Why Chantal loves Al Maha Desert Resort, Dubai

Chantal works at the stunning Al Maha Desert Resort in Dubai...we've asked her to share her top 5 reasons why she thinks you'll love staying here too.

The peace and tranquility

My desert office days are by far my favourite. As I approach the main Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve gate, I am compelled to relax and slow my bustling city pace. The serene untampered environment exudes a subtle assurance of peace. The free roaming photogenic gazelles and carefree Oryx sipping water by the private suite pools accentuates the repose of Al Maha.

The wildlife

The resort is a unique development that embraces and celebrates the indigenous culture, wildlife habitat and the environment of the United Arab Emirates. The life present in the desert is truly remarkable. The reserve initially focused on the reintroduction of the then endangered Arabian Oryx, mountain gazelle and sand gazelle in tandem with the indigenous trees for food, shelter and secondarily to provide a natural seed bank.

“Currently, the reserve boasts of 17 mammal species, 26 reptile species and 140 bird species.”

The Al Maha Associates

The Al Maha Associates are the glue that keeps the resort running so smoothly - they are here to ensure your stay is everything you want it to be. The associates significantly add to the ambiance and experience through their excellent service with an associate to suite ratio of 2:1 (Personal Guest Relations Coordinator and Field Guide), comprising 20 nationalities speaking a total of 30 languages. Many call Al Maha home and have been working at the resort for more than 10 years, they appreciate the remoteness and calm of the desert

The desert activities

The resort offers a number of desert-inspired activities for guests ranging from horse riding (Al Maha has pure-bred Arabian horses), falconry, and nature walks, to Gharf tree walks, wildlife drives, and camel trekking. There's also dune drives, archery and sundowners in the desert to enjoy. The activities are educational and reflective of the traditional Bedouin way of life.

“My personal favourite is the camel trek into the desert for the sundowners. Every sunset experience In the desert is different and magical.”

The Bedouin Tent Inspired Suites

The resort has 42 Bedouin tent inspired suites, including the entry level Bedouin Suite followed by the Royal suite, and on to the Emirates suite and finally the Presidential suite.

Each suite has a private temperature-controlled plunge pool surrounded by a wooden deck, fitted with handcrafted furnishings, antiques and artefacts, custom-made super king-size or twin beds. Spacious bathrooms featuring a walk-in shower, king-size bath, a ‘his-and-hers’ vanity area decked with Luxury Collection bathroom amenities, a minibar, complimentary water, tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV, DVD, data ports/wireless connectivity and an in-room safe. The suites are usually sold on a full board meal basis and feature two complimentary desert activities of your choice per day.

“The gazelles tend to grace most of the guests suites with their presence in the mornings for a drink by the pool.”