Last edit by: margarita girl
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai [Master Thread]
#481
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
You can order anything you want to the room anyway and the waiters do a regular restaurant setup for you. I guess the difference is they go away then during the meal and won't necessarily "wait" on you the whole time and maybe add some candles or something but given the intimate setup do you really want them standing there during your conversations and dinner.
#483
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
The wine seems outrageously marked up to me. Im very willing to pay a premium at a resort, but $7 killawara goes for $65 and $50 Veuve is $290.
Are 500% and 1,000% markups common?
Also was charged for sparkling water which irked me slightly. I suppose I should have been paying more attention. On the upside, beer seems to be reasonably priced, especially during happy hour!
Overall a beautiful resort with fantastic food. A few small hiccups here and there but overall very very good.
Be warned also that the activities are pretty light. Will only take up 2-3 hours of your day, so dont come in expecting itll be jam packed with action.
Are 500% and 1,000% markups common?
Also was charged for sparkling water which irked me slightly. I suppose I should have been paying more attention. On the upside, beer seems to be reasonably priced, especially during happy hour!
Overall a beautiful resort with fantastic food. A few small hiccups here and there but overall very very good.
Be warned also that the activities are pretty light. Will only take up 2-3 hours of your day, so dont come in expecting itll be jam packed with action.
#484
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
#485
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
How are the prices for wine and cocktails during happy hour? Is it buy one, get one free? I'm not a beer drinker.
#486
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
Meals are elaborate and take 1-1.5 hours each. There is a nice free spa with sauna, pool, jacuzzi, and cold pool. We went in with the mindset of relaxing and enjoying ourselves, which we certainly did.
If you are a go go go traveler then 2 nights might be better.
Also we paid for dune bashing, which is additive. So one day we had 3 activities which felt much more full when you include those three plus meals and happy hour
#488
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
#489
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
The wine seems outrageously marked up to me. Im very willing to pay a premium at a resort, but $7 killawara goes for $65 and $50 Veuve is $290.
Are 500% and 1,000% markups common?
Also was charged for sparkling water which irked me slightly. I suppose I should have been paying more attention. On the upside, beer seems to be reasonably priced, especially during happy hour!
Are 500% and 1,000% markups common?
Also was charged for sparkling water which irked me slightly. I suppose I should have been paying more attention. On the upside, beer seems to be reasonably priced, especially during happy hour!
#490
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego
Programs: United Silver; Marriott Silver
Posts: 44
I booked my stay on 14 January 2019, redeeming 60K points. It booked as Full Board and 2 activities. I stayed at the resort last weekend and can report that it was all meals included and I did my two activities (camel trek and falconry). What an amazing resort! Best Marriott awards redemption ever!
#491
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
Overall, Al Maha was a 9.5 out of 10 for me. I think it should be a 2 night stay and you can pack in all the activities to one day. Unless you want to fully commit to relaxing a bit as we did. My slight issues:
- Sometimes dinner dragged on too long, taking ~30minutes between courses.
- I was disappointed they tried to upsell me so hard for the deck dining for my proposal. Also, I would have hoped that they would have offered to do *something* given what a special event it was. Not that I am trying to milk them for freebies, but just a rose or a special box of chocolates or a card or something really would have been nice. Instead, they just suggested an expensive and fairly pointless add-on... twice.
- This is tiny, but I hate espresso and wish they had brewed coffee out in the lobby in addition to the machine
- We went through probably 40 plastic water bottles. Would be awesome if they did refillable branded water bottles like at the Kuai Hyatt
Overall, beautiful well-run resort with amazing food. We ate and ate and ate the whole time. I felt full every minute I was there.
Spent a bit more on alcohol than I would have liked, but we were celebrating. 10X Markups are the norm there.
The dune bashing was worh the small upcharge for us.
Overall super awesome.
- Sometimes dinner dragged on too long, taking ~30minutes between courses.
- I was disappointed they tried to upsell me so hard for the deck dining for my proposal. Also, I would have hoped that they would have offered to do *something* given what a special event it was. Not that I am trying to milk them for freebies, but just a rose or a special box of chocolates or a card or something really would have been nice. Instead, they just suggested an expensive and fairly pointless add-on... twice.
- This is tiny, but I hate espresso and wish they had brewed coffee out in the lobby in addition to the machine
- We went through probably 40 plastic water bottles. Would be awesome if they did refillable branded water bottles like at the Kuai Hyatt
Overall, beautiful well-run resort with amazing food. We ate and ate and ate the whole time. I felt full every minute I was there.
Spent a bit more on alcohol than I would have liked, but we were celebrating. 10X Markups are the norm there.
The dune bashing was worh the small upcharge for us.
Overall super awesome.
#492
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: BA Gold,Amex Centurion,Marriott LT Plat Prem Elite +AMBASS,Hilton Diamond,Priority Club Plat,VS Gold
Posts: 371
Yes the drinks for Happy Hour are buy one get one free. I have seen a few people ordering drinks at the bar for Happy Hour and then have them sent to the table for dinner which is good of the hotel. I have to say its a great place and I don't mind spending on property when they are so very accommodating when on a revenue or points stay. Can't wait to go back twice this year!
#493
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: SPG/Marriott Platinum Premier, Skywards Gold, HH Gold, M&M FTL
Posts: 16
For anyone evaluating the Al Maha as a potential stay target, I may recommend this long & thorough review complete with plenty of photos:
https://www.passportandpalmtree.com/...-dubai-review/
https://www.passportandpalmtree.com/...-dubai-review/
#494
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: Marriott
Posts: 46
Just a heads up--the wiki isn't accurate. I booked a stay for next December--well after 12/11/19--and my confirmation says it's a full board stay with activities included. So, they are still offering all-inclusive stays. Just be careful what the terms are when you book, and save your confirmation. And if you do points advance, screenshot or pdf the confirmation with the terms that state the reservation is full board with activities.
#495
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Just a heads up--the wiki isn't accurate. I booked a stay for next December--well after 12/11/19--and my confirmation says it's a full board stay with activities included. So, they are still offering all-inclusive stays. Just be careful what the terms are when you book, and save your confirmation. And if you do points advance, screenshot or pdf the confirmation with the terms that state the reservation is full board with activities.