This resort was a strong 4.5/5 for us. We stayed at the Marriott on the Palm last year and we preferred the Taj in most respects.
Our suite (101) was huge! The super king bed was so comfortable. Two bathrooms, separate lounge and wardrobe area were all spacious and immaculate. Kids shared a double sofa bed which was ok, but could have been better. The fridge was also not particularly cold. We mentioned this to reception, but can’t be sure it was looked into as we didn’t notice any difference.
The default air con seems to switch on and off. This woke me several times a night by either being too hot, or disturbed by the fan kicking in. This improved by turning the fan to ‘on’ before going to bed. Something to be aware of if you’re a light sleeper.
We travelled on my son’s 9th birthday, but chose to celebrate it the following day once we had arrived. The hotel, upon hearing this, decorated our room with balloons and petals and provided a lovely birthday cake with his name. Such a lovely thing to do, especially as it wasn’t even his birthday by then. He was thrilled.
One of the main features of this hotel is the size of the pool and Taj had this spot on. It’s 4ft deep throughout and there’s a shady, separate pool for little ones. The pool size allowed for inflatables and ball games which makes a difference for families. We had to reserve sun beds before going to breakfast to ensure we could get 4 together. There were more beds to be found on the beach but it’s standard Dubai builders grit for sand and along with the Jellyfish warnings, we opted for the pool each day. The pool staff are a credit to the hotel. From the chaps who move umbrellas to find shade, to the lifeguards to the serving staff. They were all very efficient and friendly. Chilled free water and ice lollies went down a treat too!
We’re big foodies and we have mixed reviews on the food. The breakfast buffet was very average, with long queues for eggs.
For lunch and dinner, the adult menus, in the main, delivered good variety and quality. In addition to the sushi, some more non-fried fish options would be welcomed across the restaurants.
The children’s menu was pretty much the same in all restaurants and not great quality. This meant us having to feed them from the adult menus which isn’t great when you’re half board. Wine selection could also do with being reviewed. Thankfully discovered a Minuty from the Lime Pool bar (which wasn’t on the menu at The Coast).
The food at Varq was a cut above, although our waiter gave inaccurate information on spice levels. That was disappointing and my husband and I had to swap dinners. They were great with the children though and thoughtfully presented the buttered chicken as a Korma for my food-wary son.
We liked the family-friendly vibe in Roaring Rabbit and the portions were huge! We had a problem with hot red wine at one point, but the staff were quick to notice the mistake and promptly changed it without us having to say anything. The children enjoyed the pool table. Shame there were no darts for the dartboard.
The games room is a great addition for children, although do check that advertised activities are actually on. We scheduled a day around a FIFA tournament that my son wanted to take part in, only no one from the hotel bothered to turn up to run it.
The club room is fantastic and a wonderful extra included with suites. Children are allowed in and enjoy refreshments and snacks too. They serve a very acceptable sparkling wine and we were wonderfully looked after by Diksha who remembered our drinks order each day after our very first request.
Do keep receipts if you’re paying as you go, as we had some incorrect charges to sort upon check out, including being billed again for the tourism tax paid on arrival.
Overall, we had a lovely stay and would recommend the Taj Exotica to other families.
