On the way to become a proper travel blog, we’ve had to add a few things: a review of a Ritz Carlton, of an Emirates First Class flight, and now, completing this, is Marriott’s arguably most luxurious hotel, the Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai. While this is an all inclusive resort, don’t be disappointed: the food and activities were fantastic. My Josh and I had each booked a night (#singlelife), and for 3 days pretended to be sultans.

Location

The hotel is actually a 1 hour drive from Dubai, with the cheapest option being hiring a pre-arranged driver or utilizing a rental car. Josh kindly drove me, and noted that the rental car was about $80.

Transitioning from Dubai’s glitzy skyscrapers to the desolate desert was an interesting experience, particularly as we both didn’t really have any idea where we were going. Upon turning into the conservation area, we were greeted by a guard (sorry no photos) who checked out names against a list of reservations. We then continued onwards down the winding road to the formal entrance of the resort. Note that the reason the flags were at half mast was that unfortunately the president of the UAE had passed away.

Check In

We went into the main lodge, and two staff members came to greet us: one dressed in traditional Arabic dress and another dressed in a safari uniform. Check in was done swiftly, and the safari guide explained the activities we could partake in. As per the resort: “Inclusive of 3 meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner), and two activities per night per stay per person excluding horse riding and dune drive. Coffee, tea, and still water is complimentary at any point of the resort, except alcoholic beverages, other soft beverages like soft drinks, sodas, and sparkling water”.

Early morning activities, and the resort meant early, were Falconry and Nature Walk, with Wild Life Drive, Camel Trek, Sundowners available during the evening. Archery was available at almost anytime. Finally, Horse Riding costed an extra 270 AED, and required previous experience riding. The popular dune bashing was unfortunately cancelled given that there was oil drilling in the surrounding areas.

As a welcome amenity, we were given a choice between points and Arabic dates; given the prolific amount of dates in the hotel, and that I knew we would be getting a welcome amenity later, I chose the points. Josh chose the dates, which came in a handsomely packaged box. We also got this nice minty welcome beverage, but I skipped if for I knew the best part of this resort is the food.

The hotel had moved everything online, and had QR codes to that let guests know everything about the hotel, such as dining, activities and spa. Given temperatures approached 40C during the day, most people preferred to move around in a buggy: you could call the front desk to arrange transport.

We also met a few of our new furry friends that populated the desert, including gazelles and Arbaian oryxes (which are technically antelopes). As part of Al Maha’s conservation efforts, a small group of oryxes have been released back into the wild, with the intent of building up their population.

The Room

We were whisked off to our Bedouin Suite, 1 King, Private Pool, room 18 (as our friends had booked room 19), one of 42 suites. This Al Maha was built in 1999, so we did temper our expectations a bit. Nevertheless, the only feeling I had whilst walking into the room was wow - this feeling was mirrored only by my Emirates First Class flight. Probably because the Emirates group actually owns Al Maha.

The room stood at 807 sqft, although I had to say it did feel a tad smaller than that due to the amount of stuff crammed in. On the table was a welcome amenity, which consisted of various fruits, dates and other snacks. Housekeeping never did take this away, and so this was a useful form of snacks for us during our stay. We never once thought of using this as bait for the wildlife, as that would be against hotel policy.

Walking through the heavy set of doors, we were greeted by variety of liquids, in the form of water, coffee and mulled wine. These were replenished during out stay, although we were told that there was 1 refill per night for the mulled wine.

There was a Nespresso machine that was provided, although we mainly took coffee during breakfast in the restaurant.

The mulled wine had spices, which made it a bit too much in my opinion, but was still drinkable (and useable for instagram photoshoots).

The centerpiece of the room was a massive king bed, which, I did you not, was the most comfortable bed I ever slept on in my life.

Despite its age, Al Maha did provide both Middle Eastern and USB plugs for guests to use.

Besides the bed, there were 2 sofas that was acceptable for an overnight stay; blankets were provided on request.

The rest of the room was a mix of functional and purely decorative items. For example, there was a massive closet with a bath robe, hangers, safe and funnily enough a TV. As if anyone would want to watch TV in this paradise.

There was also a painting easel, although in a sign of the times, the paper or tools were replaced by a wet wipe.

