While on a recent business trip to Dubai, I could ...

While on a recent business trip to Dubai, I could find a day when I was free to relax and unwind. I had been looking for something which is truly Arab, unlike Dubai, which is more of a ultra cosmo city with no cultural linkage.
On doing lot of online search settled for Qasar Al Sarab Desert Resort, Abu Dhabi. While making the booking I had no idea, that it is almost 320 Kms from Dubai city but at the time of transfer I realized that the transfer from Dubai city is costly. I chose a metered taxi in place of Hotel transfer. Meter Taxi costed me AED 550 (from Dubai) while the hotel transfer would have costed me AED 1150 (on a limo). Qasar Al Sarab is located 12 Kms inside the Liwa desert from the city of Hameem. Almost half of the drive is on the E11 expressway from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and from there on E65, so it is comfortable but it takes 3 hours to reach Hameem and about 15 minutes from there to the resort on a isolated Desert Road. Desert road is really beautiful, the black tarred serpentine unwinding itself on the golden pink desert dunes and tops. In case you are lucky you can spot Oryx, which we did (not one but two).
It was extra ordinarily pleasant on the day of our journey with occasional drizzling of rains and throughout cloudy. Once inside the resort the ordeal of the long journey vanished. We were spell struck with the beauty of the Palace and its surrounding. The resort is built like an Arab Palace with water bodies, Palm & Date trees. The check in was, in the hotel lobby and smooth, we were greeted by the front desk executive and escorted to the lobby where we were offered perfumed cold towels and camel milk & dates smoothy, We were allotted single bedroom pool villa, to which we were booked. The resort is spread in acres and guests are transferred in a golf cart/ buggy from the hotel reception to their room and for any transfer across the resorts, the guests need to call for buggy or take a long walk through myriad of corridors, bordered with beautiful bougainvillea and mogra plants. On way to our villa, Mr, Bakhtiar, our Butler introduced us to various facilities across the resort, which included a pool, spa, fitness centre, different restaurants, souvenir shop, helipad etc. etc.
The Villa are huge and have King Size bedroom, with luxurious 20 inch mattresses, a huge living room, complimentary fruit basket and box of Arab Sweets, unlimited supply of drinking water and complimentary bottles of Evian Mineral Water. There is an indoor shower, bath tub, separate WC, separate dressing area, Wash basins, outside pool and outside shower. There is a separate living room with 42 inch LCD, DVD player, complimentary WiFi, bureau, mini bar, pantry, nespresso machine and all the things which are required. In case, anything is missing a call to your private butler would do.
As are the interiors of the resort stunning, so are the exterior impressive. All outside views are directed towards the endless sand dunes of different shapes, size and color. Each time of the day brings out a different hue. I could have never imagined that desert can be so beautiful and fascinating.
The breakfast was equally lavish in Al Waha dining hall.
The sleep quality was excellent, one of the best experienced in recent times.
The staff in resort is very friendly and always willing to help
Few negatives: There are limited options fro vegetarians. Indian travelers fond of Indian food only would be disappointed, the touch panel for electricity are confusing and sometimes do not react to the touch,