My wife and I needed an escape from the metropolis so we decided to spend the weekend after new year in Al Aqah, a seaside area in the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE. We booked online and headed there on Thursday Jan 3rd to arrive just before 3 pm after a 2 hour drive that was prtly picturesque as well as diverse (sand dunes, farms and palm trees in the middle of the dessert, barren mountains, and finally the beach and deep blue sea). From outside the place looks warm and inviting with lots of green and a glimpse of the beach and sea.
We were greeted like royalty, seated in a reception hall and handed over cool towels and cold hubiscus drink that was out of this world. The check in took some time but eventually we were lead to our room through th lobby, a corridor separating the all day dining restaurant and the indoor bar to the outside yard where the pool, pool bar, the beach and the sea in front and the accomodation areas on the side. The room was clean modern and overlooking the sea. All the staff are extremely polite if sometimes a bit slow in service. Quality management is sometimes not great but staff are very quick to apologize and rectify. There are lots of water sports you can choose from, massage spa, a good gym, sauna, the works. Also there are three restaurants, three bars, an Arabic sheesha place, and a shopping center. All you need under one roof. The bottled water prices are exagerated but everything else is very reasonable. All in all, a serene place that doesn't lack adventureous attractions and a geatiful setup where the hotel is between the deep blue sea and the red barren mountains with tons of palms and vegetation to please the eye and soul.