Dec 12, 2018, 6:51 am
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai [Master Thread]
Oct 8, 2018, 10:34 pm
#256
Moderator: Emirates Skywards and Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: 12R/30L
Programs: EK Gold|EY Gold|Bonvoy Ambassador| IHG Plat|HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,818
The property is very accommodating with meals and activities, you can choose when you want them as long as they don't exceed your allowance. The meals can also be used for room service and you can pretty much order anything you like without limitations.
Oct 9, 2018, 6:59 am
#258
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Here there everywhere
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, BA Silver, Aegean Gold, Aeroplan 25k, AA EXP
Posts: 2,825
Oct 14, 2018, 12:50 pm
#259
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
Al Maha is the only property in the Dubai conservation reserve area which makes up 5% of the entire Emirate. The area is owned by Emirates and the hotel has been managed by Starwood (Marriott) for a decade.
I took advantage of what must surely be an unsustainably low 66,000 Marriott points a night rate for a weekend here. The rate includes full board (breakfast buffet and a la carte, a 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and a 5 course dinner) as well as 2 activities per day. Cash rate at the moment is running around $1,800 a day. As a Plat Premier Ambassador guest I was upgraded to a "premium" Bedouin villa - Actually not a "real" upgrade in terms of pricing, but the villas facing out in the same direction as the restaurant have a significantly nicer view and more privacy than some of the others. I was in villa 9 which was one of the best of those and would definitely recommend it to anyone on a future stay. I believe villas 3-12 are those facing out over the plain and the oasis, with villa 9 and potentially villa 11 appearing to have the best views.
I really enjoyed my stay at the property and would absolutely recommend it, especially for anyone still able to get something like the same rate I did (I heard some others have got nights at 60,000). Service was consistently excellent, food was nice, they really do take their conservation seriously and there aren't (m)any places in the Marriott portfolio where standard rooms have such nice large pools. The property reinforces the Luxury Collection as my favourite Marriott brand delivering a variety of quality options at up to the highest level.
I would say this stay was disrupted at a low or moderate amount by Marriott's botched integration with Starwood. Email contact between the property and my Ambassador apparently ceased working about 1/2way through my pre-arrival arrangements. This meant that I was never able to get a response to my Your24 request (in the end the hotel did let me check in early) and I almost arrived at DXB without an arranged pickup. I've taken to being paranoid and assuming the worst, so I contacted the hotel myself to ensure that the pickup was booked - which it was not. Secondly, on checkout the system was malfunctioning and so I was not able to get the usual invoice at checkout (I've learnt to no longer rely on the email invoices as they seem to be permanently broken). In the end I got a photocopy of the overnight invoice, with final stay expenses written on by hand and with a calculator. The staff were professional throughout, but these IT issues are now way beyond a joke.
I took advantage of what must surely be an unsustainably low 66,000 Marriott points a night rate for a weekend here. The rate includes full board (breakfast buffet and a la carte, a 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and a 5 course dinner) as well as 2 activities per day. Cash rate at the moment is running around $1,800 a day. As a Plat Premier Ambassador guest I was upgraded to a "premium" Bedouin villa - Actually not a "real" upgrade in terms of pricing, but the villas facing out in the same direction as the restaurant have a significantly nicer view and more privacy than some of the others. I was in villa 9 which was one of the best of those and would definitely recommend it to anyone on a future stay. I believe villas 3-12 are those facing out over the plain and the oasis, with villa 9 and potentially villa 11 appearing to have the best views.
I really enjoyed my stay at the property and would absolutely recommend it, especially for anyone still able to get something like the same rate I did (I heard some others have got nights at 60,000). Service was consistently excellent, food was nice, they really do take their conservation seriously and there aren't (m)any places in the Marriott portfolio where standard rooms have such nice large pools. The property reinforces the Luxury Collection as my favourite Marriott brand delivering a variety of quality options at up to the highest level.
I would say this stay was disrupted at a low or moderate amount by Marriott's botched integration with Starwood. Email contact between the property and my Ambassador apparently ceased working about 1/2way through my pre-arrival arrangements. This meant that I was never able to get a response to my Your24 request (in the end the hotel did let me check in early) and I almost arrived at DXB without an arranged pickup. I've taken to being paranoid and assuming the worst, so I contacted the hotel myself to ensure that the pickup was booked - which it was not. Secondly, on checkout the system was malfunctioning and so I was not able to get the usual invoice at checkout (I've learnt to no longer rely on the email invoices as they seem to be permanently broken). In the end I got a photocopy of the overnight invoice, with final stay expenses written on by hand and with a calculator. The staff were professional throughout, but these IT issues are now way beyond a joke.
