Hotel is great value - the food is excellent for buffet, beach club snacks good, AI option very good noon - midnight, western drinks, proper soft drinks, coffee etc - would have been mortified if I'd have to paid full cost.
The rooms are starting to be "tired" and showing their age, but are generally very clean, good linen, toiletries etc. Western guests had a kettle and tea and coffee put out and water daily that was a godsend. Aircon was very good throughout. Most the comments about pools etc are refective of what we experienced. I preferred the hotel pool - good bar, quiet and a good breeze most the time to temper the heat.
The pool is dangerously tatty with tiles missing on sides and bottom - my friend got a nasty cut from the pool bottom. But sun beds comfy and no hassle in getting to beach club. The beach club is OK - nice beach watch for ants and jelly fish tho , good snacks and bar OK - but round the pool was unbearably hot as little breeze. Can be noisy when the daily aqua aerobics starts about 12 - blaring YMCA and the like for Can be noisy when the daily aqua aerobics starts about 12 - blaring YMCA and the like for best part of an hour - but gets the Germans in the pool!
Transfers are a hassle - buses the hotel puts on are just about big enough, and are used to transport staff too from the beach hotel. Hotel to club easy, and a taxi usually available for about 5 AED.
Return more of a hassle - the waiting area is by the building site hoardings - dusty hot and no breeze. Do try the spa - that's the one at the beach club not the hotel. The hotel "ayurvedic spa" offers indian type massages in sheds by the pool.
