It’s been a bumpy start for Palm Jumeirah, the man-made archipelago that opened with great fanfare off Dubai’s coastline in 2006, only to stall amid the emirate’s economic downturn. But the debut of the One&Only The Palm—the development’s first resort since the 2008 opening of the Atlantis—signals better times ahead.

Choose to arrive by land in a limousine, or by sea in your own private water taxi. The low-rise property, designed less like a hotel than a compound built for Moorish royalty, features secluded rooms that are located in a re-created residential environment of “mansions,” a three-story “manor house,” and four beachfront villas.

Still, no matter how chilled the vibe, the One&Only maintains a measure of Dubai flash: the couple’s spa suite is a seven-room oasis complete with private hammam. Round out the day watching the sun set over the Dubai skyline at one of three waterfront restaurants, whose menus have been designed by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno.

971-4/440-1010; oneandonlyresorts.com; doubles from US$966

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