Dubai's top-notch hotels have become the go-to destination for residents, drawn in by dizzying staycation offers.
On the Palm, an artificial island that has become synonymous with Dubai opulence, five-star hotels are busy on weekends and holidays once more.
The clientele is driven by hotels offering residents-only deals that have become a lifeline for Dubai's luxury tourism.
"I had never been in a hotel on the Palm because the prices were crazy," said Fadi Iskandarani, a doctor in his sixties who just spent his first weekend at a luxury resort on the tree-shaped island.
The Lebanese national, who has lived in Dubai for five years, decided to opt for a staycation after he saw that a hotel on the Palm had slashed its rates by a factor of four.
The pool-side area was filled with people, he said, who came to the Palm to enjoy a slice of luxury that had long been unattainable.
"Luxury in Dubai has become affordable for residents, before it was just for the rich, very rich people," he said.
A lifeline
With 19.5 million yearly tourists, Dubai is among the region's top destinations and was long seen as a playground for the world's rich and famous.
Its 827 hotels – including 173 five-star establishments – boasted an average occupancy rate of more than 80 per cent.
But the war affected the Arabian Gulf.
The United Arab Emirates bore the brunt of Iran's missiles and drones, which hit hotels, including on the Palm, as well as its landmark Burj Al Arab resort.
Hotels are mostly relying on local guests, said Michael Robinson, the general manager of the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort.
With its overwater villas, artificial lagoons and Thai-inspired decor, the luxury hotel is packed with Dubai residents, who get special discounts of up to 50 per cent.
On Fridays and Saturdays, hotel occupancy sits between 70 and 90 per cent, he said.
This new clientele has offered hotels a lifeline, allowing Anantara The Palm to remain "cash positive" without resorting to layoffs.
Talks to end the war have dragged on for two months and sporadic strikes still punctuate life in the Gulf, straining tourism.
Yet Robinson remains hopeful.
"If we see some form of resolution in the next month or so... I think you'll see tourists come back faster than everyone anticipates," he said.
Agence France-Presse