The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach

My wife and i booked 6 nights at this wonderful hotel in late February 2026 - we weren’t expecting to stay another 4 nights (courtesy of Mr Trump’s war on Iran….!).

So the first four and a half days were wonderfully relaxed - the hotel only has 35 individual villas, all immaculate, each with a plunge pool, large outdoor (and very private) area, and direct access to a huge beach (only for use by those 35 villas).

The staff were incredibly friendly, professional and attentive, willing to help with any request, and the food at the restaurant (and in-room dining) was excellent (with lots of variety, some off menu requests, and very accommodating for my wife’s vegetarian diet).

And then the missiles started flying and our stay was unexpectedly extended…..!

We had no idea how long we’d be stuck in the UAE, and worried what would happen after our check out date - we needn’t have worried.

Shivraj (the rooms division manager) was amazing - he made sure we could stay in our villa for as long as we needed (no pressure to move on or even move rooms), and he got confirmation from the UAE government that the government would cover the room costs for the extra days). There was no panic from him (or any of the other staff), no drama, but also no sugar coating of the situation - calmness and honesty were needed and provided.

That appreciation of Shivraj can be extended to everyone at the resort - after 10 nights they all felt like a second family (they all knew our names, what room we were in, what drinks we wanted at breakfast, etc, etc…!).

A special thanks to the team at the restaurant - Su and Moe serving everyday with smiles on their faces, Arun looking after us so well and arranging for us to have a fantastic (off-menu) indian curry one night (and thank you to the chef for preparing that for us).

Then thanks to Mario for driving us up and down to reception and the restaurant at all times. Also to his colleague from Pakistan who did the evening shift (so sorry can’t remember your name) - he was really reassuring when the missiles and drones started (that was nothing compared to what his family are used to living on the border with Afghanistan - he helped put things into context)

Thanks also to the lovely sri lankan guy who turned down our rooms most days (sorry the cricket result didn’t go your way). The always cheerful gentlemen who provided room service (Vaishak and the lovely man from Uganda (sorry i can’t remember your name either)).

Finally thanks to Arun who worked at the beach restaurant, and everyone else we met and who looked after us - not least the friendly and supportive hotel manger.

Our recent 5-day stay at Ritz Al Hamra was truly exceptional. From the moment we arrived until the day we left, the level of service across the resort—from front desk to restaurant to housekeeping—was consistently outstanding.

What impressed us the most was the genuine hospitality and attention to detail. Throughout our stay, staff members not only remembered my name and my wife’s name, but even remembered how I liked my morning beverage. These small yet meaningful touches truly reflect the Ritz service standards.

We were warmly welcomed by Julie at Desk and Mario, who made us feel at home from the very beginning and even remembered the names of our visiting family members later during our stay—an impressive memory and a wonderful gesture.

A special thank you to Shivraj (Room Division Manager) for arranging a thoughtful welcome amenity for us.

I would also like to recognize some incredible team members who made our stay memorable:
• Angelica – for the amazing chai every morning
• Moe – always greeting us warmly and even accommodating lunch menu items during dinner
• Arun – an outstanding all-rounder who made us feel truly special
• Aby – fantastic smoothies and very accommodating, even during our beach dinner
• Clark (F&B Manager) – who welcomed us every morning with a smile and the words “welcome home,” which truly made us feel exactly that

Few others in restaurant service team:
Su, Abdul, Abubakar, Khatidja..deserve the recognition as well.

Guest services were also exceptional. Sufyan was always helpful with the buggy rides around the resort, making moving around effortless.

The housekeeping team deserves recognition as well—especially Winnie and Suresh—for maintaining the room beautifully every day.

At the beach, Arjun provided excellent service and attentiveness.

The Highlight: Shore House Restaurant

The best part of the resort experience was Shore House Restaurant. It truly elevated our stay beyond expectations.
Big shout for New Executive Chef Rahul and his sous Chef Uday.

The food here is simply the best in the entire Al Hamra area. We tried restaurants at nearby hotels including Sofitel, Ritz Al Wadi, and Waldorf, but Shore House stood out clearly.

The menu is approachable yet refined, with fresh ingredients, perfect portions, balanced flavors, and clean presentation.

The service style is exactly what great hospitality should be—engaged, warm, and genuine, never stiff or scripted.

Breakfast here is fantastic, and some dishes we absolutely loved:
• Fajitas
• Wagyu Burger
• Wings
• Desserts (a must try)

The Beach Deck restaurant also served excellent seafood. The Flambé Chicken and Peach Cheesecake were standout dishes.

Small Details That Made a Big Difference

Luxury hospitality is about details, and this resort truly understands that:

• Using the guest’s name
• Genuine smiles
• Engaged service
• Thoughtful care
• Flavorful, well-balanced food
• Privacy and comfort

These are the small touches that transform a good stay into a memorable one.

