Ever vacationed in a muslim country during ramadan? Dubai has 5 stars for under $100.

Does the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem count? We took a tour under the western wall of the Temple and popped out at the end just as everyone was leaving prayer time, no issues. Everyone in the old city just wanted to make Shekels, so even guys that were probably fasting will still keep their stores open during the day.

With so many foreign workers and non-Muslims, they can't just turn Dubai and Abu Dhabi into ghost towns by shutting down restaurants etc., during the day.

Safest thing, I'd email the hotel sales manager and ask how service changes during Ramadan. A lot of the hotels that appeal to westerners have great breakfast spreads, etc., which may be curtailed.

Yeah with the US Army.

Dubai or Kuwait would be ok and Turkey, Egypt but I wouldnt get far off the beaten path.

Pardon my ignorance, but I thought it was just fasting. Do they not work or anything? Why would places other then restaurants be closed? I'm assuming a food market would be open selling food for dinner once the fast is over right?

But yes the way Muslim culture is I can't see even wanting to try and eat out during the day or eat in public period. Taking food to go would be questionable to eat back in your hotel room? Maybe in the later afternoon to go, but I wouldn't do an early lunch or breakfast.

Part of traveling is respecting local culture IMO, and if they are fasting it would be disrespectful and insensitive to eat during the day. Even if it didn't make a liberal Muslim upset, the smell of food and others seeing you eat would make them hungrier.

Oman is != Dubai, and Dubai from 20 years ago is far, far from Dubai today.

OP, email the hotel. I can easily find Ramadan specials at Popeye's in the UAE, but can't find their operating hours or any service restrictions. The hotel will know (about more than just Popeye's.)

There are multiple Emirates within the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi being the most westernized, buy booze, you can get pork products (they may be in a separate section of the market) etc. Sharjah, another Emirate, is very different:

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How you can relax with alcohol in the emirate of the UAE Sharjah:

Plan a trip to other emirates. The closest one is Dubai. Travel time to it will be 15-20 minutes.
You can have a drink in the hotel room, pre-ordering food. But this is a direct violation of the law. Service personnel may leave it.
Visit the nearest restaurant or bar that serves spirits. This can be combined with a tour of the UAE, sightseeing.

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He's on Priceline. Priceline (the OTA) has had a block of rooms clearly allocated them, which the hotel is probably forced to provide, because I checked prices during Ramadan at the hotel website, and they're north of $240 a night.

The hotel gambled, and they lost. They even haves dates during Ramadan labeled "check out only" which tells me they're probably oversold.

Who ends up getting screwed when a hotel is oversold? Not the people that booked direct with the hotel. When did we lose the "beating the dead horse" emoticon? I need that right about now re: booking through OTAs.

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Turkey and Morocco at some point.

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Libya has more Roman ruins than Italy, for what it's worth. Take Turkish to Tel Aviv or Amman, use the "8 hour tour" Turkish offers you on layovers in IST, and visit Petra after you hit Israel or Jordan. That's on my 9 year old's bucket list, the "Pink City," she calls it.

Other than Bourdain hitting Morocco, I don't know what would scream to me to visit. The Moors ruled a good portion of the coast of Spain and Italy for quite a long time, so there is plenty of North African stuff there as well. It's just a logistical issue. Worth it vs. being in Istanbul, Barcelona, Jerusalem, or Cairo? Up to you.