The view from our room at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort speaks for itself.

This weekend’s stay ranks in “The Most Wonderful” category in all regards – it is without any hesitation the #1 UAE East Coast resort in my opinion, and the accolades from the many international awards that Le Meridien Al Aqah team has received point to it ranking highly on a global scale, as well.

View Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in a larger map and download the GPS track coordinates here.

Located on a 230m stretch of a lovely sandy beach and fronted by the Indian Ocean with stark natural mountains forming the backdrop, the resort is far away enough to transport you to another world, but not too far to make the journey taxing – the new highway from Dubai means you can reach the softly-lapping waves of Al Aqah Beach in around 90 minutes.

You feel on top of the world, not only emotionally, but also physically – our room’s sun-bathing deck, about mid-way up the hotel, meant we had both privacy and astounding views of the Indian Ocean shoreline.

And the smiles that welcomed us at the entrance carried all the way upstairs!

All rooms offer a panoramic view of the beautifully landscaped gardens, pool and the ocean stretching and melting into the horizon. Each room is spacious enough for families and equipped with a host of amenities including walk-in wardrobe, DVD player, computer port and 24-hour in-room dining. A complimentary daily newspaper, tea coffee making facilities and bottled mineral water are replenished daily. Completing the room is a spacious bath room with separate bath and shower and exclusive amenities.

This photo was taken from the 11th floor, about half-way up the tower, and just below Le Meridien Club Lounge!

Le Meridien Club lounge is exclusively available for Le Meridien Club room and suite guests for all day refreshments, reading options, wi-fi lounge and a daily happy hour (and meeting room, if you bring your work with you) – if you can upgrade your stay to a Club room or Suite, the Club Lounge will be an excellent addition to the convenience of your stay.

The Club rooms and suites have upgraded services including express check-in and check-out, high speed internet and special amenities in the room.

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort faces towards the rising sun, and it is backed by the breath-taking Hajar Mountains.

There are many kinds of water sports available to Le Meridien guests, including sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, and all sorts of jet-ski, banana boats, etc. Plus, with a dedicated Kids and Teens Clubs, and an entertainment team to humor you, the fully-equipped fitness centre, enormous pool and kiddy pool – with lifeguards at several points – you can make your stay as active or as relaxed as you like: maybe even both.

After the sun sets Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach draws its guests to its landscaped gardens, where a stroll before or after dining is a very pleasurable experience.

The restaurants play with your tastes – signature Thai restaurant is in fact called “Taste”; the traditional Indian restaurant is named “Swaad”, meaning Taste in Hindi; and “Sapore”, the fine-dining Italian restaurant, also means Taste in Italian language. The theme of Taste obviously underscores the importance Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort places on ensuring that their food and beverage offerings are on par with their service.

All in all, the atmosphere is delightful – and my favourite time of the day, around sunset, sets the mood perfectly in synch with the pleasure of a genuinely five-star facility and staff.

If you happen to visit with someone special, bring them close to you, as the combined effect of the seaside and pampering Le Meridien style may have a magical effect of melting stress and turning it into a shared emotion that will re-energize and create fond memories for years to come.

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide group, one of the world’s largest hotel companies: Hotel booking information

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