Thank you to the entire team at Ritz Al Hamra for making our stay so special. We look forward to returning.

We very much enjoyed our recent stay at the Ritz Carlton - this was our second visit. It is superbly located on a wide expanse of beach and comprises a number of individual villas - our villa was spacious, comfortable and very well equipped. We enjoyed our short walk across the beach to the restaurant which was excellent with good food expertly cooked and nicely presented. The staff throughout the resort were clearly well trained and were friendly and helpful.
For golfers the championship golf course next door is very convenient being just a short buggy ride from the hotel. Other reviews mention tired fittings and decor - possibly a valid criticism but the villas are comprehensively equipped and everything works perfectly so not an issue for us. However criticism of invisible management is absolutely valid. During a ten day stay we once saw a manager but we did not know who he was until a member of staff told us.

I questioned multiple times during my time here if the hotel was truly a Ritz Carlton.

The resort is dirty and it is in no way a luxury experience. It was so bad that I went between being horrified, laughing and baffled.

The chaos started from the moment of contact. The concierge team who contacted me via WhatsApp do not communicate in a professional manner which would be expected from a ritz Carlton.

Our villa checkin was delayed and not ready until almost 4pm which left us waiting at “Shore House”, the hotel restaurant featuring filthy chairs, an uninspiring (and dirty) menu riddled with spelling mistakes and waitstaff with 0 product knowledge. (One waiter needed to check the menu as he didn’t remember the three ice cream flavors available which were vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.)

Once arriving in the room we discovered a dusty terrace and bird droppings surrounding the pool. We requested housekeeping to clean this but upon returning saw that it was not fixed.

The property does not at all live up to the ritz Carlton standard and there does not seem to be anyone there taking any accountability.

The sunbed of the luxury villa was torn with the stuffing coming out.

There was chipped paint in the bathtub.

There was debris inside the swimming pool at the bottom.

The parasol was filthy.

The list goes on.

The breakfast experience was dismal, the buffet had flies landing on the food that looked unfresh. The waiters forgot items we’d ordered, left ashtrays full and had to be asked to clear the table.

The hand towels in the restaurant bathroom hadn’t been restocked, one of the toilets had been soiled and the shower was rusting and not properly installed in the wall.

We requested to speak with the duty manager who assured us that he would make sure we would leave happy, however he did not do anything and when we tried to speak to him before leaving we were informed he had already left for the day. We then waited an hour for another duty manager who was equally unhelpful.

These things would be inexcusable for a mid-range hotel but for this to be the experience at a “luxury” brand hotel was appalling.

One of the staff members at Shore House came to bring an ashtray in a huge oversized jacket and said she was feeling sick. This raised a concern that staff are unable or uncomfortable to request time off when unwell.

We ordered room service for dinner, the burrata was rubbery and the salt and pepper didn’t work. We tried calling to ask for a salt and pepper that did work and couldn’t get through. The mushroom risotto and salmon was good but did not make up for such a disappointing experience when it’s such basic things that the hotel is failing at.

We visited The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah with the genuine intention of considering it for a future stay. At the moment, we are staying at Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, where this is our second stay, and based on our positive experiences, we were seriously considering switching to Ritz-Carlton next year.

Unfortunately, the experience during our visit was extremely disappointing and left us feeling uncomfortable and even humiliated.

From the moment we arrived, the attitude at the reception made us feel unwelcome, as if our presence was an inconvenience rather than that of potential future guests.

We were offered a short buggy “tour” of the resort, which in reality was no tour at all. We were driven at an uncomfortably high speed through the property, without any explanations. When my husband politely asked the staff member to slow down and explain, he was clearly annoyed and unhelpful. Within less than four minutes, we were brought back to the reception without having seen or learned anything about the resort.

What made this even more disappointing is that we have stayed three times at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, where we received an exceptional and truly unforgettable experience. Knowing that both hotels belong to the Marriott group, it is difficult to understand how the level of service could be so dramatically different.

At no point were we asked any questions or offered assistance. For a hotel of such international reputation, this level of indifference toward potential guests is shocking.

Sadly, this visit completely changed our perception of the brand.

Probably the best hotel I’ve stayed at. Amazing friendly staff, relaxing and beautiful rooms. Private pool, scenic garden and direct access to the beach.

It’s is expensive but if you fancy a special treat you can’t go wrong here.

Shout out to Ahmed at reception and Amir the concierge who made our stay so memorable.

Beautiful property, very good service, tasty food. Delicious breakfast and good dinner menu.
Quiet location, good views of the gulf.

