Desert Paradise”

I needed a time out from the world so chose a secluded location. Bam Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa was the furthest away from the bustling city with the desert being so quiet. It was a truly amazing setting with the desert outside my king suite door; sipping cocktails by the pool; complimentary grapes n chocolate; and lunch lounging under the cabana. Dinner at Masala Indian restaurant was great with live music and attentive staff. The resort staff service was of high quality all round. Despite the spa massage being good by lovely massage therapist, I was disappointed with the price of the 50 minute massage being so expensive. I have gotten better full body massages with face massage included for less than half the UAE 550 price! The breakfast buffet had a fantastic and diverse variety of choices, however, as with most hotel breakfast buffets, food set out was cold by the time I got to my table. Overall it was a beautiful resort with the most beautiful bathroom and luxurious room.

Perfect getaway”

We travelled about an hour from hectic Dubai to arrive at Bab Al Shams- what an oasis greeted us! From the front arched stone entrance to the stunning Arabic styled reception , then through beautifully landscaped areas that had well positioned seats overlooking reflection pools , we arrived to our room that was so simply ,but well thought out and decorated. warmly coloured in tones of the desert , with a lovely ambience , we had arrived to our destination that certainly didn't disappoint. Comfy bed, powerful shower, coffee machine in room , paper in the morning and beautiful breakfast to start the day . We thought everything was just fine . The pool area had lots of recliner loungers and the pool had fabulous views overlooking the desert . If you like a resort where its got everything but yet still feels a bit relaxed and not glitzy then maybe this is the place for you . There were enough restaurants to have options, and a wonderful sunset cocktail shisha bar from which to watch the sun go down. Camel rides before dusk , just perfect for us to celebrate our special occasion - our daughter's 21st ( the staff gave her a cake ) our 25th wedding anniversary and our other daughter's 18th and end of school. A perfect place to unwind and chill and enjoy and feel special.

Our short trip”

Dear Agoda, Thank you for your email, it's a pleasure to share with you our experience in Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa. We were excited to spend our time in your Resort but unfortunately it didn't start very well the moment we entered the room. The air in the room wasn't fresh but was very heavy and smelling. Then we decided to spend our day at the swimming pool and we ordered two alcoholic beverages but got non alcoholic instead. After the first round we ordered another alcoholic cocktails but sadly it happened again. In the evening we decided to have a dinner in your Arabic restaurant, Al Sarab, to watch the sunset. We order a Chardonnay wine and it was served in a cracked glass witch was unacceptable especially for a 5* Resort. Also the salad that we ordered was served with Brie cheese intead of Fetta cheese. Hopefully our feedback will help you to look more to the details and to improve your services. Kind regards, Kevin Steckel

Perfect hideout - get away from the busy city”

In short: a prefect get away from Dubai Bab al Shams is fast and easy to reach from Dubai but still offers the quiet surrounding of the open desert. Fast check in followed by a guided walk to our room – great service! After getting refreshed we had a tour through the hotel – looking for the best spot to have a drink and chill out, watching sun set & moon rise. The traditional barbeque buffet, served in an nicely arranged open air restaurant, offers a huge variety of local and international cuisine. A small show (Dancing Dervish, Heritage & Belly Dancing) is more for first timers to the golf but nevertheless nice to watch. Breakfast buffet was good – and the offer for late check out appreciated. Planning to go again :-)

Lovely Property, A bit lacking in warmth of staff”

bab al shams is about a 30 minute drive from the city of dubai, which to residents is an ideal location for a one night getaway. my husband and i celebrated our anniversary there and the stay was very relaxing. the hotel is built with an arabian theme throughout which is extremely unique and adds to the charm of the property. our room was also reflective of arabic architecture and was of a good size – my favourite part was that it had an attached balcony with a small seated area. in terms of dining, we ate at masala their indian restaurant and the pool bar. i was a bit disappointed in masala – it being their signature indian restaurant. while nothing is wrong with the food, it didn’t blow me away – perhaps we are used to a higher standard of indian food from the city. food at the pool bar was good with several quick bites to choose from. unfortunately, we did not get a chance to dine at their arabic souk style restaurant, al hadeerah – at 500 dirhams per person, it seemed like a bit too expensive, given our appetite. i would highly recommend a walk through the restaurant though as it is a very different concept. during sunset, bab al shams offers complimentary camel rides and falcon show for guests. i think it was a lovely touch. except for a few minor hitches, our stay was very pleasant and i would definitely recommend bab al shams.

