Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara: A Fortress of Tranquillity at the Edge of the Empty Quarter
A Fortress Rising from the Dunes
Two hundred and seven keys stand at the northern edge of the Rub al Khali: one hundred and forty rooms, fourteen suites and fifty three pool villas, arranged behind ochre walls that rise from the Liwa dunes in magnificent stages. The architecture takes the form of a traditional Arabian fort, with walls, courtyards and towers arranged in harmonious succession. From a distance the building reads as though it predates the very road that leads to it, yet from within, every room faces the sunset and the boundless desert panorama that stretches beyond.
Interiors follow the same refined logic. Earth tones, embroidered fabrics, Bedouin detailing and jewelled chandeliers are handled with considerable restraint, allowing the references to speak eloquently without overwhelming the senses. This is the Emirate of Abu Dhabi rather than the city proper, a distinction of considerable significance, for it demonstrates that the emirate extends far beyond its celebrated coastline.
Accommodation Across Three Graceful Categories
Rooms run from forty five to fifty square metres of combined indoor and outdoor space, each with sliding glass doors, deep soaking baths, rain showers and a pillow menu. The Deluxe Garden Room offers forty five square metres with a private garden terrace, whilst the Deluxe Balcony Room extends to forty eight square metres with a private balcony overlooking the desert valley. The largest of the standard rooms, the Deluxe Terrace Room, encompasses fifty square metres with a terrace positioned to capture the desert panorama.
The Anantara Suite rises to one hundred and six square metres and adds generous living and dining space, whilst the Two Bedroom Family Suite reaches one hundred and seventy eight square metres, a rare provision for inland resorts. The pool villas represent another category altogether, ranging from one hundred and thirty to four hundred and sixty seven square metres, each appointed with a private pool, a sundeck and dedicated butler service. The adults only Royal Pavilion Villas offer the most complete seclusion on the property, positioned at a graceful distance from the main resort.
Seven Venues for Every Hour
Al Waha opens at seven in the morning for breakfast across Middle Eastern and international menus. Amanie specialises in Mediterranean cooking throughout lunch and dinner, whilst Ghadeer welcomes guests from noon with global menus and poolside refinement. Suhail occupies the rooftop as a grill and lounge, opening from the afternoon through dinner and positioned to capture the celebrated sunset. Al Liwan serves as an all day lobby lounge from early morning until late evening, with Naseem Pool Bar opening at nine.
The experience to reserve is Al Falaj, a Bedouin style setting among the dunes away from the main building, serving authentic Middle Eastern dishes in the open air from half past six each evening. Beyond these venues, the resort arranges Designer Dining upon the sand itself and Spice Spoons cooking classes conducted alongside the resort’s culinary team.
The Desert Excursion Centre and Authentic Wilderness
This facility separates Qasr Al Sarab from every coastal resort in the emirate. The centre orchestrates desert drives, camel trekking, Polaris adventures, desert walking, fat biking, archery, horse riding, mountain biking and guided stargazing beneath skies entirely free of light pollution for a hundred kilometres in any direction. A camel trek departing as the light descends possesses a stillness that no amount of hotel design can manufacture.
Sunrise and sunset are the hours that transcend ordinary experience. Dinner outdoors at Al Falaj beneath an unclouded sky represents an offering available nowhere else in Abu Dhabi.
The Spa, Wellness Centre and Pools
Anantara Spa holds five treatment rooms alongside a Moroccan hammam, jacuzzis and steam rooms arranged around a dedicated relaxation area. A separate Wellness and Meditation Centre allows guests to experience yoga and meditation sessions conducted upon the open sand at first light, an offering available only to resorts with this extraordinary expanse of solitude. Two pools serve the resort, one appointed as a children’s splash pool fringed with palms in a lagoon arrangement that evokes an oasis with understated grace.
The resort manages a refined balance rarely achieved at this scale. A dedicated kids club, teens club and cooking classes welcome families, whilst the Royal Pavilion Villas remain adults only, ensuring that couples seeking tranquillity need not compromise. Pets are accepted in designated rooms and villas with notice, a provision rarely offered at this level.
The Distance as the Destination
The two and a half hour journey from Abu Dhabi is not an obstacle but the essential price of authentic solitude. Here the Empty Quarter begins at the resort walls, and the remoteness guarantees a silence and stillness available nowhere nearer the coast. This is not a weekend escape but a genuine retreat into the desert itself, and such an experience justifies a minimum stay of two nights.
On Simply Luxury: Anantara