We have had a great experience staying at The Ritz Carlton in Ras Al Khaimah. It’s a relaxed beach vibe. The food was EXCELLENT, Chef Rahul made us a bespoke curry which was the best we have ever tasted and we are used to good curries from Bradford, UK. The jewel in the crown for us are the exceptional service received from the staff, they are polite and always happy to see you, remembering your name and details of what you like to order. In dining: Arun, Arun S, Angelica, SU, Abdul and Mo were stand outs, thank you. Sandeep was always on hand with a buggy at any time day or night. We went outside of the hotel to eat by buggy and then picked up whatever time we wanted. The rooms were impeccably cleaned every day and turn down service, thank you to Winnie and Simon. Amazing massage from Joyce in the spa. Our only issue was that there were elements of the hotel that needed a refresh: cushions, blinds, paintwork etc I think renovations are underway in the villas. Thank you we’ve had a lovely stay. Sally Shore

Our stay was perfect… from the moment we stepped out of the car and were greeted by friendly valet, to the very end when we reluctantly had to leave. The epitome of luxury!

It was a seamless check-in, followed by a short (very exciting for the children) ride in the golf buggy to our room. Trees lined the pathway as we walked to our private villa, with the view of the sea straight ahead.

Waiting for us in our room was a small feast! The children were thrilled to have marshmallows and strawberries to dip into melted chocolate, and then the adults were enthused by the chocolates, welcome drinks and cheese platter!

Our room was beautiful! Floor to ceiling windows throughout, leading out to our own private area which included a bath, a private pool and a seating area. As you walked further down the pathway, there were sunbeds in a Cabana type structure, amongst trees and other greenery. The perfect haven! Lying here listening to the waves and reading my book was an absolute dream!

The children loved taking their buckets to collect shells, and the lifeguard at the beach was great! He brought over some “special shells” that he knew would be a hit with the children, and gave them some more bags to collect even more shells.

The lady at kids club was warm and welcoming, and the children instantly took a shining to her. She made friendship bracelets, applied face paint, sang, and made lots of arts and crafts with them.

In the evening, we had dinner on the beach. It was January, so the weather was a little cold. But there was a warm and welcoming fire to keep us cosy. With the fire burning and the water glistening in the moonlight, a calm serenity took hold. The setting was nothing short of perfect. We ordered the seafood platter which was rich in flavour, with the lobster being the best we have tasted!

As we were eating dinner, it struck me… all those blinds need to go down before we get the children to bed! However, fear not… when we arrived back at the room, the turn-down service had already taken care of this. Slippers by the bed, dates on the bedside table, low level lighting… a perfect end to the most perfect day!

I was then able to sit outside with the cheese platter and my kindle and fully embrace this moment of luxury.

In the morning, we had breakfast included. Seeing that it was an alacarte menu brightened my morning. I ordered avocado on toast and added some hallumi, mushrooms and hash browns.
It really was absolutely fantastic food quality. I then enjoyed a biscoff lotus croissant complemented by my coffee. Sadly, we only stayed the one night so I could not partake in the mimosa breakfasts which were calling my name. Next time, I will be sure to book two nights instead!

We had the most amazing staycation and I hope to go back again in the near future to relive this experience.

We stayed here as a family for a few nights before heading to Dubai and had a really calm, enjoyable stay. Breakfast at Shore House was great ,they even remembered our coffee orders each morning.
Our villa was lovely with a perfectly heated pool, and it was nice chatting with the Scottish manager in the mornings, really helpful with information on things to do and see.
We did notice a couple of cats, as mentioned in other reviews, and one was quite loud outside our villa one evening. We mentioned it to Shivraj at the front desk, who came over straight away with security and handled it kindly and efficiently. The next morning they explained that animal welfare had collected the cat, and as an animal lover it was reassuring to hear about the humane catch, neuter and relocation programme.

Overall, a very relaxing stay and we’d happily return.

We stayed here this week as a family to relax before moving on to Dubai, and it was a fantastic experience.
The food was excellent, especially breakfast at Shore House. We loved that it’s à la carte rather than a buffet, and Angelica and Arun made every morning feel special. We also ate at Beach Deck ,the food and service were top notch. It was a bit cold as it’s open-air, but a small trade-off. We mentioned to the waiter that we enjoy a good Rioja, and later that evening we were surprised to find a bottle waiting for us in our villa with a lovely setup on the patio ,such a thoughtful touch.
We stayed in Villa 22 and Villa 23, both of which felt significantly refreshed since our last visit. Big improvements to the air conditioning and no issues with smells this time.
It was great to see the GM, Damon, around the resort chatting with guests, and we really appreciated his recommendations for our upcoming Dubai trip. A special thanks as well to Paulina and Shivraj at reception for arranging early check-in and checking in on us throughout our stay.
A shame the boat arrival at check-in is no longer offered, but thanks to the outstanding staff we had a very relaxing stay and would definitely return.