Unforgetable Experience”

Though the hotel is a bit far from city Dubai, it's not still costly hiking a private ride to there. The hotel has very beautiful desert scene and Arabic design which are very impressive. We enjoyed the watch the sunset, sunrise there and also the camel ride. It only has 3 restaurants there and one of them didn't open during our stay. So it's not much choice for our dinner. We went to the Indian one; nice food and friendly guys there. We sure did have a wonderful stay with Bab Al Shams and definitely would stay again for next visit

Beautiful and unforgettable experience”

I stayed at Bab Al Shams alone, which was a great experience to relax away from the city and life's concerns. If you are taking a taxi, I learnt from the staff that the best places to take a taxi to and from is from Internet City Station or Mall of the Emerates. The resort has wonderful places to relax: the gigantic pool, the lounging areas, the beautifully decorated rooms and large bath, or on top of the building to watch sunset on the desert sand.

Amazing stay at Bab al Shams Resort”

Best stay ever. So relaxing and the views of the desert and wildlife in their habitat was amazing. Hour long horse and camel rides in the open desert after sunrise and at sunset was the most breathtaking experience to have. Best pasta I have eaten and their lemon and mint juice is amazing. The staff at Bab al Shams had the best hospitality and manners and truly went above and beyond to make our stay as pleasurable and comfortable as possible. Was so sad to leave.

Arabian luxury at its finest”

From the moment you stepped out of the car til you got back into it to leave you were treated like royalty. The rooms have that old arabic feeling to them. The bath amenities are a novelty...loved them. Breakfast is the most amazing spread of food and it tastes delightful. The only lowlight would be the lack of service around the pool; perhaps also consider providing guests with chilled bottled water when they relax poolside? The Arabian Night is a bit of fun, although the belly dancing was disappointing. But everything else is fabulous. I would definitely come back to stay here and for longer. Reality sucked after staying here. Thanks to all at Bab al Shams. Faisal at front desk...thank u for yr smiles in welcoming us and checkout.

Great hideaway desert resort ”

Bab Al Shams is the best choice of desert resort !All the decor are abrabic style ,natural stone ,stone wall with a infinity pool which is desert view !feeling relax and amazing that there have a such beautiful resort inside desert !also the resturant Al Hadheerah is just so cool !with belly dance show ,camels ride ,highly recommend to stay here !only a bit far from down town ,not easy get a taxi both go out or return .also shuttle bus of hotel only provide 10:30am go out ,and back at 6:30pm ,need to be improve !

Extraordinary Desert Experience”

We were travel by car in this trip. It was about 1 Hour 15 Mins driving to Bab Al Sham from The Plam. We arrive there at night with limited street light, it just like a cool night safari. Anyway, it definitely worth the long travel from down town in order to enjoy the unique experience and quality standard offered by Bab Al Sham. Highly recommend to everybody who really like the Arabian design and living style.

Not as remote as I would like.”

Much of the desert outside Dubai is really beautiful, undulating sand dunes with clusters of trees, bushes and other foliage. I was hoping for this when booking Bab Al Shams but was quite disappointed by the setting. Although the resort itself offers a sense of tranquility, the immediate desert area in which it sits is flat and uninteresting, and sightlines are spoiled by roads, flyovers, powerlines and other reminders of the modern world. You do not feel cut off in a remote desert location. A second disappointment was some of the food. The chef in the Italian restaurant is not from Italy and this definitely tells in the mushroom risotto, it was inedible and I ended up sharing my wife's chicken taglietelli which was ok. We didn't try the Indian, about which I've heard good things, and apart from that the choice is mostly Arabic food, grills and the like which is ok. The lunchtime menu at the pool bar and restaurant is ok to good, but none of it is a fine dining experience. A further annoyance were the mosquitos, the first I have experienced in a hotel in the UAE, and I have lived here for seven years. My wife and I both had several new bites each morning when we woke up - take some repellent! For all this Bab Al Shams does have a certain charm, the Arabic influenced resort and room design and layout works well and I probably will go back in future, if I can't find a hotel in a true remote desert location.

