Bab Al Shams reveals herself slowly, her sandstone exterior—an ode to traditional Emirati forts—half-hidden by spindly date palms and sand dunes. In a town that often falls into excess, the grandedame of Dubai’With restraint, s desert resorts does her magic. This is the place we come to get away from it all—the resort’s much-photographed infinity pool, which drops off into a vast sandy expanse in a paradox of elemental opposites, is the draw for many. It’s the absolute quiet that I love. As the sun sets, the resort is at its best. Sand dunes are framed with pinks and mauves. Bamboo torches flicker along the perimeter. Lanterns create a play between light and shadow.
Fresh off a 10-month, no-holds-barred renovation, with new bragging rights as the first property in the Rare Finds Hotels & Resorts collection by the Kerzner group (Atlantis, One&Only). The exterior is largely unchanged but the interior has been transformed with a light touch. Gilded ornamentalism, which characterizes the Arabesque resorts of this country, was replaced by a lighter look. In my terrace-garden room, I’ve replaced the dark woods with lighter shades of furniture and brass studs. Majlis-style seating is also featured in an nook. Teal accents are found everywhere, from furniture piping and headboards to the diamond-shaped tiles in the shower.
The hotel has a modest appearance, but is not without spectacle. Al Hadheerah’s colossal outdoor restaurant hosts nightly performances that accompany Arabian classic dishes. These include a belly dancer and whirling desvish as well as musicians, singers, and even an enactment depicting a Bedouin caravan with camels or horses crossing the desert plateau. More sedate meals are served at the Mediterranean-inspired Zala or Pan-Asian Anwā, a prime sunset spot. —S.D.
