The best desert hotels and retreats in the UAE for 2023

The best desert hotels and retreats in the UAE for 2023

There's more to the UAE than gleaming metropolises you know? Beyond Dubai’s towering horizon of look-at-me landmarks and hotels lie rustic retreats nestled between the dunes, eagerly awaiting adventurous guests who yearn to explore the sweeping desert landscapes that stretch away towards the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Here's our pick of the best hidden desert resorts, safari camps and hotels in the UAE, including near Dubai and Abu Dhabi. RAS AL KHAIMAH The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert Just north of Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah’s Ritz-Carlton offers guests an elevated spa experience among the dunes. Beyond age-defying Espa facials and spiced oil massages, there’s “The Rainforest”. This hydrothermal suite has 16 stations, among them the “Igloo” with crushed ice body scrubs, a hammam, salted steam room, herbal sauna and pebble foot spa. The gym is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Horse, pony and camel riding lessons are also available, alongside archery, biking, stargazing, bird-spotting and nature tours of Al Wadi’s 1,235-acre protected reserve. After all that, sleeping is easy in luxury Bedouin-inspired villas with private pools and wraparound views of the desert. Read the full review: The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah • An