Hilton Al Hamra Beach and Golf Resort - Al Hamra, RAK

Previously the Al Hamra Fort Hotel, Hilton has now taken over this hot spot in Al Hamra, sandwiched between The Waldolf Astoria and The Banyan Tree. Situated conveniently 50 minutes away from Dubai, 15 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah, and an hour from the Omani border (which leads up to the beautiful Musandam Peninsula), Al Hamra is a great place to be to experience the best of both worlds (the city and the mountains) as well as being a great place for a weekend stay cay. It is also very close to other local attractions including Ice Land and Dream Land.

We went to Al Hamra for a night to stay at The Hilton and even though it was definitely not a 5 star resort it was comfortable and had all the amenities which make stay-cays enjoyable. The complex was huge, and all the rooms were separated into Arabic style building with winding pathways laid down between  gardens joining up the resort. From the outside, the buildings looked authentic and painted a lovely picture of the resort, however the inside could of done with a bit of work. The corridors and stairwells resembled my old boarding school - stone and cold - and the rooms looked dated. Even though they were clean, the beds were comfy and there was a large balcony attached, the paint work looked chipped, there were water stains on the wall and the AC didnt seem to be working well (it was also very noisy!) which obviously made things slightly uncomfortable in the middle of summer. However, on the plus side, we ordered room service for breakfast which made up for what was lacking in the room. They offered a proper full English breakie with PORK bacon and they also served gluten free bread. Not only was it probably one of the best breakfasts we have had from room service in a hotel, it was also the cheapest and after our first nights stay, gave us a little more hope in terms of what else The Hilton had in store for us.

The Hilton offers up a range of sporting activities, on the water and the land. They have an 18 hole golf course (and a mini golf course too - more my style), tennis courts, two swimming pools, plus a gym and water sports center. There are also eight onsite dining venues, including a gastro pub, a pool side lunch spot and the infamous Mai Tai Lounge (AKA Trader Vics). The pools are nice however quite small in size and were far too warm for the summer months, however the main delight was the beach. RAK is known for its white sandy beaches and this one did not disappoint. It was an enjoyable stay for one night, however its a better place for a family holiday rather than a relaxing weekend away.

The Cove Rotana - Ras Al Khaimah

Living in Dubai definitely has its perks, and one is being able to jet off to another Emirate for a night away. Ras Al Khaimah is a mere 1hr 30mins away from Dubai and the vibe definitely differs to the razzle dazzle that is Dubai. The Cove is just off the main road in RAK, however once inside the walls of the grounds, it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, closed in by sea and mountains.

The Cove is vast, dotted with low rise buildings filled with rooms commandeering the slope leading down to the sea followed by villas which lead up to the beach. The villas are surrounded by small lakes making the whole place look peaceful and idyllic. There is an Arabic feel to the architecture and there is something very charming about the location... it felt like I had been whisked away to some remote village location.

The room we had wasnt overly exciting but had everything we needed including a little terrace outside the front door, from a room point of view the value for money was good. The resort is run by a buggy system too which is extremely efficient and a great idea - I am not too sure how much the guests would appreciate hiking up and down the hill every day. So if you are going from the room to the beach, or from the beach to a restaurant, a buggy is no more than 5 minutes away to ferry you off to your location of choice. There are two pools on offer (both infinity), one near the spa and reception which is the louder of the two. Then there is one nestled among the villas which is more peaceful. The beach is vast, covered in sunbed and umbrellas. The tide swings in and out throughout the day, and if you manage to catch it at the right time it makes for a lovely stroll - however, bewear of the mammoth jelly fish - they look deadly!! They also offer massages on the beach for a fairly reasonable price and the best restaurant at The Cove is located by the sea - Breakers - serving up simple beach food and delicious cocktails!

The rest of the restaurants could do with a lot of improvement. We went to Basilico's for dinner and they got the food order completely wrong for the starter and main course... even when they gave us complimentary pudding they got that wrong too! Considering how expensive it was, the food was not overly tasty and the dishes were badly seasoned and proportioned. We also had breakfast at Cinnamon which was slightly better, however the quality of the food was a let down compared to the rest of the hotel.

Overall, it was the perfect place to get away for the weekend. It was extremely peaceful and relaxing and i would be keen to go there again with a group of friends and rent a villa (and probably order room service or cook my own food!).