Since COVID-19 has put a break on international trips, we’ve been resorting to local stays to get our “travel fix”. Thankfully, when it comes to staycations, we have plenty of options in the UAE. Ajman, one of the lesser known emirates – and the smallest – is not usually on a travel bucket-list and does not have much to offer in terms of attractions. However, it has plenty of beach resorts if you’re looking for a laid back beach destination. We recently stayed at the Fairmont Ajman to celebrate Andre’s birthday and get away from the hustle and bustle of Dubai. The hotel is located on “the beach hotel street”, where the best hotels in town are located. The drive from Dubai is just 40 minutes of highway, even though the last few kilometres are within the city.
The Fairmont Ajman is a quiet oasis with direct access to the beach and a temperature-controlled pool, heated in winter and cooled in summer. All rooms have unobstructed views of the Arabian Gulf and most of them have balconies, a splendid place to enjoy the sunsets with your loved one.
The staff was polite and attentive, going the extra mile to accommodate our requests at any hour of the day. They even brought a cake to the room for Andre to celebrate his birthday. We also found it quite safe, with COVID-19 precautionary measures in the common areas, while the room looked spotlessly clean.
Rooms selection
Fairmont Ajman is designed in such a way to guarantee a spectacular view of the Arabian sea from all rooms. Therefore, you cannot really go wrong when selecting your favourite room. We booked a deluxe sea view room but at check-in we got upgraded to a junior suite. This is one of the many perks of being a loyal member of ALL, which is Accor hotels loyalty program.
The junior suite is like a cozy one-bedroom apartment, with art deco inspired furniture and dark wood paneling. There is a living room with a large comfy sofa, coffee table, TV and a working station in the corner. The bedroom has a huge bed, another TV, a reading armchair and connects to a wide bathroom with separate toilet, shower and freestanding bathtub, filled with all required amenities. Both rooms have access to the balcony with sea and sunset views.
Eating and drinking at Fairmont Ajman
There are a few dining options at this resort, one being the classic buffet restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner. We opted for it also for dinner since it gives more flexibility in terms of both timing and food choice. To minimize the risk of spreading the virus, members of the staff will serve you at each station. This slows down the process a bit, but guarantees higher hygiene standards.
The alternatives are an Italian restaurant named Gioia, the Turkish Kiyi that also serves shisha (the local narghile) and the sports bar The Cave.
At lunch you can safely try the beach service if you don’t want to leave your tanning session. We had lunch there twice and ordered simple things: fish & chips, spring rolls and mezze, the typical middle eastern dips and salads. The service was fast and accurate and, for a beach bar, the food was surprisingly good.
Things to do
You’re probably at the Fairmont Ajman to enjoy the beach, so head there early to secure your sun lounger before breakfast to avoid losing the best spots. There are sunbeds around the pool too, but we didn’t like their arrangement and those in the best positions are offered for an extra fee, which includes some drinks and finger food. The pool was also in the shade until late in the morning.
For those seeking some adventure, the hotel also offers a selection of water sports. We have seen people enjoying jet skis, stand-up paddling and wake-boarding during our staycation. There is also a fully equipped gym in the hotel if you don’t want to miss your workout.
Kids have an inflatable water park close to the shoreline to use and there is also a children’s club available, even though we are not sure it is currently open because of the pandemic. There is also a playground next to the beach and the pool, which looked very popular among the young ones.
Last but not least, there is the Willow Stream SPA. It offers indulgent treatments and couple massages other than a hair salon and barber. We haven’t tried it this time, a good excuse to come back to the Fairmont Ajman.
ALL safe at Fairmont Ajman
We found the rooms and common areas well cleaned and disinfected. In the lobby and in the other indoor common areas wearing a mask is mandatory but you can stay at the beach without, subject to respecting social distancing.
At the buffet, the hotel guests are not allowed to handle the food directly but to wait for the hotel staff to safely load the plate with your favourite food item. This is slower than usual but guarantees a higher level of hygiene. The maximum we had to wait for was a couple of minutes at the eggs station, but this is quite common in all breakfast buffets, even pre-pandemic.
Because of changing legislation, keep in mind that some restaurants, the gym or the SPA may have altered opening hours and in some cases they might be closed. Better to check in advance with the hotel to have an updated situation.
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