decades - exploring the city’s dramatic evolution through architecture, wellness, design, and elevated hotel experiences.

I sometimes write about how a trip gets formulated, or why I go where I go. This can often be for a number of reasons - either that it’s a new country or destination that I’ve not been to before, or there is some particular hotel or experience I want to visit, or for an event. In the case of Dubai, I have been before but it was such a long time ago and I know there have been massive changes. 

Then, we stayed at The Jumeirah Beach Hotel which marked almost the extent of the development along the beach in that area. The Burj Al Arab Hotel was there (and we visited) but beyond that there were no further developments open, albeit the foundation work for The Palm had started. I can clearly remember being able to look out of the front of the hotel (where all the rooms were located) and see development along the beach, but looking out from the back the majority view was desert. How that has changed.

Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa shines under blue skies and cottony clouds.

So what is taking me back to Dubai, other than the interest in seeing the scale of the change for myself? Now that I offer a full travel booking service through Fora Travel, I want to stay as up-to-date and be as knowledgeable as I can on as many destinations as possible, try out new hotels and to experience for myself different hotel groups.

The magic of Dubai comes alive in shimmering night reflections.

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Why I Chose the Hotels?

Wellness meets wonder — exploring two bold new openings from Kerzner International at the heart of modern Dubai.

That takes me on to my choice of hotels for this trip. Having stayed last Holiday at the Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards New York, I was then really interested in the concept of SIRO Hotels, a wellness/fitness focussed lifestyle brand, which opened its first hotel in Dubai last year (2024). With other openings planned, like Montenegro, I was interested to see how this compares and contrasts with the Equinox brand, which too has growth plans for (I believe) further locations in the US as well as Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.

Having chosen SIRO One Za’abeel for my first stop, my attention then turned to a second stay. I didn’t have to look far to be drawn to a sister property, One&Only Za’abeel. One Za’abeel is a twin tower building in Dubai, a defining feature being "The Link” - a panoramic sky concourse connecting the two towers 100 meters above the ground. Measuring 230 meters in length, it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest cantilever building. The Link hosts restaurants, bars, lounges, and the UAE's longest rooftop infinity pool. The building(s) themselves are a mix of residential and retail, dining and hospitality, as well as offices/businesses.

I’ve also wanted to stay at a One&Only property (I understand there are 14 ultra-luxe properties across nine different countries - beach retreats, rainforest lodges, and urban resorts), four of them being located in Dubai itself, the home of the (now named Kerzner International).

The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab stands proud on Dubai’s shimmering coast.

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The Kerzner International Group

Kerzner International has four hotel brands, these being:

🌴 One&Only Resorts
One&Only offers ultra-luxury resorts in iconic destinations, each designed to celebrate its natural surroundings with tailored experiences, world-class dining, and elevated service.

🏙 SIRO Hotels
SIRO is a cutting-edge fitness and recovery-focused hotel brand blending hospitality with performance science, aimed at travellers who prioritise wellness and active living.

🐬 Atlantis Resorts
Atlantis delivers immersive, family-friendly resorts known for their grand scale, marine attractions, and waterparks — including the flagship Atlantis and The Palm in Dubai.

🗺 Rare Finds
Rare Finds is a curated collection of unique hotels and resorts with distinctive character and a strong sense of place, offering adventurous luxury for the culturally curious.

A bird’s-eye view of luxury at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai.

Although Dubai will be my first experience of both SIRO Hotels and One&Only Resorts, it’s not my first stay. Although under a different name back then (Kerzner International only became so in 2002), I did stay (a long time ago, and way before I had even considered the concept of travel writing) at the (first, and then only) Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. This opened in 1998 as Atlantis, albeit since 1968 had been an existing hotel called The Paradise Island Hotel & Casino. Kerzner (then called Sun International - a South African based resort entity) did an extensive refurbishment of the island, with the rebranding to Atlantis. I hate to say it, as it makes me sound ancient, but this trip likely pre-dated extensive use of email, and all my usual tools for identifying a date like TripIt or iPhone photos! Thankfully (as I’m a geek for dates and accuracy) I was able to establish we went in July 2003, having remembered we flew there with British Airways I was able to find the details in their FlightPath pages - a two-centre with Grand Cayman!