The final piece of the room was a giant desk that was more than adequate to do some work. There was additional information on instructions for both activities and room service, although this information was also give in the form of a QR code. The phone was actually quite useful for arranging buggy rides, making reservations or inquiring about activities. The front desk team members were picked up quickly, and indeed changed the name of who they addressed based on which day of our stay! Talk about simulated hospitality :)

Let’s move onto the next third of the room: the bathroom. This is where Al Maha really takes it to the next level, although I would say the Ritz Carlton Cancun has more than matched it. It starts with a double sink vanity, in which Al Maha provides a ton of amenities, including towels, a nail kit, shaving kit, dental kit, mouthwash, q-tips and some other kit I couldn’t figure out.

There was also a tub, shower and toilet, all of course in separate rooms given this is a luxury resort.

With all that, the best place to cool off and spend your time is of course in your private pool that overlooks the desert.

There were several ways to relax: in the pool, on a set of tables and chairs, or two sunchairs.

You could elect to have your meals here, although I would only recommend it for breakfast / lunch, as there were many more animals prowling around when it was cooler at night.

The whole suite is incredibly private, and can make you feel as if you were the only person in the resort. This was a combination of both the sheer size of the rooms, as well as the clever design that incorporated nature, like trees, and natural materials, like straw, in the surrounding area.

Having done all that relaxing, one might get hungry. And oh boy, you are in for a treat if you stay here.

Dining

Let me start by saying how incredible the food was considering we were in the middle of the desert; I can only imagine the logistical nightmare it would be to obtain fresh ingredients day in and out. Guests are allocated breakfast, lunch and dinner, not 3 meals a day (E.g. you can’t do lunch, dinner and then lunch). However, there are ways to stretch the timing of certain meals so they fulfill your requirements if you don’t eat breakfast like myself. Note that there is only 1 restaurant, the Al Diwaan, although the staff does mix things up across different meals.

Please see the menu here. I had lunch at a Michelin star restaurant while in Europe, and I can say Al Maha more than matches up. So, to be encapsulate the experience, I will just be sharing a list of pictures, but rest assured each dish tasted as good as it looked.

Lunch 1:

Appetizer: Foie Gras with Toasted Fruit Bread and Apple & Date Chutney (not a fan of Foie Gras)

Main: Jumbo Grilled Prawns and Grilled Lamb Kofta

Dinner 1:

Appetizer: Scallops Tempura with Spicy Mayo and Beluga Caviar. Highly recommend

Main: Beef Fillet with Celeriac & Truffles Puree, Foie Gras Sauce and Caramelized Apple. This was so good I nearly cried, highly recommend.

Lunch 2:

Appetizer: Salmon Cake With Lemongrass Hollandaise and Asian Salad

Main: New Zealand Lamb Chops

Dinner 2:

Appetizer: Seared Tuna (no longer on the menu, and probably for the best. This was the weakest dish, although I recognize getting fish in the middle of a desert is challenging)

Main: Beef Fillet with Celeriac & Truffles Puree, Foie Gras Sauce and Caramelized Apple. Not as good as the first time, but still good.

Dessert: Tiramisu Mascarpone Mousse served with Coffee Ice Cream, Crumble and Jelly. Highly recommend.

Breakfast 1 / Lunch 3:

Being the devious consultant I was, I waited until 10:30 to be seated, and ordered my breakfast. I was able to stretch it out until 11:00AM (upon which things were being cleaned out).

Appetizer: Anything from the breakfast buffet

Main: Seafood Omelette With Crab, Shrimp & Chives. The 2nd weakest dish here, but still miles above any omelette I have been served on an airplane.

The breakfast buffet was a spectacle in it’s own right, with dishes from across the world: there were pastries from Europe, Middle Eastern olives, hummus and other sauces, heck even dim sum from Asia!

I personally wouldn’t be surprised if, once Michelin comes to Dubai, that the restaurant wins a star. The only small thing is that, whereas other reviews have said you could do unlimited ordering, it did take a bit of finessing to try to order two mains instead of a traditional 3 course meal. For a growing boy like myself, the portions in the Middle East were a bit small.

As mentioned earlier, the restaurant does change itself up: breakfast and lunch is a more casual affair, whilst dinner is a more formal one. Without recognizing this, the crew and I did roll up to dinner in a tshirt and shorts, and no one kindly said a thing.

Activities:

Even though one of Alex’s best skillsets is doing absolutely nothing, even I would be tested if I stayed inside my room all day and ate. To this end, Al Maha kindly has provided 2 complementary activities per day.

