Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa

Between sea and desert

The Emirate of Dubai has enjoyed a formidable boom ever since the 1990s, when the incredible wealth of this oil rich nation became known to the world as a result of an uninterrupted succession of gigantic projects, proof that the capital of Dubai is one of the most surprising places, not only in the Middle East, but throughout the world. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe these audacious construction projects which are brilliant both aesthetically and technologically. The skyline speaks for itself. This former fishing village has become an oasis of technology between sea and desert. Dubai is a city whose ancestors were Bedouins, nomads of the desert, a facet of the city that tends to be forgotten. Just thirty minutes after leaving the city center, one is face to face with this fascinating, unique and sometimes hostile nature. The desert, for many city inhabitants, is the ultimate adventure, the great unknown, something the Dubai hotel industry has understood. Luxury is now present not only in the city but in the eternal dunes as well.

A contemporary “Thousand And One Nights” tale

The Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is only 45 minutes from Dubai’s airport, in the heart of the desert. This five star hotel designed on the model of a fortified Arab village, in the colors of the surrounding sand and the earth, blends in perfectly with the landscape. What strikes one immediately is the simplicity of the site. The buildings are no higher than two stories, and the resort is built in and around an oasis of 900 palm trees. Everything has been designed to pay tribute to the exceptional environment, so that the visitor feels he or she is an integral part of the desert and its mysteries. The resort consists of 110 rooms and suites ranging in size from 37 to 80 square meters. Its rustic yet oriental style, all in natural stone, is an invitation to relaxation and discovery, the two major principles behind this extraordinary hotel. Relaxation thanks to the 1,400 square meter infinity swimming pool, the treatments offered in the luxury spa and the oriental dishes served in the 8 restaurants and bars. The open air Al Hadheerah restaurant also offers traditional music, songs and artists performing belly dances and equestrian acts, thus remaining true to festive oriental traditions and celebrating an ancestral “art de vivre”. Discovery through desert safaris in a jeep or even on the back of a camel in order to better observe the gazelles and the oryxes, mythical animals but endangered species as well. Discovery for the sports minded too thanks to lessons in archery, miniature golf and yoga classes in the desert.

Bab Al Shams means “gateway to the sun” in Arabic, and this magnificent complex is undoubtedly a sincere invitation to rediscover the attraction of a land burnt by the sun, while at the same time enjoying unparalleled comfort.