The best hotels in the desert in the Emirates - our top 10
Thinking about United Arab Emirates Can you think of the perfect luxury holiday in Dubai? You think about all these wonderful hotels and buildings that are beyond the imagination of an ordinary tourist; about an infinite number of attractions, about the tallest building in the world? And you're right! Dubai is a magical, unique and one-of-a-kind city, but we often forget that it is not the only place that the United Arab Emirates has to offer. It is also hundreds of kilometers of peace, desert and closeness to nature. It is also hundreds of kilometers of foreign culture, unforgettable adventures, unknown customs and wonderful people. Today we present you the best hotels in the desert in the United Arab Emirates and we strongly encourage you to visit them. In addition, we will offer you the subjectively best safaris organized in the country. We are sure that an exclusive family holiday in the Emirates will meet the expectations of even the most demanding guests.
Hotel The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
Al Wadi Desert in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah
You just need to go just a little north of magical Dubai to reach the heart of the Arabian desert. The luxurious The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah hotel in the Emirates is located in a reserve, on 500 hectares of protected area. Here, luxury is also combined with centuries-old Bedouin tradition. In this exclusive place, you will experience unforgettable moments spent in one of the hotel's villas with a swimming pool. There will also be plenty of attractions, so much needed when spending time in the desert. You can decide to watch birds and gazelles, but this is only one of many possibilities. In addition, other attractions that the hotel offers include learning the art of falconry and archery, joining a fishing expedition or taking part in a camel trek. The reserve even has an equestrian center that offers horse riding lessons.
Hotel Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa
Desert in the emirate of Sharjah, near Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The exclusive Hotel Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, located only a 45-minute drive from Dubai, is a romantic combination of Arabic style with colonial influences. In this place you will feel really close to nature, you will actually be in its very center. Its location in the middle of the desert is a haven for all those who need a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Here you will encounter endless dunes, majestic antelopes carefully observing the horizon, and tame gazelles drinking water from hotel swimming pools. The resort has been awarded the Eco Luxury - Retreats of the World certificate. There will also be attractions such as archery, falconry, horse or camel riding, and interesting guided tours.
Hotel Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The best desert hotels in the United Arab Emirates on our list also include the luxurious Al Wathba a Luxury Collection Hotel, located near Abu Dhabi. It's close enough to the city that you can reach it within 40 minutes, but far enough away to feel the depths of the desert. Surrounded by a desert landscape, this boutique hotel is the best place to forget about reality. Natural beauty, dreamlike peace and complete privacy are the dominant features of this exclusive resort. It is an ideal place for a luxurious holiday in the Emirates, because in addition to luxurious relaxation, it offers interesting attractions. These include a ride through the desert on modern bikes and unforgettable guided hikes at sunset. We can also cross the desert on horseback and discover extraordinary dunes covering an area of 2,2 hectares. The hotel also focuses on relaxing treatments and soothing massages, and the local spa is its hallmark.
Hotel Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
Liwa Oasis, Rub al-Khali Desert, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
On the outskirts of Abu Dhabi is the world's largest sand desert, Ar-Rab al-Khali. Deep inside, among the shining dunes, the luxurious Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara hotel tempts you. This exclusive resort, perfect for a family holiday in the Emirates, is the best proof that the Arabian Nights are not only for children. It's safe to say that this is the fulfillment of childhood dreams in adult life. The sprawling Qasr Al Sarab Palace offers guests modern, luxurious accommodation, with charming rooms and stunning villas at their disposal. That's not all, as the exclusive hotel invites guests to spend the night in style glamping, in a real Bedouin tent under the starry sky. The Anantara Qasr Al Sarab hotel in the Liwa oasis, in the Rub al-Khali desert is a great place for a holiday in the Arab Emirates, and it is a perfect way to relax away from the crowds.
Hotel Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort
Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
With just 30 villas spread across the lush savannah, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort is one of Abu Dhabi's premier luxury hotels that invites guests to lose themselves in the beauty of nature. Sir Bani Yas Island, where the hotel is located, is a protected reserve, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The island is home to wildlife, including the nearly extinct Arabian oryx. The luxury hotel is located in the desert interior of the island, but Al Sahel guests also have access to sister properties, Desert Islands and Al Yamm. The boutique villas are located in the lush savannah, providing guests with maximum privacy without being disturbed. Nobody, except curious gazelles and peacocks.
