Dubai hotel prices are made up of the room rate plus 5% VAT, a 7% municipality fee, and a 10% service charge — all of these are included in the total you pay online at booking. The only standard extra is the Tourism Dirham fee (about AED 7–20 per room per night by star rating), which you pay directly at the property.
The price breakdown, line by line
- Room rate — the hotel's price for the room and dates you chose.
- VAT (5%) — the UAE's value-added tax.
- Municipality fee (7%) — Dubai's local government levy on hotel stays.
- Service charge (10%) — the standard hospitality service charge.
Everything in your checkout total is charged online when you confirm — there are no surprise add-ons at the desk for the room itself.
The one fee you pay at the hotel
The Tourism Dirham is always settled directly at the property, usually at check-in or check-out. It runs from roughly AED 7 to AED 20 per room per night depending on the hotel's star rating, and is charged per room, not per guest. Budget for it separately: nights × rooms × the fee for your hotel's class.
Optional extras are billed by the hotel
Anything you add on site — breakfast upgrades, parking, minibar, room service — goes on the hotel's own bill, alongside any refundable security-deposit hold taken at check-in.
Reading your own breakdown
The checkout page itemises your total before you pay, and the same figures are repeated in your confirmation email and on your booking in My Trips. Compare total prices, not just room rates: search Dubai hotels or see more in hotels help.