Anantara Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort

Style

Fortress mirage

Setting

Edge of the Empty Quarter

Luxurious, remote and romantic, the Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort near Abu Dhabi's Liwa Oasis inhabits a staggering, sun-baked sandscape. Outside, the desert heat rages; inside is cool, calm and brimming with Middle Eastern opulence – arches twinkle with Arabic lanterns, palm-lined courtyards centre on tinkling fountains. Lounge poolside, pamper in the Anantara spa, kick up a sandstorm in a 4WD then dine under starry skies in a Bedouin tent big enough for two.

Facilities

Rooms

A total of 206, including 66 suites.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates usually include a generous buffet breakfast.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Spa with hammam, sauna, Jacuzzis, steam rooms and yoga salas; tennis courts; gym; gardens; DVD library; free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, minibar, CD/DVD player, pillow menus, air-conditioning, Nespresso machine and tea-making facilities, free bottled water. Bathrooms feature deep round oversize baths, separate walk-in rain showers, double sinks, fluffy robes and Molton Brown toiletries.

Our Favourite Rooms

With desert views of varying distance, all rooms and villas mix Arabic decor with dark wood furniture, marble floors and neutral earth tones. Entry-level Deluxe Garden and Deluxe Balcony rooms are very spacious and offer the best value; Deluxe Balcony rooms offer roof-level views of the fort and desert, Deluxe Garden rooms also look out over the dunes but at ground-floor level, with the added bonus of a small garden and private outdoor terrace. On the upper floors, Deluxe Terraces have roomy outdoor spaces with day beds looking out across the sand. Upgrade to a super-luxurious, one-bedroom Anantara Pool Villas for a separate living area, kitchenette, a private plunge pool, sun deck and personal butler.

Poolside

The super-roomy infinity-edge freeform pool looks out towards the surrounding desert valley and is open 7am–9pm. There are plenty of loungers and parasols, plus a swim-up bar (open 9am–9pm) mixing mocktails (it’s unlicensed) and light snacks.

Spa

The sumptuous and serene Anantara Thai spa is set among aromatic hanging gardens, around a peaceful courtyard filled with trickling fountains. It means business with its navy- and gold-tiled hammam, ice room and six lavish treatment rooms, four of which are for both Mr Smith and his Missus. There are also two outdoor Thai salas for private yoga. All therapists are Thai and, as per UAE law, women are always treated by female therapists and men male therapists. The wide range of treatments includes exotic wraps, jetlag-combating herbal compress massage, floral foot rituals, milk baths, scrubs and OPI mani-pedis. Spa treatments and also offered in your room.

Packing Tips

Sunhats and swimwear. Yes, the mercury can soar to over 40 degrees in summer (don’t skimp on the factor 50; you’re still going to get your best tan ever) but the desert gets cold at night so pack some lightweight, long-sleeved numbers. If you’re planning on visiting local villages on a Liwa tour, women will need to cover their shoulders and knees.

Also

If you’re staying at the hotel for New Year’s Eve, please note that there’s a compulsory – yet delicious – gala dinner for all guests (from AED990 per adult and AED495 per child aged five to 12).

Children

Very welcome: tots aged two years and under stay free in cots, and extra beds for under-12s can be added to parents’ rooms (AED406). There’s a kids’ club (for ages 3–12), a playground and a kids' menu. English-speaking sitters available for kids aged 1+).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

The Qasr's biggest treat is a private, bespoke four-course champagne dinner for two in a torch-lit, cushion-filled and comfy Bedouin tent. Your companions? A butler, firepit and the horizon-filling sunbaked sands. Five-star desert luxury (for AED520).

Dress Code

Play at Aladdin in harem trousers: it’s cover-up but dress-down for breakfast and lunch, smarter after dark. Note the air-conditioning in the resort’s restaurants tends towards the fierce so you’ll want linen/cotton layers to peel on and off.