In this itinerary, discover:

• The best flights to Dubai

• My choice this trip for hotels and suites

• Activities and experiences tailored for luxury travellers

• How to unlock VIP perks by booking with The Private Traveller & Fora Travel

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Getting There

First impressions start at 35,000 feet — flying in style from London to Dubai with British Airways First.

Travelling from the UK, the direct options were either Emirates or British Airways, Emirates offering a choice of locations across the United Kingdom including London (as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh). With British Airways being on sale and having good pricing on First, I opted to fly overnight there with BA in First, returning on their daytime service. With the flight being 7hr 10min on the outbound (departing Heathrow at 10:30pm, allowing me to dine before boarding in the Concorde Lounge) I imagine I will just sleep on the way there, but experience more of the flight on the 7hr 40min return. I’ll do a combined Flight/Experience Review of the combined journey afterwards, as my last BA Club Suites Review to LAX (found here) seems to get good traction. That said, one reader was not impressed because I used a BA image to highlight the airline (not being specific to the Boeing aircraft that I was actually on) and suggested “my inability to use proper grammar” was annoying. You can make up your own minds! 

Downtown Dubai sparkles with futuristic energy and architectural brilliance.

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Where to Stay in Dubai?

Two bold stays, one iconic address — discovering wellness and modern luxury at One Za’abeel.

Although there is a phenomenal choice of hotels in Dubai, I narrowed my choice for this trip (the first for a few decades - this time the BA FlightPath let me down as it didn’t show my DXB flights with them, which means it was pre-2001!)

SIRO One Za'abeel

SIRO One Za'abeel is a next-generation fitness and recovery hotel in Dubai, combining cutting-edge wellness technology with luxury hospitality. Located in the iconic One Za'abeel development, it offers state-of-the-art training facilities, recovery labs, and tailored wellness programmes for performance-driven travellers.

One&Only One Za’abeel

One&Only One Za’abeel is a visionary urban resort in the heart of Dubai, blending ultra-luxury hospitality with cutting-edge design. Set within the landmark One Za’abeel towers and linked by the record-breaking sky concourse The Link, the hotel offers spectacular skyline views, Michelin-starred dining, a world-class wellness centre by Clinique La Prairie, and the city’s most striking infinity pool. It’s a bold new chapter for One&Only — where contemporary elegance meets Dubai’s dynamic energy.

Typical VIP benefits when booking with The Private Traveller & Fora Travel include:

• Complimentary daily breakfast

• Early check-in & late check-out (subject to availability)

• $100 USD resort credit

• Room upgrade on arrival (based on availability)

Serenity flows through the palm-fringed canals of Madinat Jumeirah.

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Fast Facts: SIRO One Za'abeel

Wellness redefined — recovery with a view at SIRO One Za’abeel.
All hotel images credit @siroonezaabeel

• Address: Za'abeel Street, Za'abeel 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

• Website: sirohotels.com/dubai/one-zaabeel

• Group Website: kerzner.com

• TripAdvisor Ranking: #128 of 859 hotels in Dubai

• Instagram: @sirohotels

• Nearest Airport: Dubai International Airport (DXB) – approximately 15 minutes by car

• Number of Rooms/Suites: 132 rooms, including 6 Fitness Suites

• Dining & Bar Options: On-site restaurants include Aelia, Andaliman, and Arrazuna. Guests also have access to additional dining venues within the One Za'abeel complex, such as La Dame de Pic, Sagetsu by Tetsuya, StreetXO, Tapasake, and The Garden Pool Bar.

• Wellbeing: Features a 2,000 sqm Fitness Lab with high-performance equipment, a Recovery Lab offering cryotherapy and cold plunges, a rooftop infinity pool, and personalized nutrition programs.