Last edited by EuropeanPete; Oct 14, 2018 at 1:42 pm
Oct 14, 2018, 7:45 pm
#260
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,838
I took advantage of what must surely be an unsustainably low 66,000 Marriott points a night rate for a weekend here. The rate includes full board (breakfast buffet and a la carte, a 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and a 5 course dinner) as well as 2 activities per day.
I must reconsider how to use my points before cat 7 becomes cat 8 in the next few months.
Oct 14, 2018, 11:11 pm
#261
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,197
Al Maha is the only property in the Dubai conservation reserve area which makes up 5% of the entire Emirate. The area is owned by Emirates and the hotel has been managed by Starwood (Marriott) for a decade.
I took advantage of what must surely be an unsustainably low 66,000 Marriott points a night rate for a weekend here. The rate includes full board (breakfast buffet and a la carte, a 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and a 5 course dinner) as well as 2 activities per day. Cash rate at the moment is running around $1,800 a day. As a Plat Premier Ambassador guest I was upgraded to a "premium" Bedouin villa - Actually not a "real" upgrade in terms of pricing, but the villas facing out in the same direction as the restaurant have a significantly nicer view and more privacy than some of the others. I was in villa 9 which was one of the best of those and would definitely recommend it to anyone on a future stay. I believe villas 3-12 are those facing out over the plain and the oasis, with villa 9 and potentially villa 11 appearing to have the best views.
I really enjoyed my stay at the property and would absolutely recommend it, especially for anyone still able to get something like the same rate I did (I heard some others have got nights at 60,000). Service was consistently excellent, food was nice, they really do take their conservation seriously and there aren't (m)any places in the Marriott portfolio where standard rooms have such nice large pools. The property reinforces the Luxury Collection as my favourite Marriott brand delivering a variety of quality options at up to the highest level.
I would say this stay was disrupted at a low or moderate amount by Marriott's botched integration with Starwood. Email contact between the property and my Ambassador apparently ceased working about 1/2way through my pre-arrival arrangements. This meant that I was never able to get a response to my Your24 request (in the end the hotel did let me check in early) and I almost arrived at DXB without an arranged pickup. I've taken to being paranoid and assuming the worst, so I contacted the hotel myself to ensure that the pickup was booked - which it was not. Secondly, on checkout the system was malfunctioning and so I was not able to get the usual invoice at checkout (I've learnt to no longer rely on the email invoices as they seem to be permanently broken). In the end I got a photocopy of the overnight invoice, with final stay expenses written on by hand and with a calculator. The staff were professional throughout, but these IT issues are now way beyond a joke.
I took advantage of what must surely be an unsustainably low 66,000 Marriott points a night rate for a weekend here. The rate includes full board (breakfast buffet and a la carte, a 3 course lunch, afternoon tea and a 5 course dinner) as well as 2 activities per day. Cash rate at the moment is running around $1,800 a day. As a Plat Premier Ambassador guest I was upgraded to a "premium" Bedouin villa - Actually not a "real" upgrade in terms of pricing, but the villas facing out in the same direction as the restaurant have a significantly nicer view and more privacy than some of the others. I was in villa 9 which was one of the best of those and would definitely recommend it to anyone on a future stay. I believe villas 3-12 are those facing out over the plain and the oasis, with villa 9 and potentially villa 11 appearing to have the best views.
I really enjoyed my stay at the property and would absolutely recommend it, especially for anyone still able to get something like the same rate I did (I heard some others have got nights at 60,000). Service was consistently excellent, food was nice, they really do take their conservation seriously and there aren't (m)any places in the Marriott portfolio where standard rooms have such nice large pools. The property reinforces the Luxury Collection as my favourite Marriott brand delivering a variety of quality options at up to the highest level.
