Known as The Garden City, Al Ain has been one of our favorite destinations for holidays and quick breaks. We have been frequent visitors, especially during our first few years in the UAE when one of our friends lived there.
Al Ain is breathtaking. The lush greenery, rugged mountains and mineral springs are the reasons why we always welcome the possibilities of spending long weekends in the laid back town. Hence, last week, when Ed and I had another opportunity to have a quick break from work, we head back to Al Ain.
And this time, we stayed in a resort nestled in the heart of the oasis.
Al Ain is breathtaking. The lush greenery, rugged mountains and mineral springs are the reasons why we always welcome the possibilities of spending long weekends in the laid back town. Hence, last week, when Ed and I had another opportunity to have a quick break from work, we head back to Al Ain.
And this time, we stayed in a resort nestled in the heart of the oasis.
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The Resort
Danat Al Ain Resort is a 5-star property conveniently located 5 km from Al Ain Bus Station. The resort is situated in the city, yet it is a sanctuary surrounded with dense greenery. It is a sprawling property offering a variety of activities, so I opted not to plan for a city tour. We spent our weekend within the resort reveling in spontaneity!
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| Danat Al Ain Resort |
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| directions to the resort amenities |
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| to the Executive Villas |
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| the sprawling garden |
The Room
Danat Al Ain Resort has six types of rooms; all with private balcony where guests can bask in the beauty of the lush surroundings! We stayed in the Oasis Room. It is perhaps the cheapest among the accommodations, a little outdated too, yet it has all the essentials we needed for a comfortable stay.
Our room has a king size bed and a set of fluffy pillows. We are already happy with the pillows provided, but for guests who aren't, Danat Al Ain Resort offers alternatives in their pillow menu.
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| Oasis Room |
The bathroom is quite cramped compared to other Danat Hotels we have been to. The compact space has the basics and a set of earth-friendly toiletries.
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| eco-friendly bathroom products |
The Resort Amenities
Danat Al Ain Resort has amenities that perfectly define fun and relaxation. The property is dotted with temperature controlled swimming pools, play area, gym and spa, squash and tennis courts! Fitness classes like yoga, karate and aerobics are also offered in the recreation club!
The family pool is undoubtedly the highlight of the resort. It mirrors the natural splendor of Al Ain; the faux rock formations reminded me of the craggy Jebel Hafeet and the blue waters made me think of the natural springs.
While holidaying in the resort, I highly suggest booking a massage treatment at Body and Soul Recreation Club. I indulged in a 1-hour Swedish massage in the hands of a highly trained masseuse. The massage was deeply relaxing that I went out of the spa relieved from stress that I have been carrying the past days.
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| Family Pool |
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| Olympic Pool |
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| Early birds get the pool all to themselves! :) |
The Restaurants
Danat Al Ain Resort is also a dining destination. I love that we don't need to go out for food as the hotel is a home to some of Al Ain's best restaurants. There are 8 specialty restaurants and bars within the resort to choose from.
Tanjore
On our first night, we had our dinner in Tanjore - an Indian restaurant serving authentic Indian cuisine. It is currently ranked #12 in Tripadvisor's list of restaurants in Al Ain, and it sure didn't disappoint. The ambiance is traditional and lovely. The service is excellent. The staff knows the menu really well. He gave us recommendations, hence we never had a hard time choosing.
We had Tandoori Chicken Wings and Paneer Dil Bahar for starters. Both were good, but the latter stood out. The paneer is delicately spiced, deliciously stuffed with nuts and mint chutney, and covered in crisp golden batter!
We opted to stick to our favorites for the main course - butter chicken and biryani, and continued the culinary adventure with gulab jamun and kulfi for desserts. As the dishes were cooked in traditional way, the flavours were more exotic than what we had in other Indian restaurants.
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| Tanjore Indian Restaurant |
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| Paneer Dil Bahar |
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| Matka Kulfi |
The Horse and Jockey Pub
On our second night, we dined al fresco at Danat Al Ain Resort's English pub. The restaurant has an outdoor terrace overlooking the pool and the gardens. The menu is focused on English classics, but somewhere in between are exciting twists!
One of the twists is the Sisig! Who would have thought? The Horse and Jockey Pub's version of the Filipino dish is wholly different from the sisig that we know though. It has lemon marinated beef and chicken strips, smothered in savory spicy sauce.
While Ed had the sizzling platter of sisig for himself, I devoured a Black Angus rib eye steak! It is grilled the way I like, succulent and rich in classic flavors!
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| Mixed Beef and Chicken Sisig |
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| wining and dining in Danat Al Ain Resort |
Arabesque
We had our weekend lunch and two breakfasts at Arabesque. It is the hotel's casual buffet restaurant serving International dishes during breakfast, lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is relaxed, drenched in natural light during the day. There is an outdoor seating which will be perfect for outdoor breakfasts during winter season!
There is a wide variety of food selection in the buffet. I personally love the live-cooking station for eggs during breakfast. It would have been perfect if the pancakes were served fresh from the pan and not stacked in a chafing dish.
Lunch selections were exquisite; from the salad bar to the colorful dessert counter. There's a roasted turkey which was clearly the highlight of the buffet as it was nearly over when we came past 1 PM.
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| live-cooking station |
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| fine selection of bread |
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| Roasted Turkey |
The Service
Throughout our stay, the service was wonderful. We encountered a few hiccups with the facilities and we saw how the staff go the extra mile to iron everything out. The staff were attentive to our needs - from our simple request of hot tea after massage to our plea of being transferred to a different room. Hence, I would consider Danat Al Ain Resort a good choice for city breaks in Al Ain.
Location:
Danat Al Ain Resort
Al Salam Street, Al Ain
Website: www.alain.danathotels.com
Contact # + 971 3 704 6000
We were invited to stay in Danat Al Ain Resort. Opinions in this blog post are my own.
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