Three UAE hotels make top 2010 travel list

The Desert Island Resort & Spa, based on Abu Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas Island, and Dubai’s Ritz-Carlton and Madinat Jumeirah are the only three UAE locations to make the 108-strong shortlist of the world’s greatest hotels, according to Conde Nast Traveller magazine.Other Middle Eastern locations to make the hotlist included Cairo’s Four Seasons Hotel at The First Residence, the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, in the Omani capital, Muscat and Beit Al Mamlouka, in Syria.

Editors and travel experts at the UK-based publication annually compile a Gold List of the best hotels based in six criteria; service, location, food, rooms, leisure facilities, and ambience and design.

Anantara’s Desert Island Resort & Spa has now been honoured twice by the magazine during its short lifespan. It was named one of the world’s hottest hotels by Conde Nast Traveller in April 2009, just six months after opening.

Located on Sir Bani Yas island in Al Gharbia, the Anantara resort has attracted 25,000 guests from around the world in its first twelve months of operations. The island was formerly the private retreat of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late founder and president of the UAE.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, located in the Dubai Marina, was lauded by Conde Nast Traveller for its “dedicated butlers and concierge”. The magazine also stated that the hotel’s “Club Level's 38 rooms on the fifth and six floors offer unbeatable service”.

Conde Nast Traveller cited the Madinat Jumeirah’s artificial waterways and excellent facilities as reasons behind its success.