• Visiting: July 2025

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Fast Facts: One&Only One Za'abeel

Serene city views from the infinity pool at One&Only One Za’abeel, Dubai.
All hotel images credit @oonezaabeel

• Address: Za'abeel Street, Za'abeel 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

• Website: oneandonlyresorts.com/one-zaabeel

• Group Website: kerzner.com

• TripAdvisor Ranking: #369 of 859 hotels in Dubai

• Instagram: @ooonezaabeel

• Nearest Airport: Dubai International Airport (DXB) – approximately 15 minutes by car

• Number of Rooms/Suites: 229 rooms and suites, including 51 suites

• Dining & Bar Options: The resort boasts several dining venues, including Aelia, Andaliman, Arrazuna, La Dame de Pic, Sagetsu by Tetsuya, StreetXO, Tapasake, The Garden Pool Bar, and Culinara.

• Wellbeing: Features the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie, offering personalized wellness programs, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and two swimming pools: the adults-only Tapasake Pool and the family-friendly Garden Pool.

• Visiting: July 2025

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Exclusive VIP Perks at Dubai’s Best Luxury Hotels

As a Fora luxury travel advisor, I can secure exclusive perks at many of Dubai’s top hotels — including both SIRO One Za’abeel and One&Only One Za’abeel. Through our preferred partnerships with Fora Reserve and Virtuoso (and other programmes too), you’ll unlock added value like upgrades, resort credits, and early check-in across a wide range of luxury properties in the city.

Book with Fora
If you book with me, specific perks programmes are available at both hotels.

For SIRO One Za’abeel, this would be under the Fora Reserve programme, offering:

• Extra Amenities

• Room Upgrade (upon availability)

• 100USD hotel credit

• 4PM Late Checkout

• Early Check-In (upon availability)

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

The grandeur of Atlantis The Palm rises from the edge of Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah, a Kerzner International property.

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For One&Only One Za’abeel, this could be under either the Fora Reserve or Virtuoso programme, offering a very similar perks package:

Fora Reserve

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant (already included in property rates)

• $100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (Not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)

• Early check-in / Late check-out, subject to availability

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Virtuoso

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant (already included in property rates)

• $100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit to be utilized during stay (Not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)

• Bookings in our Suites will receive an additional $100 Resort or Hotel credit (for a total of $200 during stay)

• Early check-in / Late check-out, subject to availability 

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

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Things to Do in Dubai

A few favourite spots and experiences in the area

🌆 Visit the Burj Khalifa
Take in breathtaking views from the world’s tallest tower — opt for the SKY Lounge for the ultimate experience.

🚝 Palm Jumeirah Monorail
A scenic ride along Dubai’s iconic palm-shaped island, offering great views and easy access to Atlantis and The Pointe.

🛍 Dubai Mall
More than just shopping — explore the Dubai Aquarium, indoor waterfall, and endless dining options beneath the Burj Khalifa.

💦 Dubai Fountain Show
Watch the world’s largest choreographed fountain come to life nightly with music and light beside the Burj Lake.
More info →

🔭 Sky Views Dubai
Walk the edge of a glass sky bridge or glide down the transparent slide with epic skyline views from Address Sky View.
More info →

I’ll be sharing more personal highlights, photos, and tips from each experience in an upcoming Travel Diaries post once I’ve returned — stay tuned for the full story.

Towering elegance: Burj Khalifa lights up the Dubai night.

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Your Luxury Journey, Elevated with The Private Traveller & Fora Travel

Unlock more from every stay when you book through The Private Traveller in partnership with Fora Travel. From iconic city hotels to remote island hideaways, enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your experience, including:

• VIP welcome amenities

• Daily breakfast, on the house

• $100 USD resort or hotel credit

• Room upgrades, when available

• Early check-in and late check-out for a seamless stay

Every journey is curated with care — from the first consultation to your final checkout. Let’s design a one-of-a-kind itinerary that reflects your style, your pace, and your idea of luxury.

📩 Enquire now: dave.gillan@fora.travel

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Stay Connected & Be Inspired

Join me on the journey — from five-star stays to hidden gems — for curated travel guides, honest hotel reviews, and insider inspiration:
📸 Instagram: @theprivatetraveller
▶️ YouTube: The Private Traveller
📌 Pinterest: ThePrivateTraveller

Planning your next adventure? Drop me a message or leave a comment — I’d love to hear your ideas or help you turn them into a perfectly planned escape.

Soaring towers of Dubai Marina glow in the golden light of sunset.

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