Sofitel Dubai Downtown

On a fifth-floor terrace, the hotel’s large infinity pool is surrounded by a grassy lounge area — a luxury in the desert — plus chaise longues and a pool bar.

Stacked neatly into 31 sky-skimming floors, the 350-room hotel is about as posh as they come. And yet, as a player in this over-the-top, all-about-more city, it’s surprisingly, and elegantly, restrained.