Check In If You Dare: A Night at Dubai’s Haunted Hotel

There are hotel check-ins that promise luxury, comfort, perhaps a complimentary robe - and then there’s The Haunted Hotel at IMG Worlds of Adventure, where the concierge is undead, the corridors have opinions of their own, and checking is a desperate plea of fear.

Tucked within the vast 1.5-million-square-foot sprawl of IMG Worlds, The Haunted Hotel sits in what’s aptly called The Haunted Town. “Visit if you dare,” the sign warns, in a font that already looks like it’s dripping. And yet, there we are, queuing willingly for what is essentially a carefully orchestrated panic attack.

You enter a crumbling, dimly lit hotel, one that seems to breathe around you. Its hallways twist and rearrange themselves, actors emerge from the shadows, and the scenery changes faster than you can question your life choices. There are eight newly renovated scenes - each with its own grisly personality - and a cast of spirits who don’t seem particularly keen on your safe return. The hotel reopened in April 2024, after a dramatic “resurrection,” complete with new storylines, grotesque characters, and the sort of set design that feels uncomfortably real.

This is not an experience for the faint-hearted, nor the faint-limbed. You must walk unaided through tight corridors and smoky rooms filled with strobe lights, latex makeup, and sudden shrieks. Those who are pregnant, recovering from surgery, or sensitive to confined spaces are strongly encouraged to remain on this side of sanity. Anyone under the age of 15? Kindly return to the carousel.

But for those who live for a good fright, or perhaps for those with something to prove, The Haunted Hotel is one of the most cleverly executed theatrical attractions in the region. It knows that fear is a sensory thing - the echo of a door creaking shut behind you, the soft breath of something unseen against your neck, the way your laughter catches in your throat because you’re not sure if you’re allowed to feel safe again.

Once you do emerge, trembling and triumphant, there’s The Haunted Café waiting for you - a sit-down restaurant where the décor is more ghoul-gourmet than gourmet-gloom, and the menu is spiked with a “dash of fear and a sprinkle of craziness.” It’s kitschy, yes, but in that self-aware way that makes you grin even as your nerves recalibrate. And if you’re in the mood for a souvenir (because trauma is always better merchandised), the Haunted Hotel Store offers spooky keepsakes - eerie paintings, macabre trinkets, perhaps a cursed cup or two to commemorate your survival.

Just remember: in this hotel, there’s no room service. Only rooms.