We recently spent a long weekend at The Cove Rotana in Ras Al Khaimah to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and we came back with mixed feeling about our stay. The resort has very high potential as it is well designed, built on a hill with rooms overlooking the sea. Premium villas are located in small islands in an artificial lagoon and everything is surrounded by vegetation.
We booked a one-bedroom villa for two and were upgraded to a premium villa at check in, a gesture we appreciated to mark our anniversary. The stay looked promising but we soon realized the resort is not exactly deserving of 5 stars.
If you plan to stay at The Cove Rotana in Ras Al Khaimah, read on for our honest review and recommendations.
Avoid Peak Season
We would recommend you to carefully select when to stay at The Cove Rotana. Weekends are usually busy, but if they are combined with a public holiday or some school holiday, they might be a nightmare. The resort was fully booked when we checked-in and it showed in the speed of services. The buggies were particularly slow because of the high demand with waiting times up to 20 minutes.
Tip: keep in mind that the resort is huge and without a buggy you may have to climb a steep road to reach the pool, restaurants, spa or other facilities.
However, the most compelling evidence of the resort’s unpreparedness for the high volume of tourists was at the breakfast buffet, which is served at the Cinnamon restaurant. We arrived at the restaurant around 10am for breakfast and there was a long queue at the entrance, with a 30 minutes waiting list. Dozens of people were standing, patiently sweating at 40 degrees C, hoping to be called next. Apparently, there is no room for all guests at the restaurant. During high season this may be a problem.
Go for a villa with private pool
The premium villa by the lagoon was nice and spacious, but we noticed that many of the other villas had private pools, while ours had a large empty terrace. When we asked the reception if we could get a villa with a pool, they said only 2 and 3 bedroom villas came with private pool.
However, the second night we were moved to another one bedroom villa next door that had a pool on the terrace, and it made a big difference. Against all expectations, the pool was actually big, allowing two adults to stay comfy in the water. Moreover, the wide terrace accommodates some sun loungers so you can easily spend the entire day without leaving the villa.
The infinity pools
If you don’t get the chance to book a pool villa, don’t worry, there are two huge infinity pools in the resort. The main one is called Sunset Pool and is located next to the reception, offering sprawling views across the resort and the Arabian Gulf. It is also the busiest since it has a kids pool and it’s temperature controlled.
The Laguna pool overlooks the lagoon villas and is usually less crowded, as there are no kids around and it’s not temperature controlled. Both pools have lifeguards permanently on duty during open hours and there are bars with drink and light food options. However, unlike other 5 star resorts we’ve stayed at, there is no pool service, so you have to go and get the drinks yourself. There are also no complimentary refreshments or cold towels served during the day, which one would expect from a reputable 5* resort.
The beach
After living for 10 years in Dubai, we are quite used to going to the beach. So whenever we stay at a resort, we prefer to lounge by the pool, especially in the summer, when the sea temperature is like a hot tub. We went to check out the beach at the Cove Rotana on our last afternoon at the resort and only stayed for about an hour. Even though the beach only has a narrow strip of sand, it stretches for over half a km and there are enough sun loungers and umbrellas. We found some of them to be a bit worn out however.
There is also a beach bar and a water sports centre where you can rent kayaks, jet-skis, surfs and even book a scuba diving session. The right side of the beach has steps to access the water and there were fewer people.
Tip: Keep in mind that the closer you stay to the reception area, the further you are to the beach, which can only be accessed through the lagoon villas bridges.
The restaurants
There are a few restaurants within the resort that offer different cuisines throughout the day. Cinnamon restaurant serves buffets and it is the one included in full and half board packages. We tried it at breakfast and dinner and weren’t very happy with it.
There are many food options available but we did not find any single item deserving a second helping.
We also tried the a la carte restaurant named Basilico. It is included in the Entertainer, the popular discount app for those familiar with it. It offers Mediterranean cuisine in a cozy environment. The restaurant is quite small, so it is recommended to book in advance. Our choice fell on some pasta and paella and found the portions very big. We regretted having ordered some stuffed eggplants as appetizers, since we struggled finishing our mains.
We liked the seafood spaghetti, while the paella was lacking some personality. Andre had to add some chilli to it to give it some verve.
The Cove Rotana Spa
We like trying out the spas of resorts we stay at, so we booked a couple massage at the Cove Rotana The Avetine Spa. The cost was in line with some of the premium spas in Dubai, but the facilities weren’t at the same standard.
For us, the ambience of the spa is almost as important as the skills of the therapists. Proper lighting, scented candles, relaxing background music, all help get you in a relaxed mood. The Aventine Spa was more like a gym’s treatment room. After we signed a health check form we were simply escorted to the couple massage room, where the two therapists got on with the massage. At the end, instead of being shown to a relaxation area, they asked us to lay there for another 5 minutes and brought us water in single use cups.
Other highly rates spas offer after-massage facilities like pools, sauna or steam room for those interested to use them. When we entered the jacuzzi room, the only one available, we found it packed with people and hence we left immediately.
Despite all, we have to admit that the massage was excellent. The technicians were good and we both left relaxed, even though we opted for two different massages – Andre chose aromatherapy and Mara went for the de-stress one – we felt the techniques were the same. It was so relaxing that our arms and legs went numb, like during deep sleep. That night we slept like babies and the morning after we felt fully recharged.
Excellent Location
Coming from Dubai the resort is near the end of the E311, the main road that connects the northern emirates to Abu Dhabi.
The resort entrance is just next to the main road, so it is easy to reach from Dubai. The best way to drive there is to take the 311 until its very end and then turn right on the main road. There are enough signals to lead you to the entrance if you don’t want to ask your smartphone for help.
The resort is built on one side of a hill. This prevents the noise and pollution coming from the city to reach the rooms. This design also offers beautiful panoramas with all areas of the resort overlooking the lagoon and the sea.
Great Hotel Management
Not all stays are hassle free. The first night our sleep was disturbed by unruly neighbours, who partied and laughed all night long. We called security a couple of times and only at around 4 am they managed to silence them.
After an almost sleepless night and being bounced at breakfast because there weren’t enough tables for all guests, we asked to talk to a manger and got ready to hear the usual set of excuses and vain promises. Instead, Mr. Ibrahim surprised us with sincere apologies, a brief explanation of what was done to mitigate the inconvenience and with some immediate alternatives. He moved us to a better and quieter villa and arranged for us breakfast to be delivered to the pool we selected. We really appreciated his decisive intervention.
Honest advice: The resort is ok for a family stay and is good value for money, but we wouldn’t rate it a 5 star resort and needs some refurbishment.
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