We stayed for 3 days at the Bab Al Shams. The place is manicured and beautifully built. The architecture is based on old Arabic fortress with a few sand dunes.

The huge swimming pool(s) are kept at a cool temperature which in the heat of the desert is a blessing. The sun beds are numerous which means nobody has to sit next to someone if they do not wish to.

The service was outstanding and we could not fault even the room service. We sampled the desert open-sky restaurant and – despite the extra to be paid – is worth it with a belly dancer and other shows.

We also sampled the spa and would highly recommend the hot stone massage as well as the ear candle. Professional and respectful women are treated by women only and men by men.

The camel ride must be done before the sun starts burning as out of the resort the heat takes its toll very rapidly.

An outstanding location for “getting away from it all” or as part of a stop over (our case) but we did not feel more than 3 days would have been appropriate as you really are far from anywhere else.

As this was our second visit to Dubai and we stayed on the coast first time round, we wanted to find something a little different for this trip and we certainly did with B.A.S!!
This was the 1st part of our honeymoon, with us moving on to Banyan Tree Maldives after.

We arrived at BAS around 10am, and although I had requested an early check in, I wasnt that hopeful and sure enough the room wasnt ready. This was not a problem and we made use of the pool for a few hours. (When we checked out though, we stayed on resort until late as we had a night flight, and one gripe is that the hotel does not offer courtesy rooms. For a 5 star resort this was pretty poor to be honest. There is a decent changing room by the pool, but inevitably you need to sort out a few last minute bits of luggage etc and we had to do that on the floor in the luggae store room).

However.... on the plus side, as we were there early we asked to have a look at a choice of rooms, and basically selected our room, which was nice.

Arriving in the resort is a little wierd really. It is about an hour transfer by car and most of which is spent driving through barren desert. You cant help wondering what you are going to arrive at !

The resort is styled as an old fort and really does feel that way. The grounds and architecture are really lovely. It definitely comes into its own at night time though. Hundreds of candles and lanterns light up the grounds and pool area and it is beautiful. My photos probably dont do it justice but a few are attached.
There are 4 restaurants on the resort. Al Forsan which is the main one which hosts the breakfast and lunch buffets and a buffet dinner most nights. The breakfast is probably the best selection I have ever seen. Delicous !
I know dinner buffets arent up everyones street, but I cant recommend this one enough, absolutely first rate.
(The lunch buffet is a little pricey as all you really need is a snack lunch, so we only ate in here for lunch once and had pool snacks the other days)
There is also a very nice pizza restaurant and an excellent Indian.
The "highlight restaurant" Al Hadeera, unfortunately we didnt get to go to as my wife wasnt well that night. But its supposed to be very good with Arabian entertainment etc.

We stayed 5 nights and loved it. The place is very tranquil and relaxing. Fridays and Saturdays are quite busy as a lot of Dubai residents seem to use it as a weekend retreat, so if you want to make the most of the peace and quiet, book in here Mon - Thurs. It wasnt too bad though even at the weekend.

The service was very good and friendly, as you would expect of a hotel of this standard, however maybe there was a lack of "going the extra mile" from the staff. Its hard to put my finger on, they didnt do much wrong but didnt really impress us either.
Our booking was on a Bed and breakfast basis and over and above this we spent about £100 per day on food and drink. (Bare in mind that my wife doesnt really drink, so we were not over doing it by any stretch, so certainly dont budget for any less than that !!)

Overall I would strongly recommend BAS. It is a perfect choice as part of a 2 centre holiday, either spending part in one of the Jumeirah hotels on the coast (I can strongly recommend Al Qasr) and then a few days here, or just as part of a Dubai stop over on the way somewhere else. I am delighted with our choice as a prelude to the Maldives. (If you want to visit the city centre though or other Dubai sights then this would not be the right choice of base hotel as it is pretty much in the middle of no where!)

A couple of reviews said one or 2 nights is enough. I wouldnt agree with that. I would say 4 or 5 nights is about right (we stayed 5). There are a few things to do such as Desert 4 x 4'ing, but if like us you dont really fancy that then bring plenty of books!! For us it was just peace, quiet, tranquility and relaxation all the way.

Any questions please dont hesitate to drop me a line and i will try and answer them.

The location in the middle of the desert feels (and is) miles from anywhere. The main road to Dubai from the hotel is pretty trying with lots of traffic and construction delays. Don't use Bab al Shams as a place from which to explore Dubai. That said, Bab is such a relaxing place that you may not want to leave.

The room (ground floor with "garden") was great. Lots of space for two adults and infant in cot (sharing the room). Facilities were good, so too the aircon. Clean and welcoming. Garden space was fine - a relatively private place to relax, but not much more than patio size.

The food was good at the Indian restaurant - highly recommend. Breakfast was a huge buffet with great variety. The roof top bar was good but unadventurous. For a five star place, the nibbles were disappointing and the cocktail list could do with further ideas.

The main negative comment is the lack of awareness by the staff. On the whole, they are all very nice, but just lack a sense of "switched on-ness". You are paying top dollar for Bab and you feel that it could deliver a bit more. There are exceptions - the chef in the Indian restaurant went out of his way to make some puree vegetables for our baby son, the room maids were quick and efficient, and some of the staff by the pool were great.

The front desk was general chaos with no one seeming to take charge of a problem, or ownership of sorting it out. Room service was painful in getting an order through (an not worth the wait / hassle when it arrived).

Bab al Shams may be five star, but they just lack the sense of service found elsewhere in the world. As a location it is fantastic and facilities are great, but be aware that staff awareness for client need is not high on their list.

This hotel is perfect for a desert experience without risking your life in a sand storm or running out of water! Very nice luxury property (like all of the Jumeirah resorts) and a truly once in a lifetime luxury desert experience. Highly recommended for every one who visits Dubai. One or two nights is enough to give you the "desert feel".