I would say this stay was disrupted at a low or moderate amount by Marriott's botched integration with Starwood. Email contact between the property and my Ambassador apparently ceased working about 1/2way through my pre-arrival arrangements. This meant that I was never able to get a response to my Your24 request (in the end the hotel did let me check in early) and I almost arrived at DXB without an arranged pickup. I've taken to being paranoid and assuming the worst, so I contacted the hotel myself to ensure that the pickup was booked - which it was not. Secondly, on checkout the system was malfunctioning and so I was not able to get the usual invoice at checkout (I've learnt to no longer rely on the email invoices as they seem to be permanently broken). In the end I got a photocopy of the overnight invoice, with final stay expenses written on by hand and with a calculator. The staff were professional throughout, but these IT issues are now way beyond a joke.
Is that too long? Activities good? My little loves African safaris so is patient if activities fun. I caled and they said they have camel, falconry, can, archery and walks.
.we have been to Dubai so not looking to go into city - just a cool place to relax and learn a bit
Oct 15, 2018, 1:23 am
#262
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
5 nights feels a bit too long for me, especially with a child in tow. The activities are high quality but limited and mainly only at 5am and 6pm (depending on time of year).
I think 2-3 nights is right (2 only with an early arrival and late departure) and so i’d probably do 3 nights at Al Maha, then 1-2 at the Westin on the beach or one of the other beach/ city hotels for something different.
I think 2-3 nights is right (2 only with an early arrival and late departure) and so i’d probably do 3 nights at Al Maha, then 1-2 at the Westin on the beach or one of the other beach/ city hotels for something different.
Oct 15, 2018, 11:30 am
#265
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
Although tempting for the 5th night free, I woudln't do that with a child. As a romantic getaway perhaps although IMO the activities are somewhat limited and after 3 days you will ahve done them all with 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM. So with kids I would say no for 5 days (3 is the max), but with a romantic time yes to 5 days as you can basically have your pool and villa as one with nature and skinny dip till your heart's content. haha.
Oct 15, 2018, 11:36 am
#266
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Here there everywhere
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, BA Silver, Aegean Gold, Aeroplan 25k, AA EXP
Posts: 2,825
Although tempting for the 5th night free, I woudln't do that with a child. As a romantic getaway perhaps although IMO the activities are somewhat limited and after 3 days you will ahve done them all with 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM. So with kids I would say no for 5 days (3 is the max), but with a romantic time yes to 5 days as you can basically have your pool and villa as one with nature and skinny dip till your heart's content. haha.
Oct 16, 2018, 3:22 am
#267
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: IHG - spire amb, Marriot - tit, Radisson - plat, Hilton - gold, Accor -gold, GHA - plat
Posts: 282
Can I please ask those that booked this property for 60.000 to list amenities (dinner/breakfast etc.) they have received?
I need to rebook my 66.000 redemption but I am only offered 60.000 over the phone (which is great,of course) but the agent is not sure as to what is included in this rate. Any recent data points?
I need to rebook my 66.000 redemption but I am only offered 60.000 over the phone (which is great,of course) but the agent is not sure as to what is included in this rate. Any recent data points?
Oct 16, 2018, 4:31 am
#268
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
I took the view that I wasn’t going to risk a booking and/ or hundreds of dollars of benefits just to save what was 2,000 SPG points a night, but obviously up to you! I’d be pretty confident that the 60K rate is meant to have everything as well, but add a 5% chance someone makes something up and a 10% chance that your booking gets lost entirely as you change it.
Oct 16, 2018, 9:03 am
#269
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
thank you for review. We were thinking of doing 5 nights (with a kid) as we can use points and get 5 night free (though kid is extra $500 usd + a night) ..
Is that too long? Activities good? My little loves African safaris so is patient if activities fun. I caled and they said they have camel, falconry, can, archery and walks.
.we have been to Dubai so not looking to go into city - just a cool place to relax and learn a bit
Is that too long? Activities good? My little loves African safaris so is patient if activities fun. I caled and they said they have camel, falconry, can, archery and walks.
.we have been to Dubai so not looking to go into city - just a cool place to relax and learn a bit
2 to 3 nights would be more than enough even you partake in all the activities offered.
Oct 16, 2018, 9:10 am
#270
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Can I please ask those that booked this property for 60.000 to list amenities (dinner/breakfast etc.) they have received?
I need to rebook my 66.000 redemption but I am only offered 60.000 over the phone (which is great,of course) but the agent is not sure as to what is included in this rate. Any recent data points?
I need to rebook my 66.000 redemption but I am only offered 60.000 over the phone (which is great,of course) but the agent is not sure as to what is included in this rate. Any recent data points?