Falconry (0530): You will be guided to the display site to witness the traditional Arabic art of falconry. Duration: 1 hour

Nature Walk (0530): Your guide will interpret the amazing diversity of life in the desert and will provide an informative and educational experience on all the smaller desert wonders. Duration: 1 hour

Wild Life Drive (1645): The ideal opportunity to see the famous Arabian Oryx (Al Maha) and other indigenous fauna and flora. Duration: 1 hour

Camel Trek (1800): A twenty-five-minute trek from the resort into the dunes, to watch the sunset and toast it with a drink. Duration: 1.5 hours

Sundowners (1815): An alternative to the camels – a short trip in a vehicle out into the dunes to toast the setting sun. Duration: 1 hour

Archery (0800-1300): Shooting arrows with a competition bow. Duration: 1 hour

Horse Riding (0530): For those with prior riding experience, weigh less than 85kg, and are willing to pay an extra AED 270, this is a chance to see the desert from the back of an Arabian horse at sunrise.

Dune bashing was cancelled, as the guide informed us that the neighboring Emirate of Sharjah was trying to drill for oil.

We arranged our activities early with our guide: depending on the season, certain activities will have capacity controls (E.g. Al Maha can’t just make more camels), so book early! We started with the camel trek - pro tip, whoever is riding a camel try to sit in the back. It will hurt less.

The camels looked like they truely did not give a F. We were told this was because they were former racing camels, and those beasts run hard. So they can be forgiven for wanting a break.

Despite the slow and at times uncomfortable ride, we got to the sunset, and were rewarded with a choice of champagne and fruit juice. Gazing out into the sun, we were truly grateful for this once in a lifetime experience.

Even the view on the way back to the hotel was stunning, and most of all wonderfully cool.

The next activity was Falconry, bright and early at 0530. Bird by bird, the guides would give a brief explanation, then let the birds roam about for food. Funnily enough, different birds had different relationships with their trainers: some birds pair bonded closely with their trainers, and other birds truly didn’t care and were just there for the food. The latter would have made fine consultants in another life.

Bedouin tribes used to use these to hunt for food, but these days they are expensive toys that can be flown on planes.

The last activity we went on was the wild life drive. It was extremely interesting learning about the history of the surrounding area, the conservation and rehabilitation efforts of Al Maha, and of the various creatures that inhabited the area.

Bonus Activity: One of the tour guides noted that for fun, he would sometimes at night go out and try to hunt for scorpions. If you used UV lights, apparently they glow in the dark. I am sure for a generous tip and a waiver, someone could point you in the right direction.

Other Facilities

If there was one flaw for Al Maha, it would be that the gym is tiny. Which isn’t helpful given how much food you get fed here. You do have to book in advance for a 1 hour slot, and the gym is closed mid-day for intensive cleaning.

But fear not, the lack of a gym is balanced out by the spa, called the Timeless Spa. I was surprised at how affordable the prices were compared to other 5 star resorts: a 45 minute treatment was around $150, with a 15% discount for Titanium members. I indulged in one, and to quote my female friend: “I have never seen a male with such soft skin”. And while I was unable to take pictures of the spa, I did capture the main pool area where you can relax after your spa.

The resort plays host to other activities, including a Gift Shop, Bar, Library (at least pictures) and business center, but again you didn’t come here to visit a gift shop right? As for a memory, why not try to get a complementary stuffed Oryx to go with your $2,000 a night resort?

The Service

It goes without saying that the staff performed flawlessly and in harmony. Despite, or perhaps because of, the multinational nature of the crew, there was no break in the service quality, whether it was our Ethiopia handler to the Australian safari guide to the Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern restaurateurs. This ranged from small touches like leaving chocolates around for us to sample to big ones like remembering our names and searching endlessly for a stuffed animal for a 26 year old. The service changed a tad bit depending on location, with a formal, butler style service for dining to being just a more knowledgeable friend for safaris.

Final Thoughts

These magical 3 days I spent at the Al Maha resort went by way too fast. Even writing this blog, I am taken back to the little slice of paradise in the desert. This was the perfect combination of unique surroundings, excellent facilities, fantastic food and drink and a wonderful service. Whether it was looking across a desert sunset to trying to take a picture with a gazelle to trying the best steak I had in my life, I dare say Al Maha created memories for the lifetime. Given that there is oil drilling happening, I would highly recommend everyone visit the resort before its too late. After all, even paradise can’t last forever.