Telal Resort is without a doubt one of the most magical resorts I have ever stayed at. We only had a one-night stay there to break up our trip to Abu Dhabi and get out of the city for a night, but it really, really impressed us. We arrived early in the afternoon after exploring the historical sights of Al Ain, and were welcomed to the resort with cool cucumber-flavoured water, dates, and Arabic coffee.
What we didn’t realise when we checked-in, was that we were at the start of such a unique and incredible stay. I’ve been so excited to share this resort with you, so let’s begin with my review!
The resort is set in the middle of the desert around an hour from Al Ain, and two hours from Abu Dhabi. It’s comprised of a main resort building with restaurant, library/sitting room, fitness centre, spa, and swimming pool, and rooms and villas spread out among the sand dunes surrounding the main building. To get to the rooms and villas, staff drive you in a 4WD SUV, and are on call 24-hours a day to drive you to and from the main building and your villa.
Gazelle Villa at Telal Resort Al Ain
I’m going to start this review by making a major recommendation. Do not stay in any of the Heritage rooms. Just don’t do it. We were very fortunate and stayed in a One Bedroom Gazelle Villa, which was absolutely incredible, but some friends of mine stayed in the entry-level Heritage room a few weeks later and said it was very basic, and absolutely was not the same experience as having a villa.
But anyway, let me tell you all about the Gazelle Villa (pictured above), which was truly amazing!
We arrived at our suite by SUV, driven by a member of the hotel’s staff, and were instantly taken aback by the breath-taking vista before us. Gazing past the villa, all you could see beyond were golden sand dunes. We were shown into the villa and our jaws dropped. Dark wood furniture matched the dark wood window surrounds, giving a natural feel to the space, and adding to the feeling of being in the most luxurious glamping experience you could possibly imagine.
The villa had everything you could possibly need – all of the usual hotel room amenities including a mini bar, air-conditioning, closet space etc. But also a sofa, writing deck, and a huge bed in the centre. Beyond the bed was the open bathroom space, complete with humungous stone bath, an enclosed shower, double sinks, and then a separate toilet/powder room. They had also left a generous variety of little cakes and pastries and treats that we really appreciated after our long day travelling and exploring Al Ain.
A villa set within the desert sand dunes of Telal Resort
Outside the room is where you really want to be, though. There’s a raised patio complete with outdoor table and chairs, and then a firepit with comfortable sofas overlooking the desert. I imagine it would be magical at sunset, but we were at the main resort area during that time.
I did, however, make it for sunrise. I somehow, miraculously, woke up naturally just before sunrise, so decided to quietly sneak outside for a quiet moment alone in the desert.
Surrounded only by a large herd of Gazelles, I sat in the sand, barefoot, in my pyjamas and fluffy bath robe, and stared out at the sun rising over the dunes and desert palm trees. It was pure magic. Where else in the world can you do this? It was the absolute highlight of my whole trip to Abu Dhabi.
We spent a lot of time enjoying the desert, it was just such a unique experience being able to wander out into the dunes at all times of day. I found the changing colours on the sand fascinating, and I have a new-found obsession with gazelles!
Telal Resort’s Pool & Spa
Not only is the surrounding desert magical, but Telal’s outdoor pool is also very special. A lagoon style infinity pool overlooking the dunes, the water appears to disappear into the sand. The water is a perfect, balmy temperature much like a warm bath, and was the ideal place to spend an afternoon lounging around and bathing in the shallows. They also have very comfy lounging beds both in the shade, and out in the sunshine on the dunes.
To fully relax and de-stress, I’d booked a relaxing one-hour aromatherapy massage, but when the therapist started pounding my back and pulling my limbs this way and that, I had to stop her and ask what massage I had booked – thinking that maybe I had booked a Thai massage instead – but she told me that I had booked an aromatherapy massage and asked if I wanted it ‘lighter’.
I realised that perhaps the drastic pulling of limbs was actually very much needed, so I asked her to just continue as before and I ended up feeling much, much better afterward – but it definitely wasn’t an aromatherapy massage!
The ‘indoor’ swimming pool at Telal is also pretty magical. It’s in the shape of a star, and has a waterfall, fountains, and is accessed from a winding staircase.
Food Offering at Telal Resort Al Ain
We enjoyed lunch, dinner, and breakfast at the restaurant during our 24 hour stay at Telal Resort, and were impressed with everything apart from dinner. Breakfast was exceptional, with a humungous spread of food from the A la Carte menu (I loved the fruit salad, while Clare had the Arabic Mezze). Lunch was delightful with Arabic treats and refreshing iced tea.
Dinner however, was a bit of a disappointment. I chose the Tagine, but it arrived as what can only be described as more of a soup/stew. There was no cous cous, no sort of carb to go with it. It was just watery liquid with a few bits of meat and that was it. It definitely wasn’t a Tagine. It was also very quiet at the resort when we visited, so we were the only people in the restaurant each time we dined there which didn’t provide a great experience in terms of atmosphere and vibe.
The resort have an option where you can actually dine, Bedouin-style, in the desert by your villa or room, and I think most people tend to opt for that which makes the restaurant quiet. We actually didn’t know about this option until it was too late, so it would have been nice if the staff at check-in could have explained this option to us – if they had and we had known about it, we would have 100% loved to experience that!
Desert Activities at Telal Resort
Telal offer a whole host of desert activities for you to enjoy during your stay, both paid activites and complimentary ones too. You’re allowed to choose two complimentary activites to experience during your stay, including horse riding, camel riding, archery, and sand-boarding.
Unfortunately a sand storm had hit the resort the day we arrived, so horse riding and camel riding weren’t available, and we only had archery and sand-boarding on offer to us. They were enjoyable though and it felt a little mad to be doing archery in the middle of the sand dunes! Sand boarding was a lot of fun too, although slightly scary for those of who aren’t fans of heights – the sand dunes don’t look particularly high from the ground, but when you’ve climbed up it and are standing at the top, it suddenly seems very high!
Final thoughts of Telal Resort Al Ain
We really loved our stay at Telal Resort, and it was a very special escape from the big city of Abu Dhabi. It was just absolutely magical, and although there were a couple of small issues in terms of the food, I would 100% return for another stay. Just make sure you book a villa for the ultimate experience, rather than a room or suite!
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
