#8 in Top 20 Rooftop Pool Hotels · ★★★★★
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Two outdoor pools cantilevered out from the sail. The original Dubai theatrical pool.
Two outdoor pools cantilevered out from the sail. The original Dubai theatrical pool.
"Two outdoor pools cantilevered out from the sail. The original Dubai theatrical pool."
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah opened in 1999 and was the first of the Dubai sail towers. Its two outdoor rooftop pools sit on the 18th-floor deck, cantilevered out from the tower base on either side of the central elevator core, with the Persian Gulf below and the Palm Jumeirah on the horizon. The hotel was designed by Tom Wright of W.S. Atkins; the 18th-floor deck was part of the original 1999 design.
The two pools are infinity-edged, one on the north side facing toward Palm Jumeirah, one on the south side facing toward Madinat Jumeirah. Each is approximately 15 metres long. The water is chilled rather than heated for most of the year due to Dubai's air temperature.
The deck includes both pools, private cabanas, the Junsui Japanese restaurant, and direct access to the Skyview Bar a few floors above. The deck is for hotel guests and Burj Al Arab restaurant patrons. Day passes are not offered in the conventional sense, but restaurant reservations at Junsui include limited pool access.
The Persian Gulf is the dominant view; on a clear day Palm Jumeirah is visible to the west and the Dubai Marina towers to the east. The deck is one of the few in Dubai where the sea is the primary orientation rather than the city.
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah has 202 suites (no standard rooms), all duplex with butler service. The Club Suite is the entry-level category and the Royal Suite is the trophy at the top. The Club Suite is the right book for a first-time stay; the duplex layout gives you the view from both the living and bedroom levels.
Club One-Bedroom Suite, north-facing; the view orientation matches the north-facing pool and gives you Palm Jumeirah from the suite.
Eat lunch at Junsui to access the pool deck without the full suite booking. Reservations need to be made through the concierge two weeks in advance.
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah ranks #8 on our Top 20 Rooftop Pool Hotels list and is one of three Dubai hotels on the list. It is the longest-tenured of the three (1999 versus 2021 for the Address and 2022 for SLS Dubai).
Last updated April 28, 2026