Dubai markets itself as one of the most luxurious urban-meets-desert-meets-beach destinations in the world, a playground of modern architecture, five-star hotels, and record-breaking attractions. For many travelers, it represents the pinnacle of luxury: an aspirational city designed to impress. Yet when viewed through the lens of new and expecting parents, Dubai also highlights a critical gap in the industry: luxury hospitality that looks polished on the surface but overlooks a growing demographic of travelers.
The Overlooked Segment
While “family-friendly” branding is often applied broadly, most offerings in Dubai cater to children ages 3 and up. Parents with infants and toddlers, the fastest-growing segment of global travelers, are left with few thoughtful options.
Even flagship properties like Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal emphasize spectacle over substance:
- Limited infant amenities: baby pools too small, minimal shaded areas, no splash pads or sensory play spaces.
- Hospitality gaps: concierge staff unaware of available baby amenities, incorrect diapers provided, and toiletries unsuitable for delicate skin.
- Exclusionary policies: multiple restaurants, pools, and lounges restrict access for families with young children. Kids club inaccessible to children under age 3 outside of prime “naptime” hours.
- Food & beverage missteps: premium lounges laden with processed foods and sugar, repeated alcohol service despite requests for alcohol-free options.
The result? Parents are left feeling like their children are to be tucked away with nanny care, rather than welcomed as part of the guest experience.
Why This Matters in Dubai
This is not just an operational miss, it’s a brand risk. Dubai’s global positioning as the pinnacle of luxury makes it a natural magnet for well-traveled, high-spend families. Not to mention, it’s such a business hub, and business travelers are in fact, bringing their families along on trips. Many of these parents are navigating a delicate identity shift: balancing their adult selves with the realities of early parenthood. When hotels fail to meet these needs, it creates brand dissonance. Parents see luxury marketing that promises everything, but delivers little for their stage of life.
Lessons From Food & Beverage
Interestingly, where hotels fall short, restaurants sometimes succeed. La Mar at Atlantis The Royal offered a glimpse of what’s possible: discreet nonalcoholic welcome drinks for breastfeeding mothers, staff anticipating family needs without overstepping, and thoughtful menu adjustments for toddlers. The only flaw was pacing, a reminder that even the best intentions must be calibrated to the attention span and “sit-still” tolerance of 1-year-olds.
The Opportunity for Luxury Hospitality
By catering to pregnant women and parents with children under 4, properties not only win over young families, but also their multigenerational networks, from grandparents, to caregivers, and extended family who often travel together. Globally, the baby care market is valued at over $320 billion, making this not just a guest experience issue, but a revenue opportunity.
A Better Model: Spectacle + Sanctuary
Dubai doesn’t need to abandon spectacle since it thrives on it. But families also need sanctuary. For parents seeking understated luxury, we recommend a dual-property strategy:
- Enjoy Atlantis during the day for its entertainment value and novelty experiences like seeing your baby witness their parent(s) feed stingrays in a giant fishtank.
- Unwind, relax, and sleep at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Beach, where the focus is on refined beachfront accommodations, quality amenities and dining, as well as guest well-being, essentials for new and expecting parents. Just don’t expect there to be much to do within the property if your child is under age 3 (kids club cutoff).
This balance creates the restorative experience families are actually seeking.
For advisors and parents interested in planning a trip to Dubai, we recommend Trimester Abroad in Dubai: A New Parent’s Guide for further details and curated recommendations.
How Mavin’s Landing Can Help
At Mavin’s Landing, we specialize in helping luxury and independent hospitality brands reimagine the guest experience for new and expecting families. Our research-driven approach identifies overlooked touchpoints from amenities, to service training, and brand positioning, that can transform a property from “family-tolerant” to “family-preferred.” By partnering with us, hotels and resorts can unlock a low-lift, high-ROI strategy that not only captures this overlooked demographic but also secures decades of loyalty across generations.
The Bottom Line
Dubai is the perfect case study: a city that markets itself as the height of luxury, is one of the safest places for women and children to travel (and one of few cities with car seats readily available in rideshares), yet struggles to meet the real needs of modern families within its hospitality sector. For today’s parents, luxury is not chandeliers and champagne, it’s peace of mind. Properties that adapt to this reality will not only capture this overlooked demographic but also gain a competitive edge in one of the fastest-growing travel markets.
