Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
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Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
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#1 of 1 hotels in Murqquab
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai is a private, guest-only oasis nestled among the lush palm groves, emerald canopies and iconic sand dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Our 5 star hotel offers secluded tranquility and iconic vistas of the sweeping plains and Hajar Mountain massif. Embark on a thrilling 4x4 drive through the dunes or experience the magic of the desert on horseback, enjoy a leisurely camel trek or nature walk. Join a signature desert safari or practice the distinguished arts of archery and falconry. Our luxury hotel offers 42 private villas with swimming pools and stunning views, combining understated elegance with authentic regional antiques, local artifacts, and thoughtful touches.
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Nestled in a tranquil desert oasis, Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, garners acclaim for its secluded charm, though it's a trek from city life. Guests indulge in the plush comfort of private villas, complete with pools, despite occasional remarks on dated aspects. The resort's personalized service receives high marks for professionalism and attentiveness.
A serene atmosphere envelops the beautifully designed suites, all against a backdrop of breathtaking views. Reviewers celebrate the meticulous cleanliness and lavish amenities, including diverse activities and fine dining, contributing to a perceived value despite the premium cost.
Location
Secluded
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Pricey
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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My wife and I had our 15th wedding anniversary at Al Maha and the whole experience was just flawless. Even before we arrived we had an email exchange with Peter the Chef to ensure we had the choices we wanted. You get the feeling the place is special on the drive from the main road to the resort, rolling red sand dunes and loads of animals. Then when we arrived at reception we were met by Agnes who was very attentive(at a 2m distance, of course) and gave us a load of information on the hotel, the location and its conservation policy. Guilia then gave us details of the activities we could take and was very accommodating when we asked her to call us in the morning to see how we felt(some of the activities were at 5:30am). We then proceeded to our Bedioun Suite room, which was, well, WOW! All very traditional Arabic layout and furnishings, plenty of space and with a tented roof. There was a very natural feeling patio/out door space which the gazelles often came to visit. There was an ample outdoor pool, which we spent a lot of the time in, watching the Oryx and camel trains go by on the huge desert plain below. Although we had planned to go to the restaurant we felt there was absolutely no need; we had lunch in the room on the first day and it was full silver service with the staff falling over themselves to cater for your every whim. We were served on most days by Rafique who was so friendly and very keen to please. He spent a bit of time bringing us and setting up various food and drinks. He always laid out the full spread on the table with cloth, silver cutlery and complimentary fruit baskets. Then later in the evening Huebert would take over with the same amount of care and attention, dropping off ice every-time he passed.
Al Maha really is the type of resort where you just want to stay in the stunning bedioun tent and be pampered whilst watching the natural world unfold in front of you. I have stayed at many different types of hotels across the world but this place has it all, the location, the exclusivity and most of all the staff. Well done and thank you Al Maha team, we can't wait to come and see you again soon.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Went to Al Maha 2 years ago and it was amazing already. They have even gotten better. Service: consistently great. When you arrive someone is waiting for you with fresh drinks, reception is always available to help, activities are very nice and well organizrd especially the sunset camel ride and seeing Oryxes and Gazelles in wildlife is incredible. Food: got full board and food was very good, since our first visit, food quality and tastes have significantly improved. Suite: resort has been opened since 1999, but suite quality is so high that it does not feel old, if you have not told me I would assume that suites were done 5 years ago. Privacy is nicely done through trees and bushes while maintaining this amazing view of the dunes.
It is more traditional in terms of architecture than other desert resorts such as Bab al Shams or Ritz Carlton Al Wadi but Al maha beats them by its service, wildlife, activities and location (Conservation Reserve). It is not a luxury desert resort but a royal desert resort.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I booked a king size bed (more like super king size) with full board using points under Marriott for two nights stay. I have to say the experience blew my mind. From the room, amenities, service, food, activities and so on, everything exceeded my expectations.
Upon arrival, my bags were immediately taken care of, and I was warmly welcomed by Joan and given refreshing towel with wonderful tasty drink. Check in was silk smooth. She also booked me on camel trek immediately as camel ride departs about half hour later.
By the time we returned to our room, turn down service was already done and towels replaced.
As our room was near the lobby and only restaurant on site, we usually walked instead of getting a buggy to move around.
We signed up camel trek, archery, wild life drive and sundowners and all was excellent. We experienced both sunset with champagne and nuts/strawberries via camel trek and 4WD cruiser and it was just lovely and perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
We had all our meals at the only restaurant on site, and there were wide variety of choices for each ala carte meal. The food were yummy and service were prompt. The guest relation lady even got the kitchen to prepare a cake for our anniversary and wrote a card to us. Love it!
We were also offered breakfast in bed option but we preferred to have it at the restaurant.
Upon check out, the front desk manager came to ask if everything was OK and I am impressed by how seriously they looked at making the guests feeling welcomed and taken care of.
