Desert Islands Resort & Spa By Anantara
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Hotel Details
Brand
Anantara
Hotel Group
Minor
Location
Desert Islands Resort & Spa By Anantara · Sir Bani Yas Island, United Arab Emirates
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Key Highlights
- ✓Exceptional Service: The staff receives consistent praise for being friendly, supportive, efficient, and incredibly accommodating, from mainland transfers to hotel reception and restaurant teams.
- ✓Peaceful Atmosphere: The serene and tranquil environment, coupled with clear blue waters and quiet beaches, provides a perfect escape.
- ✓Olio (at Al Yamm): Guests at other Anantara properties on the island praised Olio for its Italian cuisine and "heavenly" breakfast with fantastic mangrove views.
- ✓Seamless Transfers: Excellent customer service from the mainland port transfer to the island and hotel transfer.
- ✓Beach Temperature: Some guests found the beach beautiful but "too hot."
Expert Review: Desert Islands Resort & Spa By Anantara
Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, located on Sir Bani Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, offers a luxurious escape amidst a unique wildlife sanctuary. As a Michelin Key Selected property, it promises a distinguished stay with exceptional service and amenities.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus for Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing it as an exceptional and relaxing experience. It holds an impressive overall rating of 8.7 based on numerous guest reviews. Many guests consider it a perfect getaway to unwind from city life.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud several aspects of the resort:
- Unique Location & Wildlife: The opportunity to experience a wildlife reserve with free-roaming animals like giraffes, cheetahs, and Arabian oryx is a major draw. Guests love the safari-like experience.
- Activities & Amenities: The resort offers a broad range of leisure activities, including nature hikes, snorkeling, kayaking, mountain biking, archery, horse riding, and water sports. The outdoor pool, private beach, and kids' club are also highly appreciated. The full-service Anantara Spa, with its deep-tissue massages, body wraps, and aromatherapy, is a significant highlight.
- Exceptional Service: The staff receives consistent praise for being friendly, supportive, efficient, and incredibly accommodating, from mainland transfers to hotel reception and restaurant teams.
- Peaceful Atmosphere: The serene and tranquil environment, coupled with clear blue waters and quiet beaches, provides a perfect escape.
3. Room Quality
The rooms and suites at Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara are described as impressively decadent, spacious, and well-appointed, equipped to the highest five-star standards.
- Design & Comfort: Rooms feature hardwood floors, intricate rugs, rich velvet furniture, Egyptian cotton linens, and elaborate lighting. Traditional Arabian design is blended with modern comforts.
- Amenities: Each room includes plush bedding, complimentary Wi-Fi, satellite TV, a well-stocked mini-bar, and air conditioning. Many rooms offer balconies or patios with fabulous sea views.
- Variety: Accommodations range from pool access rooms to spacious two-bedroom Royal Villas with 24-hour butler service. Anantara Pool Villas offer private pools in walled oases. Bathrooms are well-equipped with soaking tubs and large rain showers, and some even offer a soap menu.
4. Dining Experience
The resort features three on-site restaurants, providing a variety of culinary experiences.
- The Palm: This restaurant serves international cuisine and is open for breakfast. While one guest noted breakfast as "ok, not great," others have found it enjoyable.
- Al Shams Restaurant: Offers global flavors under the stars.
- Amwaj: Located at the larger complex of Desert Island Resorts, this restaurant is known for terrific seafood and Arabian-style specialties.
- Olio (at Al Yamm): Guests at other Anantara properties on the island praised Olio for its Italian cuisine and "heavenly" breakfast with fantastic mangrove views.
- Other Options: The resort also includes a poolside bar and snack bar/deli. Private "dine by design" experiences on the beach are also available.
5. Service & Staff
Service and staff are consistently highlighted as a strong point of the resort. Guests frequently use words like "friendly," "supportive," "efficient," "courteous," and "accommodating." Feedback includes praise for:
- Seamless Transfers: Excellent customer service from the mainland port transfer to the island and hotel transfer.
- Warm Welcome: Guests appreciate the warm welcome, sometimes including fresh fruits and local sweets in the room.
- Attentive Teams: Reception, restaurant, spa, and luggage handling teams are all commended for their professionalism.
- Knowledgeable Guides: Wilderness guides receive special thanks for their enthusiasm and knowledge of the animals.
