• Home
• /
• Travel

Ottoman opulence: Rixos Bab Al Bahr

We head over to the new Rixos Bab Al Bahr in Ras Al Khaimah to discover the best that Turkish hospitality has to offer

The newly-launched Rixos Bab Al Bahr hotel dominates the coastal landscape of Ras Al Khaimah in much the same way the pyramids of Giza do in Egypt, borrowing its architectural design from the ancient civilisation while maintaining its own hospitality mantra from the property’s Turkish roots.

Located on the secluded man-made Al Marjan Island which juts out into the sparkling blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, the Rixos Bab Al Bahr is a colossal resort just 45 minutes from Dubai - but you might as well consider it to be another world away. The quiet and calm of RAK, with its majestic mountains and untouched deserts, is a welcoming distraction for any traveller to the UAE and the hotel plays up its fantastic address with dazzling success.

The first thing that sets this resort apart is its all-inclusive philosophy: nearly everything, besides some speciality offerings like luxury spa services, is included in your hotel package.

We’re talking unlimited access to food and beverage, day-care services for children, live entertainment and so much more. The price you pay for your room basically opens the door to everything else in sight, leaving you free to indulge at your own discretion.

Being a Turkish property, expect everything from traditional cuisine, coffee and tea rituals and other distinctive Turkish elements that will help you immerse yourself in its celebrated culture. The hotel’s interiors are opulent yet subtle, awash with cream accents and Ottoman flair. The rooms here - from Deluxe to Suite options - are built especially spacious and nearly all offer stunning views of the Gulf. Decorated in beige colours and aqua highlights, rooms are simplistically modern and elegant.

Dining at Rixos Bab Al Bahr, which translates into ‘Gateway to the sea’, is a culinary adventure worth taking with a lavish array of 14 venues offering something unique for every taste and mood. Guests should check out Italian restaurant L’Olivo for their homemade wooden oven pizzas, Seven Heights for their lavish Turkish and Lebanese inspired buffet, Asian eatery Aja for their Chinese, Japanese and Thai inspired wok creations and South American grill Meat Point for their sumptuous tapas.

There’s also no real need to leave the premises in search of entertainment because the property features its own Latin-themed nightclub Inferno and also hosts an incredibly talented troupe of Cuban dancers and singers who perform there daily. Entertainment Square, the venue for live shows and performances, binds together many of the hotel’s outdoor dining outlets with enthralling nightly dance shows, operas, acrobatics and other performances by the in-house artists.

For some fun in the sun, the property boasts a wide range of outdoor activities like basketball and water sports, and if you happen to find yourself poolside, expect some enthusiastic athletic directors arranging water games for kids and adults alike.

The crown jewel of this property has to be the Royal Spa and Turkish Hammam for its breathtaking design and ability to make you feel like you’re in the Istanbul home of a 17^th century Pasha. The authentic Turkish body scrub, which takes place on a circular slab of white marble beneath an intricately decorated dome, is an unforgettable experience as a masseuse drenches your body with buckets of warm water which help fill the room with jasmine scented steam.

What the Rixos Bab Al Bahr does best is make it incredibly simple for guests to enjoy everything the hotel has to offer.

Thanks to its all-inclusive packages, somewhat rare in the UAE’s hospitality sector, staying here is like stepping back in time to the opulent days of the Ottoman empire with all the modern-day luxuries that you might expect from a Rixos property.

The starting cost per room is Dhs1,800. For reservations, visit www.rixos.com/en/rixos-bab-al-bahr-hotel