The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach: 48 Hours in a Private Beach Villa

Ras Al Khaimah has two Ritz-Carltons, and people mix them up constantly. One sits inland among the dunes at Al Wadi Desert. The other is this one — The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach — a small beachfront resort of 32 villas on a private stretch of sand at Al Jazirah Al Hamra, about ninety minutes north of Dubai.

I spent 48 hours there. The short version: it is the most private beach stay I have had in the UAE, and the privacy is the product. Every villa has its own pool, its own stretch of garden and a path that takes you from the bedroom to the sea without passing another guest.

Al Hamra Beach or Al Wadi Desert?

This is the question worth settling before you book, because the two properties share a brand and almost nothing else.

Al Wadi Desert is inland, set in a protected reserve, with tented villas among the dunes, desert wildlife and falconry. It is the better choice for a first-time desert experience and for winter, when the dunes are comfortable all day. I wrote about that one separately in my guide to the best desert hotels in the UAE.

Al Hamra Beach is on the coast, with the Arabian Gulf at the end of your garden. It is quieter, smaller and more secluded, and it suits couples and anyone whose idea of a weekend is a pool, a book and the sea rather than an itinerary.

If you have two nights and cannot decide, the resorts run a dine-around arrangement with neighbouring properties, so it is possible to stay at one and eat more widely. But they are different holidays, not two versions of the same one.

The villas

There are only 32, which is what makes the place feel the way it does. Each one is roughly 190 square metres, styled with a thatched roof and a four-poster bed, and screened on three sides by planting so dense that you rarely see a neighbour.

Every villa includes:

• A private pool, which is the centrepiece rather than a plunge-sized afterthought
• An outdoor bathtub
• A cabana that seats six
• A patio sundeck
• Direct access to the beach through your own garden

The floating breakfast is the thing everyone photographs, and it deserves the attention — it is served in your own pool rather than a shared one, which is the difference between a nice picture and a nice morning. In-villa dining runs 24 hours if you would rather not leave at all, and plenty of guests do exactly that.

Where to eat

Two restaurants, which is right for a resort this size.

Shore House is the all-day restaurant, overlooking the infinity pool, serving international food with an emphasis on seafood. This is where breakfast happens if you are not having it in your pool.

Beach Deck opens for dinner only and is set on the sand — a seafood dinner with your feet in it, which sounds like a cliché until you are sitting there at sunset with the Gulf twenty metres away.

Beyond that, the dine-around offer opens up restaurants at nearby resorts including the Waldorf Astoria and Sofitel properties on Al Marjan Island, which is worth using if you are staying longer than two nights.

The spa and what else there is to do

The Ritz-Carlton Spa here works out of private pavilions rather than a single treatment block, with island-inspired treatments. The resort can arrange snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and beach volleyball, and motorised water sports through operators nearby. There is a Ritz Kids club with daily activities, so it works as a family stay as well as a couples one — though the villa layout means the two rarely collide.

The honest note is that you do not come here for a packed programme. You come here to not leave your villa very much.

Al Jazirah Al Hamra, the village next door

One of the most interesting things about this location is within a short drive. Al Jazirah Al Hamra is an abandoned pearling village — coral-block houses, a mosque and a fort, left largely as they were when the community moved out in the middle of the last century. It is among the last surviving traditional villages of its kind in the Gulf, and it is a genuinely strange and atmospheric place to walk around, particularly late in the afternoon.

If you are the kind of traveller who cannot sit still for two days, this is the thing to do. Go for the light at the end of the day and take a camera.

Getting there from Dubai

The drive is around ninety minutes from central Dubai, straight up the E11. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is closer if you are flying in, and the resort can arrange transfers.

The route is easy and there is nothing complicated about it — but leave Dubai outside the evening rush unless you enjoy the Sharjah stretch of the E11 at six in the evening.

When to go

October to April is the comfortable window, and December through February is the best of it for sitting outside all day. The shoulder months either side are quieter and cheaper while still being pleasant in the water.

Summer, June through September, is hot enough that a private pool becomes genuinely useful rather than decorative — the villas are built for shade, and rates drop. If you can tolerate the heat between late morning and late afternoon, it is the best value the property offers.

What it costs

Villa rates have been reported in the region of AED 3,000 to 4,500 a night depending on the season. Rates move constantly, so treat that as a rough indication rather than a quote and check directly before booking.

Is it worth it?

If what you want is a resort with several pools, a long beach walk and a choice of eight restaurants, this is not it, and Al Marjan Island nearby does that better. If what you want is to close a gate behind you and not see anyone for two days, there is very little in the UAE that does it as completely as this.

For a weekend away from Dubai, it is about as far from the city as you can get in ninety minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach?

It is on a private beach at Al Jazirah Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah, on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, roughly a ninety-minute drive north of central Dubai.

What is the difference between Al Hamra Beach and Al Wadi Desert?

They are two separate Ritz-Carlton properties in Ras Al Khaimah. Al Hamra Beach is a 32-villa beachfront resort on the coast. Al Wadi Desert is inland in a protected nature reserve with tented villas among the dunes. Al Hamra suits a beach weekend; Al Wadi suits a desert experience.

Do all the villas have a private pool?

Yes. All 32 villas face the sea and each has its own private pool, along with an outdoor bathtub, a cabana and direct access to the beach through a private garden.

How many restaurants does the resort have?

Two: Shore House, the all-day restaurant overlooking the infinity pool, and Beach Deck, an on-the-sand seafood restaurant open for dinner. In-villa dining is available 24 hours, and a dine-around offer gives access to restaurants at nearby resorts.

Is it suitable for families?

Yes. There is a Ritz Kids club with daily activities, and the villa layout gives families a private pool and garden. It is equally popular with couples, and the seclusion means the two do not really overlap.

How far is it from Dubai?

About ninety minutes by car from central Dubai, straight up the E11. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is considerably closer, and the resort can arrange transfers.

What is the best time of year to stay?

October to April is the comfortable season, with December to February the peak for spending the whole day outdoors. Summer is hot but rates fall, and a private pool makes it more manageable than it sounds.

What is there to do nearby?

Al Jazirah Al Hamra, the abandoned pearling village, is a short drive away and one of the last traditional coral-block villages left in the Gulf. Beyond that, Al Marjan Island has additional restaurants, and Jebel Jais — the UAE's highest mountain — is about an hour inland.