PurposeThe paper researches the actions taken by United Arab Emirates (UAE) industry stakeholders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate impact, ensure continuity and target growth. More specifically, the focus is to investigate innovations adopted across hotel brands, both, local and international, and the UAE Government's policies that have created an enabling ecosystem for such innovations.Design/methodology/approachUsing an exploratory analysis technique, the paper provides a socio-economic, scientific and economic overview of the UAE and then proceeds to highlight the zeitgeist in the context of the hospitality and tourism industry. The impact of COVID on the industry is discussed and stakeholder feedback is solicited and analyzed to gauge the variety of innovations adopted to address the pandemic induced challenges.FindingsA key finding of this research indicates that proactive government policies have enabled the hospitality and tourism industry to stay viable and perform better than their counterparts in most destinations. The “innovate or perish” mindset spurred by the pandemic is evident in the variety of innovations adopted by hotel brands in the UAE. Another key finding is that digital transformation, operational efficiency and sustainability are the innovation drivers in hospitality.Originality/valueUsing the UAE as a case in point, the study highlights the importance of an innovation mindset which the hospitality and tourism industry needs to embrace in order to tide over the crisis triggered by the pandemic.