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Staycation Deals in the UAE
A staycation is the easiest holiday to organise when you already live here. No visa, no flights, no annual leave if you go over a weekend. You check into a hotel an hour from your front door on Friday and you are home by Sunday evening feeling like you have been away for a week.
We book staycations across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah at UAE resident rates, and you can spread the cost over monthly payments instead of paying it all at once. Send us your dates, how many of you there are and roughly what you want to spend, and we will come back with three options.
What we book
- Hotel and resort stays across all seven emirates
- UAE resident rates wherever the hotel offers them, which is most of them
- Family rooms and connecting rooms
- Villas and rooms with a private pool
- Half board and all inclusive stays where available
- Transfers, if you would rather not drive
- Restaurant, spa and waterpark add ons
We are a licensed Dubai travel agency. You get a confirmed booking voucher, one number to call if anything goes wrong, and someone who can tell you which of two similar hotels is actually the better weekend.
Where to go for a staycation in the UAE
Dubai
The widest choice and the most competitive rates, simply because there are more hotels competing for the same residents. Beach resorts along Jumeirah Beach Residence and Palm Jumeirah, city hotels in Downtown and DIFC, and desert resorts within an hour of the city. Dubai is the safest choice for a first staycation because there is something to do whatever the weather does.
Ras Al Khaimah
About an hour and a quarter up the coast from Dubai. Quieter beaches, the mountain road up to Jebel Jais, and generally better value than an equivalent Dubai resort on the same weekend. This is where a lot of residents go when the point of the trip is to switch off rather than to go out.
Abu Dhabi
Roughly two hours from Dubai. Saadiyat Island and Yas Island resorts, with the Louvre, Ferrari World, Warner Bros World and Yas Waterworld all within a short drive. The strongest option for families who want the hotel and the entertainment on the same trip rather than driving between them.
Fujairah and the east coast
Around two hours from Dubai through the mountains. Snorkelling, diving and a completely different landscape from the Gulf coast, with the Hajar mountains behind the beach. Best in the cooler months, and quiet enough that it feels further from the city than it is.
When to book, and when it is cheapest
October to April is the comfortable season and the busiest one. Rates climb around Eid, National Day and school holidays, and the family rooms and pool villas go first, so book those two to three weeks ahead if your dates are fixed.
Summer is the value season. Rates drop sharply from June through August and hotels compete hard for resident business, which is when all inclusive packages are worth the most because you are spending the middle of the day indoors or in the water anyway. If your priority is getting the most hotel for your money, this is when to go.
Whatever the season, midweek is cheaper than the weekend almost everywhere, often by around a third. If you can take a Sunday and Monday instead of a Friday and Saturday, the same room can cost noticeably less.
How to pay
We split the cost of your staycation across Tabby over up to 12 months, Tamara on extendable terms, or a UAE credit card over up to 12 months. Your booking is confirmed straight away and you pay over time rather than in one go at checkout.
Tell us your budget when you enquire and we will show you the monthly figure alongside the total, so you can compare hotels on what it actually costs you each month.
Get three options today
Send us your dates, how many adults and children are travelling, and which emirate you fancy. We will come back with three staycation options at resident rates and the monthly payment split, usually within the hour.
WhatsApp +971 52 292 1011 or +971 4 220 2133.
Staycation questions we get asked
How much does a staycation in Dubai cost?
More than anything else it depends on three things: whether you go midweek or at the weekend, which season you go in, and which emirate you choose. Midweek is usually about a third cheaper than a Friday or Saturday. Summer rates are the lowest of the year. And a comparable resort in Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah will normally come in below the Dubai equivalent for the same standard of room.
Rather than quoting you a headline rate that changes every week, send us your dates and your budget and we will tell you exactly what that buys across all four emirates. We can also show you the monthly payment split so you can see what it costs you per month.
Where can I find the cheapest staycation deals in the UAE?
Travel midweek, go in summer, and look outside Dubai. Those three choices together will usually save you more than any promo code will.
It also helps to enquire with a budget rather than a hotel name. Hotels move their resident rates constantly, and the best value on your particular weekend is often somewhere you had not thought of. We check across all the emirates rather than one property at a time.
Which hotels offer staycation packages for UAE residents?
Most UAE hotels run some form of resident rate, but it is often not published on the hotel website and needs a resident rate code or an agency booking to access. Send us your Emirates ID along with your enquiry and we will apply resident pricing wherever it is available on your dates.
Are there staycation deals only for UAE residents?
Yes. Many hotels here run resident only rates that sit noticeably below the public rate, and they normally require a valid Emirates ID at check in. Some are restricted to particular nights of the week or to certain room types. We confirm which resident rates apply to your specific booking before we quote you, so there are no surprises at the desk.
What is the best staycation in the UAE?
It depends what you want out of the weekend. For a beach and pool weekend with the least time in the car, Dubai. For quiet and value, Ras Al Khaimah. For families who want theme parks and museums attached to the hotel, Abu Dhabi. For diving, snorkelling and mountains, Fujairah.
Tell us which of those sounds like your kind of weekend and we will narrow it down to three hotels rather than sending you a list of thirty.
Can we book a staycation with a private pool?
Yes. Private pool villas and pool access rooms are available across Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. There are far fewer of them than standard rooms and they are the first thing to sell out at weekends and over public holidays, so ask us as early as you can if this is what you want.
What is the best staycation for families?
Look for three things: connecting or family rooms so you are not splitting up, a kids club or supervised activities so the adults get an hour, and either a waterpark on site or free access to one nearby. Abu Dhabi does the third of those better than anywhere, because Yas Island puts the parks and the hotels in the same place.
Tell us the ages of your children when you enquire. It changes the shortlist more than the budget does.
Do you book staycations outside Dubai?
Yes, across all seven emirates. Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah often give you more for the same money than Dubai does, particularly at weekends when Dubai rates peak. We can arrange a transfer as well if you would rather not take your own car.
How far in advance should I book a staycation?
For an ordinary midweek stay, a few days is usually enough. For a weekend in high season, two to three weeks. For Eid, National Day, New Year or school holidays, book a month ahead if you want a family room or a pool villa, because those go first and the rates only move upwards as the date approaches.
