Bab Al Shams Hotel & Resort Dubai | Staycation

A little off Al Qudra road, and very well deserving of a long drive to the middle of nowhere, lies the Bab Al Shams Hotel & Resort. Located amidst the golden sand dunes, emblematic of a traditional Dubai, this resort literally feels like an oasis of calm and serenity. The whole property is built to represent a fortress of the olden times; think mud homes, date palm trees, sandy hues, stone walls and barjeels (wind towers). We caught an exceptional deal for a 2-night stay at this property on Tajawal, and we decided to drive off to bliss.

Since our stay was during the mid of a hot July, we were quite sure we would not enjoy the outdoors too much, but thanks to the cooling desert sands, the temperatures at this place, even at the peak of summers, are relatively low. This means taking a dip in the pool during late afternoons is comfortably soothing, while walking around the property after sunset might give you a slight chill. But more on all this later.

We arrived at the property by 3 pm and were greeted with a humbling welcome staff. The interiors of the hotel at the lobby made us feel as though we were walking on those same sandy surfaces that the bedouins and their flock traveled on a long time ago. After a quick check-in, we were led toward our traditional-esque room located in one of their many wings. The pathways were all made with stone and brick, and they had a lovely tree centerpiece near the entrance to the spa. The entrance of the room was no different than the rest of the property. An external grand wooden door, built to keep away insects, housed two different rooms within. We checked into what can only be described as one of the most traditionally modern hotel rooms of Dubai.

The Room

The room was simply put – gorgeous. Stone walls mingled with dark wood furniture, and a corner majlis seating to create an utterly bedouin-like ambiance, but with all the modern facilities of course. Our ground floor room was equipped with a grand double bed with curtain accents on top placed on a colorful woven carpet, a wooden almirah that hid a TV and safe within, a petite wardrobe, a corner desk with a chair, majlis styled seating, stone top table with coffee & tea facilities and a mini bar underneath. The outdoor space featured a dining set, and was more ideal for smokers who wanted to take a quick break, but we were advised to keep the doors shut at all times to avoid mosquitoes or insects from entering the room.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was beyond beautiful. With granite-like finishing with stone accents and the same sandy hues, the bathroom was built to represent a hammam. And that bath tub though – cleverly designed with sandy walls featuring intricate work, it almost transported me to an olden Turkish or Moroccan era for a bit. Obviously the best part of the room, this was something I was looking forward to the most, and I knew it would turn out to be the most relaxing bath I’ve had in a long long time.

The Pool

Bab Al Shams boasts of temperature controlled twin infinity pools with Jacuzzi spots and a swim up pool bar. Unfortunately during our stay, the infinity pool was under renovation, but their main pool didn’t disappoint. We spent a whole lot of time over the two days simply lazing in the pool sipping on drinks while sitting atop their submerged bar stools. And thanks to the temperature controlled functionality, despite the summer heat, we didn’t feel hot one bit. The pool waters were in fact quite cool and a good respite from the otherwise tiring city life.

After the soothing pool time, I got back to my room to this! I was really impressed by how sweetly the staff had decorated the bath for me. I guess shouting it out every single time that I love the bathroom really helped.

Dinner Night 1

A good thing to keep in mind is that Bab Al Shams is located in the middle of nowhere, which means it does get quite challenging to find something to eat, except for the restaurants located at the property. If you’re not so fond of hotel food or room service, you might want to carry some snacks along or else do what we did. Since we already had a dinner booked at the hotel for our 2nd night, we decided to drive out to the nearest possible place where we could find some grub – Last Exit Al Qudra. It took us about 10 minutes to get there and we spent about 30 odd minutes eating our wraps from Jaldi Jaldi DXB before heading back to the hotel

Breakfast

Thankfully, and quite obviously, the package we had booked included breakfast. And since it is something I always look forward to, I was well prepared the next morning to head over to Al Forsan for the buffet breakfast. As we walked through the tiny lanes of the property, we came across beautiful attractions like an outdoor majlis, a courtyard with lake and lots of palm trees. We really felt as though we had traveled back in time.

The buffet, needless to say, was brilliant! Right from cold and hot food, salads, eggs and breads, to pastries, juices and hot beverages, Al Forsan had it all. And since they cater to such a varied group of travelers from different cultures, nationalities and backgrounds, the variety was only fair.

Lunch Day 2

Similar to dinner the previous night, lunch on our 2nd day required us to take a drive to the Qudra cycling spot. We were already booked in for dinner that night, so we decided to keep it light and picked up a club sandwich from a local restaurant near Last Exit. After lunch it was time to go back to our favorite place for some more pool time.

Dinner at Masala

Bab Al Shams offers a variety of dining options within the property. From the Arabic dining at Al Hadheerah amidst the dunes complete with live music and belly dancing, to the buffet restaurant Al Forsan, Indian Masala and Italian Le Dune, you get to choose the cuisine you prefer. Apart from these, they also house the two level Al Sarab Rooftop Lounge offering stunning views of the desert and Ya Hala Lobby Lounge for quick bites and coffee. I had always wanted to dine at Masala ever since I had heard about the restaurant. There was something about it’s deep teal interiors and Indian royalty feel that I wanted to see and experience for myself. So for our celebratory dinner on the second night we booked ourselves at the Indian restaurant Masala.

As soon as you step inside this quintessentially North Indian restaurant, you are greeted with bright firoza blue interiors, your olfactory senses seemingly welcomed with a strong fragrance of incense sticks and melodies of sufi music lightly humming into your ears.

We started off with two of their highly recommended drinks – Anarkali and Rum Ananas along with a complimentary side of Papad & Dips. For starters, we opted for a Dilli Chaat Sampler and Amritsari Machli. For mains, we went classic and indulged in a big portion of Chicken Biryani. Honestly all that food was too generous to leave any room for dessert, so we simply skipped the sweet.

Read my detailed review on Masala here

The next morning was pretty much the same like the previous one. The breakfast at Al Forsan was great but I was just too sad to be leaving this place so soon. I would have loved to spend some more time at Bab Al Shams Hotel & Resort and I really wanted to try out their spa as well, but I had to keep my indulgences in check. And after all that rose petal decked bath tub met all my expectations for a relaxed soak.

Bab Al Shams Hotel & Resort Overall Rating