I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Mr. Arjun, Mr. Basharat, and Mr. Sandeep at The Ritz-Carlton, Ras Al Khaimah. The food was exceptional, and the level of care and attention provided throughout the stay was truly commendable.

My boss thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it was evident that great thought and effort were put into ensuring comfort and satisfaction. Thank you for the outstanding hospitality and service.

We had done a Wedding Proposal event set up at The Ritz carlton Al Hamra, on the Beach. The Hotel overall is Superb with great Amenities, Ms. Basharat was our point of contact from the hotel to coordinate this event set up. She was very prompt, efficient, very supportive and very clear on what needed to be done. It was great working with her and the F & B team. We had Dinner at the Pool Restaurant, the Steak was Juicy and Amazing. Its a Highly recommended hotel with quite ambience and Superb Service.

An unforgettable experience at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hamra Beach. The entire team went above and beyond to organize our proposal, and every detail was handled with exceptional care, professionalism, and warmth.

A special mention to Basharat, the Head of Experiences at the resort, who was absolutely outstanding throughout the process. She was incredibly attentive, highly communicative, and truly invested in making the moment perfect. Her attention to detail and genuine dedication made the entire experience seamless and stress-free.

The setting, coordination, and service reflected the very best of what the Ritz-Carlton brand stands for. This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment made truly magical, and we couldn’t recommend the resort more highly for anyone looking to celebrate something special.

We visited for a family Christmas day, the team could not have been more welcoming or supportive. We had specific access needs that were not only supported but the team went over and above to really ensure my family were looked after. Arun and his team were detailed in their preparation for the visit and made it seamless and smooth. Jiyas who looked after our table for the day was a blur as he was so speedy in anticipating our needs. Clark and his team were a joy to deal with at one of their busiest times, and we felt very special indeed. 11/10 all round ... A Beautiful Christmas Day.

This was our fourth stay at this resort. We come every year from Dubai as a short escape between Christmas and New Year, which makes this experience even more disappointing.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge that the staff themselves were genuinely lovely and very attentive in trying to fix the issues we encountered. Unfortunately, the overall experience fell far below what we’ve come to expect.

From arrival, things felt off. In previous years you could arrive by private boat, which was part of the charm, but the area has now been filled with sand, meaning access is only by buggy. Our room wasn’t ready, so we went to the main (and only) restaurant. We sat for quite some time without being welcomed, offered menus, or brought drinks, and eventually had to ask. Service was very slow, so we left and went to the sports bar next door (not affiliated with the hotel).

When we returned, our villa was ready but clearly very run down —cracked walls, old paint, and generally tired interiors. There was no welcome platter as in previous stays. The outdoor bathtub had no hot water, and later that evening the indoor shower was also only running cold water.

The beach was another major letdown. It’s now full of stones and very uncomfortable to walk on so much so that a buggy driver saw me struggling and kindly offered to pick me up.

We attempted to have dinner outside, but the lights weren’t working, requiring maintenance to come. While fixing the lights, the entire villa lost power. Room service also forgot our ice order. We then sat for around 30 minutes waiting for power and TV to be restored. Again, the maintenance staff were lovely, but guests shouldn’t be dealing with this many issues.

Other points worth mentioning: there is no proper spa, only massages; the food is very average; and overall the resort feels neglected and in need of a serious refurbishment and upgrade.

Sadly, what used to be a special annual getaway now feels sloppy and poorly maintained. This was a really disappointing stay, and we won’t be returning

Stayed at resort for Christmas and was treated to a fabulous time.
The resort is just the right size made up of 32 villas but never felt crowded at all, it’s so peaceful.
Staff were excellent, very friendly and couldn’t do enough for us.
Villas are meticulously clean and spacious with your own private pool, outdoor sun lounging and dining areas, again very private and peaceful.
Highly recommend.

My husband and I had an unforgettable weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing, especially with the private pool and direct beach access. The ambiance was perfect, and the staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. A special thank you to Sufian and Sandeep for their outstanding service, and to the reception team for making our check-in and check-out process seamless. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a luxurious and tranquil getaway!

We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Ras Al Khaimah in September and had an amazing experience. Everyone was incredibly kind and helpful — from the managers to all the staff.

A special thanks to Angelica for her kindness and warm smile every day, and to Su, Jiyas, Saed, Arun, Deepu, Sailesh, and Sufian, who always greeted us with positivity and great service.

It was our first time at this hotel, but definitely not the last. Truly one of the best experiences we’ve ever had!

Luxurious, Tranquil, Personal touch, Beautiful scenery, Fabulous Rooms
Arun and his team did a great job of looking after us at the Shorehouse restaurant. Great meals at Shorehouse and the Beach Deck.
A really lovely anniversary experience