Hotel Restaurant

Al Waha (the 'Oasis') offers all-day dining indoors under the air-conditioning or outside on an airy terrace overlooking the dunes. Its breakfast buffet is gargantuan (made-to-order eggs and omelettes, Emirati pancakes, bacon, sausages, home-made hash browns, plus unlimited fresh fruit, breads, pastries and cakes). Lunch and dinner take in Middle Eastern as well as international cuisines, but whether you want a sarnie or a shawarma, it’ll be made to order by one of the chefs at the live cooking stations. Some evenings feature traditional dance displays – easily avoidable if that’s not your cup of (mint) tea. Overlooking the pool from its terrace, and especially pretty at night, is Al Ghadeer, with an open-plan kitchen and Italian/Spanish influences. Try the tagliata of beef with pont neuf potatoes or jumbo crab salad. Upscale steakhouse and rooftop bar Suhail is open for sunset cocktails (from 7pm) and à la carte dining (7pm–11pm). The bar here means business: its walk-in wine cellar counts 120 bins, and the beef on offer includes Australian Blackmore – among the world’s best.

Hotel Bar

Just off the lobby, Al Liwan ('the gathering place') has high ceilings and marble floors and is a cool endroit to escape the afternoon heat for a refreshing mint tea, handful of dates and sugary, spice-laden pastry. For something stronger, there’s a long list of long drinks, whether you favour a Tom Collins or an Old Fashioned. Quench your thirst poolside with an icy, fruit-laced daquiri, mojito or margarita from the bar, just a few steps from your day-bed. Perfectly chilled fresh juices, lemonade and tea infusions slake alcohol-abstainers' thirst. During Ramadan, drinks are only served indoors (not by the pool), after sunset.

Last Orders

All night long, via room service. Al Liwan and the rooftop bar within Suhail are open 7pm–1am. Breakfast is served 7.30am–10am; lunch from noon, and dinner 7pm–10.30pm.

Room Service

24 hours, although the menu is more restricted after 11pm. Try a range of Arabic dishes from biriyanis to shawarma – there are burgers and club sandwiches too. From Villas, you can order a luxe private barbecue, including sashimi, koftas and beef grills.

Planes

Abu Dhabi International Airport (www.abudhabiairport.ae) is the closest option, a 200km or two-hour drive away. Dubai International Airport (www.dubaiairport.com) is an alternative option (it’s further though, at 300km away). Book your airport transfers in advance.

Automobiles

If you want to journey to and from Abu Dhabi airport under your own steam, follow the E11 road towards Mussafah, Tarif and Mirfa. Come off at Exit 306, turn left at the first roundabout and head straight over the second roundabout onto the E65 to (Madhar) Hameem. Point and shoot on this road for approx 154km. Eventually you’ll pass the Liwa Car Museum on your left. Once you reach (Madhar) Hemeem, look out for the petrol station on your left. Your GPS will tell you to take the first U-turn after the petrol station – don’t! Instead, take the second U-turn, where you’ll see signposts to the resort. After you’ve turned off the main road, take the first right through the gates. The track to Qasr al Sarab is another 12km.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

At the edge of the fabled Empty Quarter, the Liwa Desert is an unforgettable landscape for intrepid souls, a million miles from spreadsheets and inboxes where life’s worries slip away like a grains of sand through your fingers. You can’t make impromptu forays out into this unforgiving sand-scape on your own, but that doesn’t mean the more distant dunes are beyond your reach – just ask staff at the Anantara Qasr Al Sarab to book the trips for you and thrill to making travellers' tales a reality.

Other activities on offer (depending on season) include Emirati cookery classes, desert yoga at dawn, dune-bashing in a 4x4, mountain biking, archery, camel trekking, horse riding and more…

Find out more about life beyond the sand with a tour of the Liwa Desert – you’ll discover sudden and verdant oases among the dunes and learn about the traditional Bedouin tribes who live on them. The 4.5 hour tour, organised through the hotel, takes in a date and cucumber farm, a camel farm and camel race track, plus, of course, those endless dunes. Or, you could stay under the stars: Camp Nujum involves stylishly kitted out desert tents and a host of other experiences to truly experience Liwa culture, such as fat-biking, sand-boarding, and a falconry display, plus a traditional barbecue feast and the services of a skilled storyteller. Alternativley, try your hand at falconry, one of the UAE's oldest traditions: a hotel guide will take you out into the desert to see this magnificent bird of prey in flight and learn more about the part it plays in local culture.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .