The Best Hotels in the Middle East

Turkey

Maxx Royal Kemer Resort sits on a bay in Kemer, among pine-covered slopes with goats on the hillside. Maxx Royal Belek and Rixos Premium Belek both sit on the Belek coast, and the Maxx has worn rooms and slow service. TUI Blue Seno is a hillside resort in Ortaca, above a sandy bay on the Aegean. White House Hotel in Istanbul is a small boutique hotel in Sultanahmet, within walking distance of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Abu Dhabi and Manama

Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi has gardens, gold-accented architecture and a private beach. The St. Regis Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi is a beachfront resort on Saadiyat Island, with a large pool and sea views across the Arabian Gulf. Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay occupies its own island in Manama, and its 68-storey tower looks over the Gulf and the skyline.

Desert, mountain and Red Sea

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Liwa is built as a traditional Arabian fortress among golden dunes, with pool villas and dune activities. Alila Jabal Akhdar is a mountain resort in the Al Hajar range of Oman, built from local rock at about 2,000 metres above a canyon. Steigenberger Ras Soma is a five-star beach resort on the Red Sea coast at Ras Soma, Safaga, spread over a large site near the water.