Paradise in the middle of the desert!”

Loved this place! It was truly a desert paradise in Bab Al Shams. Gorgeous Arabian interiors and exteriors, wonderful amenities, and 6-star service! Would recommend to everyone visiting Dubai!

Desert Paradise”

Amazing oasis out in the desert. 5 star resort with 5 star facilities. Bab Al Shams is the most relaxing of environments, with the infinity pool looking out to the desert alone making it worth the trip. Food at Masala was outstanding but be prepared to pay for it.

Perfect hotel with perfect service”

We left hectic Dubai for a one day stay in Bab Al Shams, a 45 minutes taxi drive from emirates mall. We enjoyed a day of full relaxation. A big pool area, possibility to do a quick camel ride, plus it was easy to get an late check-out. There are a few restaurants connected or inside the hotel.

Amazing location”

I really liked Bab Al Shams. It was an amazing experience, in the middle of the desert with top class facilities and very good personnel. No issues to be flagged, only the food is expensive

Great hotel, super location...pity about the food”

The resort is located miles from anywhere, in the middle of the desert, which is its attraction. It seems to be well known amongst taxi drivers and cost 175 Dh to get there by metered taxi from the airport at 5am (145 Dh on the way back). Impressive at first sight, it models heritage bedouin style architecture, totally suitable for its location. An early check in was provided but the front desk staff was not as engaging or friendly as could have been, and had we not returned to lobby early than advised after arrival, we could have been waiting several hours more despite the room being ready. The hotel complex has a myriad of buildings and corridors, which take a little time to get used to but the pool area is easy to find and can be used as a central point. Common parts are well maintained and clean, with impressive traditional furnishings. Our room was large and well equipped, although lighting was insufficient and it was seen that the room hadn't been properly cleaned in areas such as behind tables and under the bed. Housekeeping was otherwise superb, checking on the room several times throughout the day to see if anything was required. In fact, probably the best housekeeping service experienced to date. Plenty of drinking water was supplied, which was welcome, as was the plate of fresh fruit and small pack of dates provided daily. There isn't much to do at the resort but relax by the 3 pools, which really is the attraction. The activities well looked after and monitored by lifeguards much of the time. Pool service was very good, the attendants being helpful in laying towels on loungers and positioning sun umbrellas. The loungers could so with a good deep clean though. There are activities, such as horse/camel riding in the desert, that can be booked at the activities desk, although these were not very well advertised. There is an opportunity to have a free short camel ride for about a minute and to have a picture taken holding a falcon, in the desert area by the

Fantastic desert experience ”

Loved the hotel architecture, which gave a real authentic Bedu-desert feeling. Rooms are very comfortable. Bed is excellent and huge! Staff is from all over the world and largely very attentive. Food at Arab Restaurant Al Hadheerah is amazing - the whole experience is amazing, but very touristic. Superb attentive staff at this restaurant. Other restaurants were 'so lala' due to waiters misrepresenting dishes on the menu. Location is the right antidote to glitzy, fast Dubai City. We'll be back for sure!

perfect”

We had a fabulous time. It was a bit further out than I thought but the experience of being in an ali baba type desert resort was just what I wanted. The food was fantastic thanks to Pascal, service by the pool with your staff was great. Would definitely come back to stay when next in Dubai

Great atmosphere and staff performance”

Stayed Bal Al Shams during weekend. Desert wasn't that good because of the heavy rain few days ago. But staff performance was fantastic, every staff member was friendly. And room interior was so beautiful especially arabic light.