アナンタラ・カスール・アル・サラブ・デザート・リゾート

2026-11-08

We have just got back from a few days at Qasr Al Sarab with our dog Simba and wanted to say thank you properly, because the staff here were lovely from start to finish. Abhi was our host and he was wonderful. He took to Simba straight away and somehow turned him into the secret star of the hotel. He even brought him a little bandana, which Simba has been wearing proudly ever since. We travel with Simba a lot and have never been made to feel this welcome with him. Zelda looked after us at breakfast every morning and was always cheerful, even before we had our coffee. Jit, our housekeeper, kept our room immaculate and was so kind with Simba too. In the evenings we enjoyed the bar, where Tsepo looked after us really well. When one drink wasn't quite right, he sorted it straight away. Musin in the restaurant was just as attentive and made every dinner a pleasure. Those are the people we got to know best, but we could have named many more. Everyone we met was warm and genuinely happy to have us there. Whoever is in charge of hiring at Qasr Al Sarab clearly knows what they are doing. You can tell the team is chosen carefully. We will definitely be back, with Simba and his bandana.

2026-11-08

THE HIGHLIGHTS The hotel itself is stunning, and the surrounding dunes are absolutely breathtaking. The cleanliness across the entire resort is impeccable. Everywhere you go, even the roads are kept completely sand free. ​The villa is absolutely stunning and completely worth the premium in my opinion. Our room and private plunge pool were extremely clean. The soundproofing is also fantastic. Inside the room, you cannot hear the outside world at all, and we had no issues with noisy neighbors. Dining by Design was expensive, but flawless. Chef Binod is outstanding and hands down the best food I have had in the UAE. Our server, Sidhant, was also great and incredibly nice. The standard restaurants across the resort were good, too. ​We are active people, and Jude was a gracious and excellent host for desert biking, padel, and table tennis. We also really liked the Night Discovery Walk. It was a unique experience and they threw in some stargazing. ​The spa was really good. Melody is a standout act, and Beatrice at the wellness center also deserves a special shout out. ​Arun provided a great butler experience and was very good to us. I loved the convenience of checking out directly from the room and his assistance in navigating the myriad of hotel activities. ​AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT The Falcon and Saluki show was just OK. It was nothing impressive, especially considering the high cost. The flies during breakfast were not good at all, and the restaurant kept running out of the spinning tabletop fans used to keep them away. Inside the villa, the light switches are overly complicated and take some getting used to. Additionally, given the tier and price of the villas, at least some of the minibar items should be complimentary. ​When it comes to scheduling, the resort heavily promotes paid activities but neglects the complimentary ones. I emailed a mixed itinerary of both before arriving, but the hotel only printed out my paid activities as the official schedule for my stay. While Arun was great, it would be much more seamless if the butlers had the guest's complete pre-selected activity list containing both paid and unpaid items handy on their phones. This would save guests from having to remind them of the schedule. ​TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS A desert walk is nice, so I recommend picking one. We picked the night walk, but the evening would also be nice. You can also just choose to avoid paying for the guided day walks and just do them yourself. Choose the evening or night over the morning, as the morning fog could disappoint you. ​It was nice to have the rates and brochures before coming, so the costs did not surprise me. However, if you are an activities person, be prepared to budget accordingly. You could easily end up spending way more on activities and extras than your actual accommodation rate.

2026-11-08

I chose Qasr Al Sarab to celebrate my birthday with my mom because I wanted a truly unique experience, and our two nights there exceeded our expectations. The hotel kindly allowed us to check in early, which was a lovely start to our stay. This is a place where you can completely disconnect from the noise and enjoy the endless openness of the Empty Quarter. The desert setting is extraordinary, the architecture and design are beautiful, and the attention to detail throughout the room and its facilities makes the resort feel very special. From the beginning, Palace Host Abhishek, took the time to explain everything we needed to know, patiently answered our questions and personally showed us the different dining venues so we could decide how to celebrate. He then took care of our restaurant and activity reservations and remained consistently available throughout our stay. He responded immediately whenever we reached out, remembered what we had discussed and, more than once, anticipated what we needed before we had even asked. He coordinated everything very smoothly. Even when different colleagues were assisting us, they already seemed to know our plans, requests and expectations. Abhishek was consistently professional, courteous and respectful, with an impressive knowledge of the resort and a genuine sense of ownership of the guest experience. On my birthday, he surprised us with champagne, a birthday cake, decorations and printed photographs of my mom and me. We had absolutely no idea it was coming, which made the gesture even more meaningful. It was thoughtful, personal and something we will both remember. Jay, Assistant Front Offence Manager, also personally took the time to show us around the resort and spa and made sure we were well looked after throughout our stay. Rajneesh at breakfast and Sidhant at Ghadeer were warm and attentive, and every member of staff we encountered was genuinely helpful and welcoming. The property itself is stunning, but ultimately it was the people and this level of thoughtful, personalized hospitality that turned a beautiful desert stay into a memory my mom and I will keep for a very long time. I left extremely happy with the choice I had made for such an important occasion and would wholeheartedly recommend Qasr Al Sarab for an unforgettable desert experience.