In the middle of nowhere, reasonably close to the UAE border with Saudi Arabia, you will find the beautiful Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort. If you are looking for the ideal hotel to relax at the beach, with very little to do outside of the resort, then this could be your perfect choice.
I stayed at the Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort for the nights of 6 to 10 August 2021, after a three-hour or so drive from Abu Dhabi. The hotel is nicely situated on a quiet beach in the western region of the United Arab Emirates, near Ruwais. Originally I booked for seven nights but I checked out after the fifth night. There is really very little to do in the area and I am not one to sit around on the beach or at the pool all day. If you are a beach person who is looking for a lovely quiet resort and the chance to relax and soak up the sun, you will love Danat Jebel Dhanna.
One the first day of my staycation, I drove to the border of the United Arab Emirates with Saudi Arabia, a round-trip of around 350 kilometers. The open road, lined either side by power cables and open desert, is in stark contrast to the metropolis of Abu Dhabi just up the road. You will pass the nuclear power station on your right as you make your way towards the border with Saudi Arabia. The magnificence of the structure and the remoteness of its location makes it stand out in the beautiful desert scenery.
Before you reach the actual border crossing into Saudi Arabia there is a turnaround point just a few hundred meters short of border control. I always wanted to drive the full length of the United Arab Emirates and was pleased to be able reach the border into Saudi Arabia. Much like when I lived in Saudi Arabia and drove from Riyadh to Jeddah, the drive from Danat Jebel Dhanna to the Saudi Arabian border is a treat for travelers who are keen to explore the open road and visit a part of the UAE not often explored by tourists who base themselves either in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
The speed limit on the road is 160 km/h, equivalent to 100 miles per hour. You barely feel the speed as you zip along, admiring the remoteness of the desert location, though shaken into full concentration by the large trucks passing you at 140 km/h. The video from my visit to the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia may be found here.
Day 2 of my UAE staycation was spent at the pool. The pool area is lovely, ideal for relaxing when there isn’t loud music being blared from the sound system, which you can hear from the rooms even when the doors are closed. That was marginally annoying, but I found that was only on the first afternoon that I was there, a Friday, so it was fine for the rest of the time. The pool is usually the most popular place, mainly between say 10AM to midday and then again towards late afternoon when it cools off again.
Quickly running out of things to do at the resort and in the surrounding areas, on day 3 I did a long drive to Liwa, passing by the car museum on the road to Qasr Al-Sarab. I specifically wanted to take that route so that I could get some video footage for my YouTube channel. As you drive from the car museum towards Qasr Al-Sarab you will come across a Tropic of Cancer sign which is worth a few minutes to stop and stretch your legs, and enjoy the magical desert heat while grabbing one or two selfies.
Having left the resort early in the morning, I had plenty of time to visit five forts in the Liwa area before returning to the resort, a total distance of 653 kilometers covered for the day. The video for the day may be found here.
By my fourth day I was quickly running low on inspiration as to what I may want to do around the area. I first headed towards Ruwais, driving aimlessly to seek inspiration. I came across the boat jetty over towards Sir Baniyas Island, stopping to take some lovely photo’s of the beautiful sea. I then headed towards Ruwais Mall but came across Ruwais Golf Course, still being built when I was there. Ruwais Mall proved to be pretty much like every other smaller mall in the UAE so I did not stay there long.
On my fifth day, having run out of things to do and not being inclined to spend another day at the hotel pool, I decided to check out early and headed home to Abu Dhabi.
All in all the hotel is lovely. If you are a beach person who loves to relax and not do too much else, then you will love the hotel. The views from the rooms, especially on the higher floors, over the Arabian Gulf, are spectacular and you will enjoy the serenity of the balcony overlooking the pool.
I found the breakfast selection rather limited. I ordered room service twice during my stay and both times the food was good, though expensive. Having stayed in the Northern Emirates a few months earlier I was expecting the room service menu to be expensive, as is the case with all 5-star hotels I guess, but one just has to ‘bite the bullet’ and accept the prices that are charged.
I doubt whether I would return to the Danat Jebel Dhanna, if only for the fact that there really is not much to do in the area. If you are a beach and / or pool person, you will love the hotel and the staff. For me, however, the lack of anything meaningful to do makes another visit to the Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort unlikely. The video from my stay at the lovely Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort may be found here. Find the resort on Google Maps here.
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(Visited August 2021)