Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa

GAVIN HESTER3/5 · 2026-05

5 star architecture with 3 star service. The location and hotel itself are beautiful and the staff are genuinely friendly. However the experience/stay didn’t leave up to the reputation nor justify the price. The food is ok, nothing exceptional for Dubai. Check-in took 25 minutes, the receptionist didn’t go by the queue of guests as they arrived, just picked people at random. Multiple items from the pool bar menu were not available, and the cocktails we did order were poorly made. Martinis were not great, especially given the price. Rang room service twice, phone rings out and no follow up. No TV or screen available to show the champions league final, for a “5 star” resort this is a reasonable expectation. Won’t be coming back in a hurry. There are much better value experiences in Dubai.

TheKingofLove5/5 · 2026-06

Bab Al Shams is not just a destination, it is a feeling — a place where time slows down and every moment becomes unforgettable. Surrounded by the endless beauty of the desert, this magical sanctuary captures the heart from the very first second. The golden sunsets, the peaceful silence, and the warm Arabian elegance create an atmosphere that is simply beyond words. Every detail reflects perfection, from the stunning architecture to the exceptional service that makes you feel truly special. It is a place where love, serenity, and beauty come together in the most harmonious way. Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in the world. King of Love says thank you.

WeiChin Chen5/5 · 2025-11

First time here, and would come back. I stayed in their new 1 bedroom desert villa and their junior suite. The Junior Suite is Abit on the smaller side but well appointed, and would highly recommend the newly built Villas. The design and Hardproduct of the villas rivals Amans and is perhaps one of my favorite villas so far. The location is excellent, as you’ll see gazelles, birds, rabbits, and oryx. I don’t think I would stay in Dubai city anymore, and hotel has become my favorite. It is about an 45-60 min away from DXB. Food is delicious, and they have a variety of restaurants (Mediterranean, Asian, Indian, and North African) and highly recommend the lamb tagine for lunch, and their North African restaurant. The Indian restaurant was okay, but preferred the North African one much more. The staff were all friendly, professional, and courteous. Almost at the level of Amans. Activities are wonderful here: dune bashing, sand boarding, camel rides, falconery, and archery to name a few. They have an excellent gym too! I would highly recommend!

Marina Chesnova5/5 · 2026-06

Me and my husband had a great anniversary at this place! Amazing hotel, perfect service, nice activities. We did archery and were very happy about it❣️ the only thing that I’ll rate as 4 stars - food in the bufet. Pool bar and other restaurants - food was much better. Also they have an amazing spa. We enjoyed our stay and can’t wait to come back!

Guille urbez5/5 · 2026-06

Aquí tienes una reseña clara, cuidada y coherente, incorporando todos los matices positivos y la única incidencia que comentas: ⸻ Nuestra estancia en este hotel fue muy buena desde el primer momento. Al llegar, nos hicieron un upgrade de habitación al no poder ofrecernos dos habitaciones contiguas, lo cual fue un detalle muy apreciado. Las instalaciones son estéticamente preciosas, con una arquitectura sorprendente, y la ubicación es sencillamente espectacular. Las piscinas son impresionantes y contribuyen a esa atmósfera tan cuidada y especial del hotel. El buffet nos pareció bueno, variado y con opciones saludables, y el restaurante Ninive fue una auténtica sorpresa, todo un descubrimiento gastronómico. Además, nos obsequiaron con dátiles con chocolate en cada habitación y las amenities del baño eran de auténtico lujo. El gimnasio es muy completo, perfecto para un entrenamiento serio. Cuenta con vestuarios equipados, sauna, ducha sensorial y duchas tradicionales, todo impecable. Fuimos a pasar Fin de Año y reservamos en el restaurante Al Hadheera. Al llegar tuvimos un pequeño inconveniente: la mesa asignada no estaba correctamente preparada tras los comensales anteriores. Lo comentamos y nos cambiaron inmediatamente a una mesa junto al escenario principal. Aunque estábamos cerca de los grandes altavoces, la celebración fue excelente. La comida fue una auténtica locura en el mejor sentido: un buffet abundante en cantidad y variedad, con propuestas tradicionales de la zona, platos internacionales y cocina en directo. Mi enhorabuena al equipo de cocina por la calidad del producto, los sabores, la presentación y el despliegue general. El espectáculo también fue muy bueno, con actuaciones árabes y un número de fuego impresionante. En cuanto a las excursiones, por la ubicación del hotel no hay oferta externa, pero las opciones proporcionadas por el propio hotel son suficientes. En particular, recomendamos la ruta en 4x4. Nuestro agradecimiento especial a nuestro guía Umar (disculpas si no se escribe así), que hizo que la experiencia fuera perfecta de principio a fin. En general, la estancia fue excelente. Nos quedamos con ganas de quedarnos unos días más. La paz y el descanso que tuvimos esos días fueron sencillamente irrepetibles. Sin duda, volveremos.

James Bundock2/5 · 2026-05

After staying at the hotel on 25th May, I wanted to leave a review following what was unfortunately quite an up-and-down experience. First of all, thank you for allowing us an early check-in this was genuinely appreciated. However, upon arrival we were shown to a room that was around a five-minute walk away. With my wife being eight months pregnant and the heat reaching 43°C, this was far from ideal. The hotel has golf buggies available, and it would have been thoughtful to offer one to transport her. This was disappointing from the start. We were also located on the second floor, which required climbing a flight of stairs in extreme heat. Considering there are ground-floor rooms available, this again felt like a lack of consideration given my wife’s condition. When entering the room, I found three beetles and several flies inside. It took some time to remove them all, which was not the welcome we expected. The room itself was nicely laid out and had all the elements you would want, although the air conditioning could definitely be improved. Unfortunately, the bed and pillow quality were extremely poor. We even requested different pillows, but they were no better. The mattress was also very uncomfortable, to the point where my wife ended up sleeping on the firm sofa by the window instead — not ideal at all for someone who is eight months pregnant. On a positive note, the pool area was beautiful. The temperature was perfect, the sun loungers were in good condition, and the towels were fresh and clean. That said, service around the pool was lacking. If you wanted a drink, you had to leave your lounger and get it yourself. We had lunch at the restaurant and ordered the pizza and chicken burger, both of which were cooked to a good standard. In the evening, we discovered that three out of the hotel’s five restaurants were closed, which was another disappointment and left us with very limited dining choices. One of the remaining options was outdoors, which wasn’t suitable for my pregnant wife in the heat. We ended up dining at the same restaurant again. The menu choices were very limited. My wife ordered the salmon, which was bland, while I chose the buffet at 250 AED. Sadly, the food temperature was poor, the overall quality disappointing, and even the fruit selection felt underwhelming. Breakfast was similarly average very basic and nowhere near the standard you would normally expect in Dubai. Overall, the stay was disappointing due to the lack of service, attention to detail, and consideration. There were some positives, but unfortunately the negatives left a bitter taste and meant the experience did not meet expectations.