The larger-than-life pyramid guest towers of Rixos Bab Al Bahr are the first thing you’ll see as you enter Al Marjan Island.
Since opening its doors in 2014, this all-inclusive, family-friendly resort offers guests 715 rooms with eight pools, fitness areas, a beach and many other features.
The National checks in to find out what the family-friendly resort in Ras Al Khaimah offers guests of all ages.
The welcome
My husband, two children and I are greeted immediately upon arriving, with hotel staff taking and labeling our bags to be taken to our family suite. The receptionist excitedly notes that our designated family suite is one of their best, and my little ones and I can hardly wait to see what awaits.
The room
The Kids Escape Suite is a spacious, two-bedroom apartment with a devoted entryway, two bathrooms and has views over the turquoise Arabian Gulf beyond.
The room for little ones houses a child-safe bunk bed in the shape of a bright red house, with faux window plants at the windowsills and all. My one-year-old, who still can’t speak, lets out an audible gasp of excitement upon seeing the beds, while my toddler runs straight to the broad built-in stairs that lead up to the top bunk and she can’t believe her luck that this is where she will get to sleep tonight. The room also includes a crib for my younger one that fits perfectly next to the bunk bed house.
The master bedroom has a large bed next to a private balcony also enclosed in beautiful arches, with the same waterfront view. There is plenty of storage for all our supplies and outfits between two closets, and the master bedroom also has a large open space for the girls to run around while we get ready to check out what the hotel has to offer. The tiny, child-sized robes in the kiddie closet are definitely a nice touch.
Notable immediately is the resort’s commitment to sustainability, even in an all-inclusive setting. The toiletries avoid plastics, with bamboo toothbrushes and paper packets of toothpaste in the hygiene kits. Even the room’s key cards are non-plastic. As someone who frets constantly about waste and overindulgence even, especially on holiday, this allowed me to further put my mind at ease.
The food
During our two-night stay, my family and I tested out the Seven Heights all-day dining restaurant, as well as several a la carte options available to all-inclusive guests.
My personal favourite is the breakfast buffet at Seven Heights. All the offerings, from freshly fried eggs to a fruit and yoghurt bar and a crepe station feels fresh and expansive. A hot selection of breads and pastries are available, with a special mention to the Turkish simit. Rixos’s Turkish hospitality origins are visible in such authentic details, which I am quick to notice as a former Istanbul resident. No one in my family leaves breakfast disappointed, with my younger daughter eating a full bowl of yoghurt, fruit and oatmeal, and the older one delighting over chocolate croissants, crepes, and basically anything sweet she could get her hands on. My husband, who is the type to eat lunch for breakfast, raved about the asian noodles, veggie stir-fry and the curried potatoes.
For those visiting Rixos Bab Al Bahr without young kids, there is an adult-only outdoor dining area.
Keeping sustainability in mind, the open buffet prompts guests to think about the food waste, keeping tabs on the daily level of food scraps thrown away and how many people this amount could feed.
As for the a la carte options, there is Turkish restaurant Lalezar, Asian fusion eatery Aja Restaurant, Fishbone for seafood lovers, steakhouse Meat Point and Italian venue L’olivo Restaurant.
We sample all of the above except Lalezar, with my personal favourite being the creamy pesto pasta at L’olivo. I also enjoy the unique blend of Turkish, Asian and traditional seafood meals at Aja and Fishbone, where we enjoyed custom sushi rolls, flaky crispy-skinned sea bream and a delicious green tea creme brulee to finish the meal.
Each restaurant was sure to include a fun and cheerily named option for little ones, such as the Tom and Jerry fried hot dog meal at Meat Point, and the pizza at D’olivo was consumed rapidly by both my girls (even the one with only six teeth).
For those without children, overlooking the main restaurants is the rooftop spotMojito, offering a more quiet, exclusive type of evening overlooking the beach.
Children's activities
While my daughters are both under the age of four and therefore unable to take advantage of the hotel's full kids’ offerings, we were not disappointed with what was made available to them.
For children above four, the club offers several activities to keep all ages entertained – including a film room, arts and crafts, as well as a large, natural light-filled indoor play area just beside the kiddie pool. There are unique daily activities – during our stay, they fill the beach area with several inflatable slides and bounce houses and invite the children to take turns hitting a pinata.
For my younger children, we spend ample time at Rixos Bab Al Bahr’s playground, with two hill-sized slides, conveniently located right beside the beach bar, Isla. The resort makes it easy for my husband and one-year-old to sip coffees on the waterfront while keeping an eye as my toddler goes up and down the big slides.
While it is too cold for us weather-adjusted locals to take a dip in the many pools and water slides, we were among the minority – the resorts’ main pool and beachfront adults-only infinity pool were filled with happy guests enjoying their time in the UAE winter sun.
Sports and fitness
Exclusive Sports Club operates independently across many of the Rixos resorts worldwide, keeping the fitness standards high with qualified trainers and plentiful class offerings.
I take part in a morning session of hammock yoga, led by the Turkish instructor Meral, who is enthusiastic and encouraging in leading us both to stretch and work our muscles a bit. After the session, Meral leads us through a soundbath as the class laid in their aerial hammocks. I leave feeling refreshed and motivated.
In addition to these outdoor classes, the sports club also includes a full-size tennis court and a basketball court available for reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.
The verdict
Rixos Bab Al Bahr is an ultra all-inclusive option with everything you truly need for an energetic reset whether alone or with family.
The details
Rooms start at Dh1,100 a night. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by noon.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time. Services may change in the future