Platinum Heritage Overnight Safari
It's hard to decide what makes one typical safari better than another. Most of them offer wild dune driving with a trained driver in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Later, there will be a buffet in the Bedouin-style camp on Persian carpets, accompanied by shisha. Additional attractions include camel rides, henna tattoos, falconry and perhaps even belly dancing. Platinum Heritage has a different plan. Guests travel through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve in vintage open-top Land Rovers. These cars were a typical means of transport in Dubai in the 5s.
After dinner, guests sleep in traditional Arab stone houses, although with better amenities than those offered on a typical safari. In the morning, they wake up to the smell of a delicious breakfast, followed by a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. How about visiting the Lakes of Love, exploring the desert at night and viewing the starry sky through a telescope? Doesn't the whole thing sound like the perfect safari in the Emirates? The safari option with an overnight stay in the desert is a great optional trip if you are bored with exclusive hotels in the center of modern Dubai.
Hotel Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa
Located in the desert near the center of Dubai
This time, heading south to Dubai, we are only an hour's drive away from the luxurious Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. Originally, the hotel was intended to be an elegant facility for horse riders, with only stables and racetracks. Today, in addition to the above, it also has kilometers of bicycle paths and artificial lakes. Its name translates as Gateway to the Sun. This is completely true to reality, especially in the morning when you watch the rising sun with a cup of coffee in your hand. Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is partly a great gastronomic point where you can taste the best Bedouin dishes. It is also partly a theater where some people sing and hum tunes, others dance to their own rhythm, and horse and camel riders interest guests with their stories.
Hotel Telal Resort Al Ain
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
This boutique, luxurious hotel is the desert wonder of the Emirates. It is only two hours south of Dubai. Hidden between trees, among the dunes of the Bedouin Remah desert, it invites you with hospitality, dazzles with its uniqueness and tempts with magic. At the Telal Resort Al Ain you can find some of the rarest species of antelope in the region, which live here in their natural habitat. The hotel's 80 km2 area is home to rare, protected plants, desert gazelles, and other wild animals. The luxurious Telal Resort Al Ain offers rooms, villas and apartments inspired by traditional Arabic design. In addition, the incredible proximity to nature allows guests to take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn about the heritage and traditions of the Emirates.
Arabian Nights Village Hotel
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Among the impressive desert dunes in a green palm oasis, on the outskirts of the bustling city of Abu Dhabi, 90km away lies the Arabian Nights Village, a place that promises a unique desert experience. The luxury hotel in the Emirates was established in 2012 and is still appreciated by guests, especially demanding ones. Arabian Nights Village gives each guest the opportunity to feel for a moment like ancient inhabitants of the desert. The luxurious accommodation provides an atmosphere of peace, wonderful service and blissful relaxation, while atmospherically lit palm-shaped paths intersect clusters of spacious tents and stone rooms. The hotel offers guests a number of activities that everyone will like. You can go on a morning safari, a desert quad ride, go sand surfing, ride a special bike adapted for riding in the desert, or drive your own car and have fun on the sand.
Hotel Mysk Al Faya Retreat
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
An hour's drive east from Dubai, in the 60s there was only a clinic, a gas station and a small grocery store. Typical of mid-century Britain at the time, the single-story blocks with steel windows were later abandoned. The local authorities came up with the idea of transforming them into interconnected buildings, and adding a spa, swimming pool and an atmospheric restaurant on the terrace. This is how the Mysk Al Faya Retreat boutique hotel was created, and the effect is stunning. Only one lonely artifact in the form of an old fuel pump stands in the courtyard of the lodge as a sculpture and reminder of the site's past. The region where the hotel is located has been included on the UNESCO list thanks to its natural beauty. Mysk Al Faya Retreat emerges from the enchanting sand dunes surrounding it and invites you to enjoy the perfect luxury holiday in the Emirates in one of its 5 boutique apartments.
Author: Travel Agency CARTER®
