Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai

Read time:

4–6 minutes

jewel of the desert

Luxury Collection, Marriott Bonvoy, Middle East, Resort

One of the most aspirational properties in Marriott’s portfolio, Al Maha of Dubai had been on my bucket list for ages. If it’s also on yours, I’m going to tell you, with zero hesitation – GO FOR IT!

Being in the middle of Dubai’s vast desert, if there was anything I didn’t fully enjoy, it had to be how comparatively “not easy” it was to get there. I originally planned to drive, however on my last trip, I unfortunately (and stupidly) lost my driver’s license on my flight over. After quite some effort, in the end I still couldn’t rent a car as planned, so I decided to make my way out in a taxi because I was dead set on not skipping the Al Maha experience. The taxi ride cost around 180 AED and took just under 90 minutes, and although the last few kilometres were relatively harder to navigate, the direction info in the pre-stay email did help the driver quite a lot.

Each reservation at Al Maha had three meals included per day, as well as two desert activities that ranged from easygoing ones like falconry and sundowners, to some more adventurous options like camel trek and horse riding – more on those later.

Upon arrival, I was very surprised to see a team of three staff members – a welcome ambassador, a concierge and a wildlife guide – waiting at the main entrance for my arrival. In fact, the amazing staff-to-guest ratio was one of the main reasons why they were able to make everyone, including myself, feel special. As a result, the whole check-in process was care-free, with the ambassador Loraine processing my registration, the concierge booking my lunch and dinner reservations, and my guide taking care of booking the activities, all at the same time. Within minutes, I was in the SUV with my guide and on the way to my villa.

Speaking of villa, the resort featured a few different types but did not offer any complimentary upgrades (and understandably so). That being said, the standard Bedouin villa I got was still gorgeous. It was spacious, and although it was open concept, it had all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a suite-style villa, like an office area, a sitting area facing the desert, as well as a dining section.

Normally when talking about welcome gift, the expectation might be a fruit plate or a few pieces of desserts. Well, not at Al Maha, where they gave me a full TABLE of fruits local snacks as well as a jug of traditional date wine. Everything tasted amazing – in the beginning I was thinking I could bring some with me on my way out, but I ended up finishing everything, that’s how good they were.

Most importantly, it came with a private deck as well as, you guessed it, a swimming pool. And yes, every single one of them came with a private swimming pool. Even though I can’t swim, I still enjoyed some quality time relaxing in the pool by myself. Well, mostly by myself – sometimes the local residents aka the gazelles would just rock up and start feasting on the bushes in the back yard as if I was not visible. Enjoying nature is one thing, and feeling like being part of it is a completely different experience, especially while not giving up the conveniences and the luxury of being taken care of.

Apart from soaking in the pool, Al Maha offered two free desert activities, and you could also sign up for more for a very reasonable price. I decided to go for the wildlife drive, and it was absolutely worth it. My guide Marlene was extremely knowledgeable and had a background in biology and biodiversity, and during our drive we were able to see many species new to me that I would not have seen otherwise. The sundowner was equally as stunning – not much can really beat the feeling of toasting to the beautiful desert sunset. Marlene and her colleague Michelle also went out of their way to arrange a camel ride back to the resort after, and let me tell ya, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Food-wise, every reservation (redemption included) at Al Maha included the full board package, meaning that breakfast, lunch and dinner per day would all be included, minus alcoholic beverages which were available for extra. I was initially expecting buffets, but that was actually only the case for breakfast. For lunch, an additional made-to-order main course was also included, and dinner was fully an a la carte table service. Everything was chef-curated and done perfectly, and the menu was quite extensive as well. The seafood options were especially delicious, something I didn’t expect at all in the UAE desert.

Al Maha was one of the only properties in recent years that I REALLY hated leaving. Again, it was a bucket list destination for me, and should be for anyone who’s involved in the Marriott world, or anyone who’s remotely interested in the desert life. Even for a one-night stay, for me, it was well worth the detour away from the city. Hopefully the instability in the middle east doesn’t last too much longer – I’m genuinely looking forward to visiting again, and make it a twice-in-a-lifetime experience for me at least.

RealScore

Service: 10.0

Design and Room Size: 9.5

In-room Amenities: 10

Bathroom Size and Layout: 10

View from (my) Room: 10

Hotel Location: N/A

Available Guest Facilities: 9

Food Quality: 10

Food and Beverage Service: 10

Executive Lounge Quality: N/A

Final RealScore: 9.84