This was by far the best stay I ever had and I hope I can come back again to this property real soon.
Thank you to all the staff for making this a perfect stay.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For the past 3 years we went to the ritz al wadi in Rak but we decide to try al maha.
While I acknowledge that the hotel is pretty and peaceful in the middle of the desert, there are clearly issues with the service and the room. To start, for 10 minutes someone from the activities department came to tell us that we had activities included when we know we booked without them but anyways we got it sorted. Our room was great but we had a major issue, the sunbeds and the pool are at the sand level and the wind kept on blowing so high that we couldn't stay seated or in the pool without getting sand in our eyes and mouth the whole time. After only 45minutes, i started calling the reception as it a was unbearable. I had to call a dozen of times so that someones picks up even trying the landline from my mobile, 30min later someone came and the only solution they found was to put the sun beds where the table is behind the trees to avoid the sand but what is the point of me paying 760usd for a stay where I can't enjoy my pool nor tan and just hide? I was told that I wasn't the only one complaining and it's been years this resort is open, they should find a solution. I usually go to the ritz wadi and the pool and loungers are elevated meaning you get nothing on you. The stay was ruined as suite 22 is unusable with such an amount of wind and sand that it's ridiculous. On top of this I got given a pool full of leaves ( clearly it wasn't cleaned before check-in) as well as 30% of the pool being full of sand which is unacceptable and unhealthy ( I have pictures if needed). This is clearly not a 5 star hotel.
For the same price, the Ritz al wadi ras al khaimah is so much better and no matter the weather you won't face these issues.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IRfan Showcketh, Guest Services / Front Office at Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
Responded 24 Aug 2020
Dear JadG_12, Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience at the resort. We appreciate your valuable comments and we would like to express that we take all matters brought to our attention seriously. We are very sorry to hear that we were unable to meet your expectations on this occasion, but would like to assure you of our best attention and that we shall address these matters in the future. Once again, we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We also recognize these are unusual times and we thank you for choosing to stay with us. Sincerely, Irfan Showcketh Front Office Manager
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This was our second visit to the Al Maha, a luxury collection desert resort and spa and we enjoyed it just as much as our first visit. The resort arranged for us to stay in the same suite we were in before because they remembered that we enjoyed the unobstructed desert and sunrise views during our last visit. Monsour who checked us in, came by everyday to check on us and thank us for coming back.
The housekeeping team came twice a day and did a great job with cleaning the suite. We would go to breakfast every morning and by the time we were back the cleaning was done. The pool was also cleaned daily and temperature checked to ensure that everything was in the most comfortable condition.
The food and service at the restaurant is top quality and everything tasted very good. On our first night the restaurant even prepared a welcome back cake for us, a very nice touch. The restaurant was very accommodating and informed us that we could order items that were not listed on the menu and they would try their best to fulfill our requests as long as they had the ingredients. Of all the meals we had at Al maha, breakfast was our favorite. There were just so many options to choose from and everything was delicious. Special thanks to Catherine, Karan, and Param for taking care of us while we were there.
During our five night stay we enjoyed several activities, including the sunset camel ride, falconry, archery, and the wildlife drive. All of which were very interesting. We visited the spa pool during our stay and it was beautiful, the pool temperature was kept at a comfortable 28 degrees,ideal for a cold plunge after sunbathing.
The resort was very busy (95% occupancy)while we were there, however the staff still managed to make our stay feel personalized and special. Al Maha is truly a retreat away from all the inconveniences of 2020. Thank you for another amazing and memorable stay.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Make sure to enjoy the nature excursions. Some start very early in the morning, but they are...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort was an absolute dream. It was just the perfect getaway away from the city. We were given a bedouin suite that was quite elevated making the view simply serene. The front desk manager Mr. Irfan went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. The F&B manager Mr Srini was lovely enough to provide us with some complimentary dishes which was delicious. A big thank you to Mr. Irfan and Mr. Srini. The plunge pool was private and quite big and the pictures of this place does not do justice to the peace and serenity around. Breakfast options included many dishes and was worth it for the package that we had gone for.
The only downside were the many insects. The hornets would try to creep into the room when the doors were kept open. The room also had lizards which were somehow managed to chase away. Other than everything was perfect!
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I were supposed to be be celebrating our wedding reception in Greece this year but due to the pandemic, we had to change our plans.
We also didn't want to stay at home on the day so we decided to book Al Maha and spend a few days there. We had heard rave reviews about the property and My Wie and I decided to give it a shot.
From the moment we entered on to the property to till the time we checked out, the service, amenities and staff were exceptionally amazing.
We would like to thank a few of many of the staff who really went out of their way to make us forget why we were Al Maha and not Greece.
Mansoor greeted us as soon as we arrived and parked our vehicle. He was friendly and extremely accommodating which made us feel very special from the beginning of what was going to be a magical time.
