Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara

I’m writing this review while the emotions are still fresh — our family has just returned from a truly unforgettable weekend at this hotel, and I can say with full sincerity: this is one of the most impressive stays we’ve had. The hotel has absolutely won our hearts, and we will definitely be returning guests. From the moment you arrive, it’s clear that every detail has been carefully thought through — from the architecture and interior design to the genuinely warm and attentive service. The setting is simply breathtaking: located in the heart of the desert, surrounded by stunning reddish dunes. The views from the villa are mesmerizing and stay with you long after you leave. We stayed in a villa with a private pool, and I would especially like to highlight our butler, Yassine. He was outstanding — always available, proactive, and consistently going above and beyond to make our stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. This level of personal attention truly elevates the entire experience. The dining experience was equally impressive. The hotel offers several restaurants, each delivering high-quality cuisine. Breakfasts were excellent, with both buffet and à la carte options. Lunches and dinners were consistently at a very high level. What stood out in particular was the presence of the Director of Restaurants, Alessandro Italiano, who personally greets guests and ensures that service standards are maintained across all venues. His involvement and attention to detail are remarkable. Another standout aspect is the personalized service. The staff frequently addressed us by name, creating a genuine feeling of individual care and attention. The hotel offers a wide range of activities. While it’s impossible to try everything in a short stay, we chose Dune Bashing (soft drive), and it was an unforgettable experience. A perfect activity for families with children — exciting yet very safe. Our guide, Nassir, was highly professional and made the experience both thrilling and comfortable. He later mentioned he has been doing this for over 12 years, which clearly shows in his confidence and skill. Our children also loved the kids club — it appears recently renovated, and the staff were warm, caring, and engaging. The villa itself was impeccably maintained and equipped with everything one could need. Overall, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire hotel team — from reception to housekeeping, from chefs to waiters — for delivering such an outstanding and memorable stay. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a luxury desert escape with exceptional service.

One of the Finest Luxury Escapes in the UAE. World-Class Hospitality in the Heart of the Desert A Truly Exceptional UAE Luxury Experience we had over the weekend. to top it off if you fall into the hands of their staff like Shubham, Amar, Alex and Shane you then would be in safe hands!

Best resort ever. We had celebrated our anniversary and the management did everything possible to make our experience out of this world. Highly recommend this resort to everyone.

Lovely location it’s huge the staff is amazing two swimming pools in the open yummy food games for kids spa for us hiking in the dunes movie under the stars games and pure love I am certainly going again camel rides dune bashing etc

We stayed for 3 nights in a two bedroom pool villa over the Winter Break with our two children ages 3 and 8. Our check-in experience was seamless although I note from other reviews this isn’t a universal experience. We arrived after driving from the city in the courtyard and were immediately transferred to a buggy and taken to our villa to complete the check-in which was hugely appreciated after a long journey with young children. Our suitcases arrived only minutes later. The villa suite was gorgeous with a beautiful vista over the dunes. Only minor point is that electrical sockets were few and far between for such a large space and no USB chargers. Lahiru was our villa host for the duration of our stay. He was very helpful, friendly, responsive and managed our excursions/ spa treatments (including last minute changes) with ease. We were slightly limited in the activities we could do as a family owing to the age of our youngest but we thoroughly enjoyed the Family Dune Drive and Ezba Tour. Both of our guides for these experiences were wonderful and engaging. The main pool area was beautiful but during the winter period would have really benefitted from more heating. As such we were unable to enjoy these facilities to the max as it was just too cold to be in the water for any length of time. The only real issues that we encountered were with the dining services at Ghadeer and the main breakfast restaurant. I will caveat this with the fact we didn’t try the higher end/more adult orientated dining venues as we wanted to eat with our fussy children, but in a resort of this standard this shouldn’t equate with sub-standard service. We waited for 15 minutes to be seated and despite doing multiple laps of the restaurant were unable to find anyone to seat us, errors were also made with our order (drinks and food) and there was such a foul smell in the outdoor dining area that we chose to leave after our main course. After this, we chose to enjoy in room dining options from the comfort of our outdoor terrace. We will definitely return to the hotel but I feel there is some improvement needed in the service to truly align with the (high) price point.