Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara

From the beginning till the end, everything went perfectly. I can only recommend and will definitely come back

A magical hotel in the middle of the empty quarter. Great food, large swimming pools, excellent service

Our stay at Qsar Al Sarab had its challenges, but the dedication of Mr. Adam, Mr. Faran, Mrs. Mary, and Mr. Rahul, truly made a difference. Unfortunately, we faced service lapses early on—a 30-minute buggy delay disrupted our dinner and Desert Walk, and a **paddle tennis booking failure (missing equipment, 28-minute wait) added stress. However, Mr. Adam’s proactive resolution (waiving fees, discounts, and personal follow-ups) helped recover our experience. Special thanks to the restaurant and spa teams for their outstanding service. Highlights included the Desert Walk with Mr. Faran—his knowledge and passion made it unforgettable. He truly knows how to entertain guests and patiently explained everything we saw at the desert. A shining star he is! While we expected flawless 5-star service, the miscommunications were disappointing. That said, the resort’s true potential shines when the team works together, as seen in how managers stepped up. We hope our feedback contributes to further improvements for future guests

What an incredibly special resort. We only stayed one night as the cost is ferocious, but it will be an experience that our family will never forget. The setting is jaw dropping - right in the middle of the desert, and the hotel is stunning. Every detail was perfect - the rooms, the service & the food. I am so glad that we decided to stay here as it felt like such an authentic desert experience. (A few days later in the trip we did a half morning adventure tour to the desert outside of Dubai and whilst fun, it seemed so takky in comparison to our experience at Anantara). I highly recommend this hotel but be very aware that it will cost you a fortune, and very little is included in the nightly rate. We didn't do ANY of the excursions at the hotel because they were so expensive, but we did climb the dunes at both sunset and sunrise and loved it.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned before among all of the well-deserved accolades - from the friendly and helpful (and hopefully well-compensated) staff to the great food, the spacious rooms and the incredible setting - one thing not mentioned is this: the place simply smells so good. There is this very subtle scent that's noticeable without being too much of a good thing. Sometimes incense gets burned in the lobby but it's also in other areas of the resort and it enhances the experience by involving another sense. Other than that, the building is pretty much brand new,  but the architecture is meant to evoke not so much a palace but a desert castle or desert fortress housing a little village or settlement area inside. The decoration is just so, very well done, although all very self-referential, with paintings of sand dunes and so on, but it all works. It comes alive at night, especially, when about 1001 Arab lamps are lit, hanging from the ceiling, buried in the sand, affixed to walls, that diffuse a soft glowing light.