We have now stayed at both Al Maha and Qasr al Sarab. We strongly preferred Al Maha, even though it was substantially more expensive than Qasr al Sarab. Let me try to summarize some of the positives of each.

Qasr Al Sarab
Both properties offered desert activities, such as falcon demonstrations and dune bashing. Qasr Al Sarab did a much better job in this area. For example, the Falcon and Saluki (dog) show was roughly 2 hours long and included mint tea and dates. It was awesome. The Al Maha show was one hour long and was falcons and an eagle with no treats. Dune bashing was much more aggressive and fun at Qasr Al Sarab than Al Maha. Drivers from Qasr were sent to a school in Dubai to train and then to requalify each year. Al Maha drivers were taught on site. Al Maha had a longer list of activities, such as archery, horse riding and camel riding.

Price - Qasr is substantially cheaper.

Al Maha
Rooms - bigger and more luxurious at Al Maha. There are 42 units, 37 of which are their baseline bedouin tents. These are 80 sq m, each with a totally private plunge pool and a large deck. Each overlook the desert with no view of any other villa. Qasr is a large property with no privacy between rooms. We had booked a terrace room and were "upgraded" to a suite. The suite was semi below ground level and had no view whatsoever. We insisted on the room we had booked. It had a massive terrace that effectively doubled the size of the room.

Pools - each room at Al Maha had a private plunge pool. The water was pleasantly warm. Qasr is a hotel and thus only had private pools in their super luxe villas.

Serenity - Qasr is a larger resort with hustle and bustle. It was a hike between our room and the central are. Al Maha works hard to offer a very tranquil property, not even having music in the lobby.

Children - depending on your perspective, this is a plus or minus for Al Maha. No children are allowed under 10. This is part of their effort to have a very peaceful property.

Food - Superb, and included with the room rate. We were very impressed with the quality of the food. There was no buffet at lunch or dinner, it was all ala carte. There was an extensive menu. We were welcome to eat in our room, on our deck, or at the main dining area. Beverages other than water, tea, and coffee, where not included. I dislike buffets. Qasr had expensive buffets the nights we were in house. The ambience of the dining room was not great.

Service - no comparison between the properties. Qasr had a lot of new employees during their internships toward their degrees. They were very green. Al Maha service is polished with very quick service even in the tents. Cart service was very quick whenever we wanted to go to the central building.

Wild animals Al Maha has gazelles wandering the property, often adjacent to the villas. Both have oryx that can be found on driving to specific areas.

Budget can easily make Qasr the preferred choice. However, if budget/SPG balances permit, I endorse Al Maha.