Waldorf Astoria Ras Al-Khaimah – any thoughts?

[HJ]

Does anyone have any experience of this hotel?

I stayed at the WA Dubai palm a few years ago and was quite impressed. Apparently this one is just as good, less crowded and usually cheaper.

Thanks
H

• This topic was modified 54 years, 3 months ago by .

[cats_are_best]

We stayed there 2014 when it had just opened.

Had a great time, no issues at all, service was very good, it is a large building, quite a trek to/from the pools/beach etc.

I’m HH Diamond, we got an upgrade at check-in, also contacted before/during stay from concierge who arranged airport transfers, very early check-in, restaurant/trip bookings etc.

Also enjoyed the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort in a ‘villa suite’, much more relaxed/informal than the WA, and the villas are right on the beach with your own sunbeds outside, waiters came past every so often and would bring drinks and food straight to the sunbeds. Have breakfast etc. at the small restaurant at the far end of the villas, rather than the buffet in the main building (which was a bit of a scrum.)

These stays were both pre-pandemic, but I’d imagine pretty much back to normal by now.

[ffwd]

My wife & I stayed at the WA RAK twice last year and loved it.
Have booked again for end of this month and again in mid March.

Big rooms, adult only pool & beach (as well as a family one). Breakfast was great.

Pop down to the golf club for happy hour & dinner to go somewhere different.

Local Mall is OK.

[To dare is to do]

I stayed 2019 I think I really enjoyed the hotel. I’m booked into the WA on the palm this year Ras was a lot more expensive as in I couldn’t get anywhere near the price that the Palm is charging. This trip I’ve booked a BA holiday. Even doing reward flights the hotel at Ras worked out a lot more expensive.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 3 months ago by .

[blenz101]

Had an excellent stay over Christmas. Don’t forget to use Emyr for additional benefits including resort credit.

It’s an easy 1 hour drive from Dubai if you want to make it a multi stop trip.

Status has always been well recognised. Everything is in really good condition and the staff are excellent.

RAK is not Dubai though so do your research on location if you are expecting glamour and sky scrapers etc.

[Benilyn]

Not been to either (but have been to Sharjah and Dubai), but anyone who has how does RAK compare to say Muscat?

[DonLee]

I just booked a few nights for New Year after watching their NYE firework display. Meant to be one of the best in the world. Room price is high over festival season (over £1000 pn) so 80k HH points seems a good deal.

[Carlos]

I believe Rob has done a two part review for this one
https://www.headforpoints.com/2016/03/17/review-waldorf-astoria-ras-al-khaimah-hotel/

[bungalow]

ffwd wrote:

My wife & I stayed at the WA RAK twice last year and loved it.
Have booked again for end of this month and again in mid March.

Big rooms, adult only pool & beach (as well as a family one). Breakfast was great.

Pop down to the golf club for happy hour & dinner to go somewhere different.

Local Mall is OK.

Where’s the Golf Club? Stayed in Waldorf RAK last September and am going again in a few weeks, September was so hot I didn’t get to properly look around the area. I did take an evening stroll to the local mall for a change of dining once or twice but it’s all fast food.

[Rob]

The golf club is enormous bit of green grass in front of the hotel 🙂

The Pizza Express in the mall is good if you have kids.

[bungalow]

Rob Burgess wrote:

The golf club is enormous bit of green grass in front of the hotel 🙂

The Pizza Express in the mall is good if you have kids.

I seen the golf course Rob, pretty hard to miss, I meant where’s the actual clubhouse (unless they serve happy hour drinks and dinner on one of the the greens)!

Hold that, just found it on google maps adjacent to the entrance to the Ritz Carlton. I’ll take a stroll up, wanted to have a look around the RC anyway.

[ffwd]

Golf Buggy driven by the porters from the WA will take you there in 2 minutes.

[bungalow]

ffwd wrote:

Golf Buggy driven by the porters from the WA will take you there in 2 minutes.

Thanks for that ffwd, saw that buggy last September, was hard to catch back then though as it was 106° out, the buggy was extremely popular!

[Stuartchap]

Also looking to stay here in the next month or so. As Hilton Gold, assume we’re safe booking room only in the hope that they’ll give us complimentary breakfast?

[Rob]

Stuartchap wrote:

Also looking to stay here in the next month or so. As Hilton Gold, assume we’re safe booking room only in the hope that they’ll give us complimentary breakfast?

Yes – but consider booking via Emyr if using cash (you pay Best Flex Rate) with breakfast, upgrade and some hotel credit.

https://www.headforpoints.com/virtuoso-agent-london/

[Cranzle]

I found there was lack of vegetarian food, but this was over five years ago and the nearby shopping centre was tiny with little choice. Things may have changed now.

[Rob]

The shopping centre hasn’t changed! Has a Pizza Express though if you’ve got kids.

[ffwd]

They do not honour the 25% off F&B as per the Hilton list.
I was told that they have contacted Hilton to try to get them off the list.