Booked for the second time this year, this time during Eid, when rates are definitely on the expensive side, but honestly, it was worth it. In brief: a fantastic, hassle free, super enjoyable stay despite the hotel being completely full indoors and outdoors. The only major shortfall, and the reason for deducting one star, was the food and beverage experience at the Club Lounge, which I will elaborate on later.
Check in was extremely fast and efficient. The room was spacious, beautifully designed, very comfortable, with a lovely sea view. Cleanliness throughout the resort was impeccable, and housekeeping is doing a fantastic job all around the property.
I always book Club Lounge rooms because I enjoy the exclusivity and access to what is probably one of the most beautiful and largest lounges in Ras Al Khaimah. Unfortunately, after this stay, I probably would not book the Club category again until improvements are made to the F&B offering. But first, let me highlight all the positives.
The all day dining restaurant is incredibly well organized by an army of staff and a very professional management team. Despite serving what felt like more than 1,000 guests during Eid, the energy, service, and professionalism never dropped for a second. Everyone was smiling and attentive.
The restaurant is very well equipped, with coffee machines everywhere, excellent logistics, and resources that make the operation smooth and efficient. The welcome, hostess team, food variety, and overall organization were excellent. The food quality was actually very good. We tried both breakfast and dinner, tasty food, good variety, well organized stations, and overall a very enjoyable experience. The value for money is definitely there, especially considering the buffet is around AED 180 per person and kids dine free. As a Platinum member, I also received 30% discount, which made the experience an even better deal.
Based on the many resorts I have visited around the world, this is honestly one of the best organized all day dining operations I have seen in terms of service flow and management.
I would especially like to recognize:
Meka – Hostess
Aditya - Waiter
Su Sandi – Hostess
Swe Zin – Waitress
Rana – Waiter
As well as the restaurant manager and supervisors, who extended warm hospitality and fantastic service. Chapeau bas to the entire team.
The only comment regarding the outlet is the restroom plumbing smell. There is a very unpleasant odor when entering the bathrooms, possibly due to plumbing or construction design. It really needs attention.
Another standout outlet was the Pool Bar. Again, we are talking about an extremely busy period with hundreds of guests requesting service, yet the manager and his team handled everything brilliantly. Beverages were served properly chilled, the shisha was excellent, food quality and taste were top notch, and they even hosted BBQ stations beside the pool which added great variety to the experience.
Special recognition to:
Rakesh – Bar Manager
Sasha
Mamish
Lin
Mridual
The pool itself is beautiful, the beach is spotless, and the overall resort organization is truly impressive. The recreation team is doing a fantastic job as well, from towel service to water distribution, umbrellas, and the beach/pool attendants. I was genuinely impressed by the attitude and professionalism of the entire resort team.
Last and unfortunately the only real downfall I wanna talk about is the Club Lounge, which I rate 7 stars for the product itself, the exclusivity, privacy, ambiance, design, and pool access, but only 1 big star for the food quality and service execution.
Club rooms are priced almost 40% higher than standard rooms, so naturally guests expect a personalized luxury service and a food experience superior to the all day dining restaurant. While the team tried their best during a very busy period, the overall food and beverage concept simply does not match the premium pricing of the Club category.
Let’s start with breakfast. The buffet was very basic with only a few à la carte options. Whenever a hotel chooses an à la carte concept, the food quality must be exceptional, similar to what you experience at brands like Ritz Carlton or St. Regis. Unfortunately, this was not the case here.
The omelette was burnt. The croque madame was almost inedible, one thin slice of turkey with melted cheese and no presentation or flavor. The buffet itself should at minimum match the all day dining restaurant and not feel like a downgraded version of it.
Dinner offering was honestly strange and underwhelming. Seeing broccoli, jams, vegetables, and small kofta balls as the main evening buffet variety in a premium Club Lounge was honestly a bit funny and far below expectations for such an exclusive product.
The high tea experience was unfortunately also disappointing. A few simple sandwiches, cream cheese items, and pastries taking ages to be served despite the very easy setup and limited variety simply does not reflect the standards expected from a luxury Club Lounge experience.
I am not saying the lounge should become a full buffet, but the quality and refinement should compensate for the extra premium guests are paying for Club access.
We asked if à la carte ordering was possible and were told it was only available for one hour during lunch, which defeats the entire purpose. Even ordering a beer around the pool became an issue because high tea service was taking place and guests had to wait until it finished.
Club Lounge guests are your premium clientele, high spending guests expecting exclusivity and luxury. Why not create a proper high quality à la carte menu with premium dishes and beverages where guests would happily spend more money? Most guests around us were visibly shocked by how basic the buffet offering was.
Even operationally, simple adjustments could improve the experience dramatically. Instead of depending only on table service coffee, place quality coffee machines around the lounge to support the team and improve efficiency during rush periods.
Also, one operational suggestion regarding the Club Lounge pool area: during the summer season it would make much more sense to remove most of the dining tables and chairs around the pool and replace them with additional sunbeds. Realistically, very few guests are dining outside in this heat, while demand for comfortable lounging and relaxing by the pool is much higher.
Honestly, if the hotel is unable to consistently deliver top notch à la carte quality, then it would be far better to move toward a stronger buffet style concept with high quality live stations and premium buffet items instead of offering weak à la carte dishes that damage the overall luxury perception of the lounge.
The entire Club Lounge concept visually projects luxury, but operationally and culinarly it still needs serious refinement to meet the expectations created by the room premium pricing.
Also, special recognition to Mosis from Guest Relations, fantastic smile, humor, professionalism, and energy. Truly a great asset to the resort.
All in all, this remains one of the best resorts I have stayed at, and after visiting almost all resorts in Ras Al Khaimah, this one is now my personal favorite.
I highly recommend it and will definitely return. However, until the Club Lounge food and beverage concept is improved, I would personally book a classic room rather than a Club room.
Bravo to the entire team, you are doing a fantastic job overall.