Before we were taken to our room, Irfan greeted us in the lobby and was very kind to let us know that if there was anything we required during our stay, he and his staff would assist us the best they can when they can.
Since we ordered at our suite each day, Dushan used to bring us the food and was very helpful and professional in setting up the food table so we could just relax and enjoy the lovely cuisine. Speaking of the cuisine, their dishes are prepared fresh and are well cooked. Particularly, our favorite was the Thai Green Curry with fluffy white steamed rice which we ordered for the 3 nights we were there. (A MUST TRY) Compliments to the chef.
One of the activities which every guest gets to choose from during their stay was sundowners which started with a camel ride to and from the location. It was truly amazing and special. being out in the desert during sunset is calming and romantic all at the same time. Our guide was Pubudu and he was again such a friendly and knowledgable person. He made the whole experience for sundowners go from good to excellent.
The staff works hard and are lovely happy people to be around. The property is magnificently beautiful and they take guest relations to a whole new level. Privacy and service is what they thrive on and highly recommending this place to anyone who wants a staycation but yet wants that awesome experience.
Wish them all the best for the future because we will definitely go back there. As I was telling my wife, this place has spoilt us rotten and it will be very hard for any other place in the UAE to show us that level of service.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Ask for Suite 12. (Private, secluded and amazing views)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort is amazing but I really didn't see why we paid more than 2000 dirhams to celebrate our anniversary when we could have paid 500 dirhams for any regular room. The pool was unusable as it was too cold. From 2 pm to 8 pm..it took them 6 hours to make the pool reach 27 degrees which was still cold. The whole place is beautiful but just an advise, call and set your pool temperature before heading there.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IRfan Showcketh, Guest Services / Front Office at Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
Responded 31 Aug 2020
Dear 216mariame, Thank you very much for taking the time to write to us and for the valuable feedback and points mentioned regarding your recent stay at Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. We are very sorry to hear about the shortfalls with regards to the swimming pool water temperature, and that you were unable to use the swimming pool. I would like to express that we take all matters brought to our attention very seriously. I have addressed the particular concern with the chief engineer, and he will ensure the necessary steps are taken to avoid such disappointment in the future. Once again, we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We also recognize these are unusual times and we thank you for choosing to stay with us. Sincerely, Irfan Showcketh Front Office Manager
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My fiance and I have stayed twice at Al Maha now over the last two months. The first stay was fantastic and thought couldn't be better but this stay could very well be. The entire team is wonderful and take great pride and care in the way they treat their guests. The GM Mr. Silvis has done an incredible job building a world class team of staff within every department. The F & B team is the best from any property I have every stayed in across my 1,300 nights at Marriott properties including some of the best ones in the collection. Srini and Prakash are the best F&B managers and do a superb job to help ensure every meal is quite special and unique from the selection of foods to the drinks. The entire service team is top notch from Dunash, Karan, Catherine, Rokash, Param, Yogi etc. The chefs are world class led by executive chef Piotr and senior chefs such as Peter. They make exquisite dishes and always willing to try making unique dishes including my all time favorite Bananas Fosters:). You won't find better chefs at any hotel period. The available onsite experiences including camel riding, falconry, etc are quite memorable. Shahzab the most senior field guide has been at the property for over 15 years and his passion and personableness shines through. Monsieur is a great host and always checking in on us making sure we are good. We are here for for Chinese new year and the hotel thoughtfully put a chinese new year decoration on the door and in our room. They are always delighting us with little special items that makes the stay even more special. The housekeeping crew does a great job. The guest relations team including Joan are very helpful. The property's private villas with their own pools is are quite relaxing and always feel relaxed while here. The animals are very cool to watch and feed sometimes. The sand dunes are truly incredible and fun to walk around in. The combination of a unique location in the desert, with the activities and animals, coupled with the spectular food and most importantly world class team led by Mr. Silvis, makes this property one of the most special properties and experiences that everyone should experience at least once. It speaks volumes when the GM, and so many members of his team have been at the property for 5, 10, 15, 20 years plus. Kudos to the entire team!!!
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Date of stay: February 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We only saw flies no other insects or lizards... just gazelles by the pool .. It will be VERY HOT ....unpleasant and 1 night is not enough there. Just my opinion. Activities will he running but remember the heat !!
Dear Laura C,
Let me quickly answer your question regarding the horse-riding activity. Yes, you have to take your own riding clothes with you - you need at least a pair of long trousers. Furthermore, you have to be an experienced rider and have to weight below 85 kgs to join the activity.
Best regards!
There are more places to choose from in the Murqquab area.
PRICE RANGE
€1,064 - €1,707 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
al maha desert hotel dubai, al maha desert dubai, al maha desert resort, al maha resort
LOCATION
United Arab EmiratesEmirate of DubaiDubaiMurqquab
NUMBER OF ROOMS
42
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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