Al Sahel Desert Islands Resort and Spa by Anantara

Dhriti Punjabi

A Deeply Disappointing Stay We chose this resort to celebrate a special birthday, but it turned out to be a massive letdown. The property is shockingly mismanaged and fails to meet even the most basic expectations of an Anantara resort. Dining options are severely limited, with only three restaurants on the entire island—one of which was closed. Even the available options were poorly stocked, lacking basics like Tabasco sauce and Prosecco. The menu was uninspired, featuring only one chicken main dish, and the salmon was overcooked, dry, and completely unappetizing. Their excuse for slow service was that the resort was “full,” yet all restaurants were practically empty, and we only saw one or two other guests during our entire stay. This lack of transparency was insulting and added to the overall frustration. To make matters worse, the nearing property (which is where the spa and other amenities are) is littered with construction zones. Near the pool area, there’s equipment and obstructions everywhere, ruining what should have been a relaxing experience. The rooms were also disappointing—filled with bugs, an issue that could have been mitigated indoors with better maintenance. Furthermore, most of the staff appeared to be untrained trainees who seemed completely unprepared to provide even a basic level of service. We deeply regret staying here and would strongly advise against wasting your time or money here. There are far better resorts that deliver superior service, experiences, and attention to detail.

Bjørnar Nesland

Stayed three nights with my family and my parents April 2024. Positives: Extremely nice and spacious villa. Nice private pool. Cool island, and it feels like you are in Africa. Good excursions (saw a lot of giraffes!) Negatives: The service from the restaurant was not good. We ordered two times to our villa to eat dinner outside by the pool. Both times the food took almost 2 hours, and both times they had either missed parts of the order or gotten it wrong. The staff tried their best, so 5/5 for effort, but a lot of the outcomes were a bit less "professional", in lack of a better word, than expected for such a fancy place like this. Verdict: Will we come back? Definitely! The positives outweighs the negative too much, and I believe we were just a bit unlucky. Recommended!

Alain Portmann

Your experience of Sir Bani Yas Island (named after the local Bani Yas tribe) will vary significantly by the place you stay. Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort offers a private, romantic African safari-type experience with private villas featuring a swimming pool and access to the wilderness. The villas are spacious and appointed to provide luxurious comfort, including a copper freestanding boat bath. The shared facilities include a gym, a swimming pool, and a restaurant that features large outdoor terraces overlooking the grounds. The staff are tremendous. Courteous, efficient, caring and diligent. They truly make the stay memorable. They have a tough job, as some guests forget they are staying in an animal sanctuary - instead of an amusement park - where animals should not be chased around, screamed at, or fed. Some of the comments and reviews allude to the quality of the food. If you are after fine dining, go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. If you are after a calming, nature infused experience that combines food, people, wildlife, and a unique ambience, stay at the Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort. My recommendation is to go for the Advance Purchase Full Board rate, which covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As you would expect, the prices at the restaurants are on the premium end. Al Sahel Villa Resort is the most distinctive and unique of the Anantara resort on the island, as it places guests in the centre of what Sir Bani Yas Island was created for. The Arabian oryx, a kind of antelope, was officially declared extinct in the wild in the late 1960s. The founder and first ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, began developing Sir Bani Yas as a place to protect it. Sir Bani Yas Island is a gem in the UAE crown, showcasing the care, ingenuity, and ambition of its rulers.

namsoo kim

4 stars thanks to the kindness of Ms.Retno and the reception team, but lots of improvement needed. 1. Room service food is a joke for a resort bearing Anantara brand. Funny, since the room service food we had the day before in Anantara desert island was fantastic and delicious. I thank mangement for accepting my complaints on this, but seriously, the food needs improvement. However, the breakfast we had in the breakfast restaurant was very good. 2. There was loud construction noise all night long, which kept my toddler son from sleeping all night long. No one wants to go on a vacation and have construction noise waking up the whole family. If i had known that there would be construction noise all night long, i wouldnt have booked my stay. Please inform your guests on confirmation of this noise, so that people can make the right decision whether to book or delay their visit. Really, if it werent for the staff members' effort to make up for these mishaps, i would think that even 1 star is too much.

afra rashid

This is Afra ALsahil villa 50 ..HEY guys ;) Missed me yet ? This is my Review on one of a kind trip that for sure I will call my second Home ,, little that I knew that I have a place here waiting for me to discover and fall in love with it in just two days … ————— A super hero—————— To the hero Mr.Himanshu Joshi , I hope you receive this as Well as all the Team behind Sir Bani yas island Thank you for creating the right circumstances and resolving all issues with 1 phone call not once But twice . You sir protected the world that day :) ————— Road Trip ————— Arriving to the port before the departure to the island Was an amazing road trip , I would like to thank the team in the port who are looking after us in all ways possible (coffee/water/resting/assistance with kids ,,etc ) .. i never knew how beautiful is my country going to Al Dana port . This was my 1st time seeing it t .. Arriving to the island it was such a delightful smooth trip , Welcoming us on the other part is the Great team of Anantara from handling our luggage , driving us to the Hotel , and welcoming our family into the. Villa ——————- Sir Bani Yas —————— What a beautiful piece of art !Here in my home town !!! A hidden Gem that is not discover by the locals yet hopefully they will soon enough !! It’s a dream that was designed by the late ruler His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , every inch in this island was planted by him with his vision that every generation coming later on can enjoy the beauty of Sir Bani Yas You can read about the animal reservation on the website such a great Mind behind it .The wildlife sanctuary and what are they working on to keep the planet balanced is admirable ,Everything made me fall in love in this place even more . —————— The safari ———————— We chose a Safari trip ,, it Was Amazing Genius tour guy Mr. Younes Thank you so much for the enjoyable Trip and the Amount of information you shared about Sir Banyi Yass island and All animal life/history it was a great time . ————— Many Many thanks ————— Al Sahel Reciption Team:- Ms Retno and the delightful College thank you for everything The Spa Team :- Ms Amirta , thank you for the best Massage I had that day The Safari Team :- Mr Younes ، thank you so much for the Ride and the information you shared ! Amazing we really enjoyed the trip The island Drivers :- Thank you for taking us around the island and asking us about our day I appreciate it The Room service/in-dining :- thank you for understanding our needs for the kids :)