Melia Desert Palm member of Melia CollectionvsBab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa
Both Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa and Desert Palm Dubai are recommended by professional reviewers. Overall, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is the choice of most professionals compared to Desert Palm Dubai. Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa comes in at 84 with praise from 9 reviews including Rough Guide, Travel + Leisure and Fodor's.
Melia Desert Palm member of Melia Collection
Al Awir Rd, PO Box 119171, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
From $179/night
- Pet Friendly
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
Travel + Leisure
"Opt for the royal seal of approval at HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein’s sprawling property that opened in Spring 2009 with 24 modern rooms on a former polo estate." Full review
Rough Guide
"On the edge of Dubai, around twenty minutes’ drive from the city centre, the Desert Palm is a pleasantly laid-back suburban bolthole."
Time Out
"Designed by resort specialists Per AQUUM, the remote Desert Palm (45 minutes from the city centre) offers chic luxury in the midst of perfectly manicured polo fields." Full review
Fodor's
"A boutique hotel surrounded by verdant polo fields brings exclusivity to the Dubai desert at a price point that doesn't require cashing in your Fortune 500 stocks."
Lonely Planet
"Feel the stresses nibbling at your psyche evaporate the moment you step inside this luxe boutique retreat a short drive south of town and set on a private polo estate."
Condé Nast Traveler
"One of the city’s rare small hotels, this enclave of 26 suites and villas sits on a 150-acre polo estate whose verdant lawns feel far, far away from the cranes of Dubai." Full review
The Telegraph
8.0
"Celebrating everything horse-related, this is a hotel, riding school and polo venue rolled into one." Full review
Mr & Mrs Smith
"Superlative service and seemingly endless facilities and activities await guests at Desert Palm Per Aquum Dubai hotel." Full review
i
Our flight is a full one and we’re squeezed in next to the quintessential package holiday family – exactly the sort of travellers our friends had told us would be heading there, and whom I was hoping to avoid.
Michelin Guide
"It's an oasis, a sedate resort-style experience with clean-lined modern villas surrounded by gardens, hedges, trees — greener than your average desert experience" Full review
Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa Show All Reviews
International Endurance City, 308th Rd, P.O Box 8168, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
From $220/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Hot Tub
- Free Internet
- Room Service
- Shuttle Bus
- Laundry Service
Frommer's
"Relaxation defines this enchanted desert resort, located 45 minutes outside Dubai near Endurance City." Full review
Rough Guide
"Hidden out in the desert a 45-minute drive from the airport, this gorgeous resort occupies a wonderfully atmospheric replica Arabian fort."
Time Out
"For a touch of old-style Arabia, without losing any modern comforts, desert resort Bab Al Shams is one of a kind." Full review
Oyster
Luxury
"A popular, family-friendly resort and attracts a range of guests, including business travelers looking for something a bit different." Full review
Afar Magazine
"The family-friendly Bab al Shams Desert Resort & Spa wraps around an oasis and looks out over gently rolling sand dunes that guests explore by 4x4, horse, camel, and mountain bike." Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Meaning gateway to the sun, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is located in the desert outside of the city." Full review
Fodor's
"Bab al Shams, translating as "doorway to the sun," is a five-star adobe brick oasis, a vision you'd expect to find on the edges of the Sahara desert, or perhaps as a set for a movie." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler
"Escape big-city Dubai with a stay at Bab Al Shams, a low-slung desert resort modeled after an Arabian fort." Full review
Independent
"There are desert adventures such as camel rides, falconry exhibitions and nature walks to enjoy...each of the rooms reflects the Middle East in its design, and provides guests with desert views"
Best hotels in Dubai 2023: Where to stay for a luxurious break
February 17, 2023
Lonely Planet
"Resembling a fort and blending into the desertscape, Bab Al Shams is a tonic for escapists seeking to indulge their Arabian Nights fantasies" Full review