6. Location & Accessibility
Desert Islands Resort & Spa is located on Sir Bani Yas Island, a nature reserve approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
- Getting There: Access to the island is primarily by boat from Jebel Dhanna Jetty, a 20-30 minute journey. Boat transfers are scheduled multiple times daily and must be booked in advance. The drive from Abu Dhabi city takes about 2.5 hours, and from Dubai, around 3.5-4 hours to reach the jetty. Air transfers via Cessna or Dash-8 aircraft are also available from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
- On-Island Transport: The resort provides ground transportation around the island, which is included in the resort fee.
- Attractions: The main attraction is the Sir Bani Yas Wildlife Reserve, spanning over 4,100 hectares and home to over 10,000 free-roaming animals. The island also features a historic Christian monastery site, the only one discovered in the UAE, dating back to 600 AD.
7. Value & Pricing
Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara is considered a luxury property offering good value. With an average price of $361 per room, it presents exceptional value compared to the average hotel room price on Sir Bani Yas Island, which stands at $523. Prices can vary, with June typically being the cheapest month and November the most expensive.
8. Common Complaints
While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor issues have been noted by guests:
- Hotel Age: One review mentioned the hotel being "a bit dated for 5 star," though rooms were clean and had fabulous views.
- A/C Noise: A specific complaint noted loud air conditioning in a room.
- Beach Temperature: Some guests found the beach beautiful but "too hot."
- Breakfast Quality: While generally acceptable, one guest described breakfast as "ok, not great."
Overall, Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara offers a highly recommended luxury experience, particularly for those seeking a unique blend of opulent relaxation and immersive wildlife encounters, backed by outstanding service and a picturesque island setting.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor issues have been noted by guests:
- •A/C Noise: A specific complaint noted loud air conditioning in a room.
Google Reviews
1,134 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Zayed
I had an excellent massage experience at this place. Honestly, the level of professionalism, cleanliness, and reception was very high. I would like to give special thanks to Pema for her outstanding work and attention to detail. She made sure to ask about the areas of pain and focused on them, and the massage pressure was perfectly balanced and comfortable from start to finish. It’s clear that s...
poo kolhatkar
We had fun during our stay, vila was spacious with swimming pool temperature just perfect. Lot of space for kids to run around. Staff is very courteous and polite only suggestion is to add few more options for vegetarian in restaurants and in room dining staff Harish was very helpful in check-in and out
Stefania Di Ciacca
We stayed at Desert Islands Resort for one night from 11–12 November. Although our stay was short, it was absolutely lovely. All of the staff were friendly and helpful, with a special mention to Sasandi, who checked us in and immediately made us feel right at home. The room was spacious and comfortable, and breakfast the following morning was excellent, with a great selection. The chefs kept the...
Response from the owner
Dear Stefania Di Ciacca,<br><br>Thank you for sharing your lovely feedback following your stay at Desert Islands Resort by Anantara. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your room, the breakfast ...
Musa Toktaş
Desert Island Resort is standing in the Sir Bani Yas Island for more than 22 years. Hotel did not lose anything from the quality. Staff is 5 star, behaviours are make you think yourself as royal family. Spa made me think like Im in a heaven. Couple massage is recommended. If I come again the reason is the quality and affordability. Thank you especially staff at reception they were great.
Response from the owner
Dear Musa,<br><br>Thank you for sharing such wonderful feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay, our attentive team, and the spa experience. Your kind words about the reception st...
H A
Extremely disappointed with our stay at Anantara Sir Bani Yas. For a resort that markets itself as luxury, the severe lack of staff was shocking and affected every part of our experience. Basic requests took far too long, were repeatedly followed up on, or were simply ignored. The food situation was unacceptable, especially for families. Dining options were very limited, with little to nothing su...
Response from the owner
Dear H A,<br><br>Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that your stay did not meet your expectations and regret the challenges you experienced with servi...
Muhammad
Exceptional stay with top notch hospitality. The staff was extremely courteous and hospitable specially Harish and Sahan, both were extremely cordial and went above and beyond to facilitate us. Jonhatan made our Safri ride informative n engaging. Food options were limited and overpriced. The only improvement that needs to be made is regarding variation in menu and prices need to be a bit more affo...
Response from the owner
Dear Muhammad,<br><br>Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay, our location, and the hospitality of Harish, Sahan, and Jonathan. Your kind words will b...
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