Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort

The location and the feel of the place is great. So secluded and it and empty beaches. Great Sunrise from the Beach villa. Activities are expensive. rooms and over all facilities can be better for the price point. Food is average and nothing great to talk about. We felt that it was not fresh. 5 star because of great service from duty Managers Michelle and George and for the location.

Overall: A mixed experience, with the highlight being the room. However, the price does not reflect the overall experience—there are much stronger offerings in the UAE at this price point. Pros: • Beautiful room (Wilderness Villa): We loved having multiple spaces to relax as a family, including a dining table and a small living area. The layout made the stay very comfortable. The heated pool was a pleasure to relax in during the cooler hours and the animals came up to say hello. • Friendly staff: Special mention to Chady, the snorkeling guide, and Prudence, who provided excellent service at breakfast. All the staff were pleasant and friendly. Cons: • Subpar breakfast for a 5-star resort: The selection was limited and did not meet expectations. • Empty minibar: Despite requesting a refill, there was no stock available for the whole weekend. • Poorly coordinated island transport: On three occasions, we had to wait over 30 minutes. One driver even dropped us at the wrong location, which disrupted our afternoon diving plans. By the time we arrived, it was almost dark, making my wife and daughter uncomfortable proceeding. • Room service discrepancies: Food descriptions didn’t match what was delivered. For example, a fruit platter was supposed to include ice cream, but we had to ask for it twice before it arrived. • Slow service: Due to a front desk mistake, our dinner took two hours to arrive—not ideal with a young child.

A Deeply Disappointing Stay We chose this resort to celebrate a special birthday, but it turned out to be a massive letdown. The property is shockingly mismanaged and fails to meet even the most basic expectations of an Anantara resort. Dining options are severely limited, with only three restaurants on the entire island—one of which was closed. Even the available options were poorly stocked, lacking basics like Tabasco sauce and Prosecco. The menu was uninspired, featuring only one chicken main dish, and the salmon was overcooked, dry, and completely unappetizing. Their excuse for slow service was that the resort was “full,” yet all restaurants were practically empty, and we only saw one or two other guests during our entire stay. This lack of transparency was insulting and added to the overall frustration. To make matters worse, the nearing property (which is where the spa and other amenities are) is littered with construction zones. Near the pool area, there’s equipment and obstructions everywhere, ruining what should have been a relaxing experience. The rooms were also disappointing—filled with bugs, an issue that could have been mitigated indoors with better maintenance. Furthermore, most of the staff appeared to be untrained trainees who seemed completely unprepared to provide even a basic level of service. We deeply regret staying here and would strongly advise against wasting your time or money here. There are far better resorts that deliver superior service, experiences, and attention to detail.

Location is TOP! Such a beautifull place, but hotel is overpriced for what they offer. Its under renovation, so there is construction work all over the beach and noise. Beware of weather. If its too cold for beach or pool, there is not much to do as most activities you can do in 1 day. Food is limited. There is 1 buffet restaurant and 1 a la carte restaurant, no place to get snacks. Staff is super friendly and you can tell they are doing their best to enhance your experience. Kids clubs was a life saver as kids where bored over the 2 days! .

Extremely disappointing stay at Al Sahel Villas and Sir Bani Yas. |Having stayed here about 6 years ago, I was extremely excited for a 2 night stay for our wedding anniversary, however the hotel is worn down and doesn’t live up to the usual Anantara standards. ||Highlights |- rooms come with a lovely pool to relax by |- staff are extremely attentive and caring - congratulated us on our anniversary regularly|- the animals and safari trip are great ||Arrival at jetty they could have a better selection of refreshments whilst you wait for the boat over. |Once we arrived at Al Sahel, we were greeted well and shown to our room. Rooms have been recently ‘refurbished’ but you wouldn't think it apart from the outdoor pool. Rooms are tired and furniture is old - they need a thorough renovation. |We ordered room service which took over an hour to arrive and the food was cold, but we were so hungry we didn’t say anything. |Relaxed by the pool which is great with all the animals. However, this is when it became clear there is extensive construction works ongoing at the resort and you can hear the construction works all day. |Went for drinks and dinner at Savannah bar - no advertisement of happy hour at the Savannah Bar until we paid the bill and noticed price differences. Food at Savannah was nice but not much atmosphere at the restaurant. |Safari the following morning was great, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and showed us all the amazing animals. |We then went for a massage at the Spa which is located at the Desert Island Resort which was nice, followed by lunch at Al Shams. Menu selection again was limited and extensive construction works is ongoing by the main pool with hoarding covering the beach / sea therefore experience is ruined so we headed back to our villa. |Dinner at Olio, again, nice enough but limited menu and lack of atmosphere. We asked the staff at each hotel what the occupancy was and they all said very full, however it didn’t seem like it and we saw the same few groups at every restaurant and activity. |Breakfast at Al Sahel is basic, it’s a buffet but there is no wow. Given limited number of guests I suggest you change this to Al a carte since food had gone cold by the time you had it from the self serve. |Ended the trip with being told the staff had broken our new suitcase handle - no idea how, must’ve been pulled with quite a force. ||In summary, It was nice to go somewhere different and staff were very pleasant however I would not return to the resort until an extensive refurbishment is complete with new restaurants. You are better to go to Bab Al Shams if you want desert luxury for the price you pay at Al Sahel.

One amazing island, with so much to do. The main attraction for us was the animals and we were not disappointed, they are everywhere! ||The team at the Anantara were attentive and supportive, giving us a late checkout when needed.||The food was good at the camp and plentiful (we need to go home for a diet). ||The chilled pool is a lovely place to watch the animals and escape the heat.

Your experience of Sir Bani Yas Island (named after the local Bani Yas tribe) will vary significantly by the place you stay. Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort offers a private, romantic African safari-type experience with private villas featuring a swimming pool and access to the wilderness. The villas are spacious and appointed to provide luxurious comfort, including a copper freestanding boat bath. The shared facilities include a gym, a swimming pool, and a restaurant that features large outdoor terraces overlooking the grounds. The staff are tremendous. Courteous, efficient, caring and diligent. They truly make the stay memorable. They have a tough job, as some guests forget they are staying in an animal sanctuary - instead of an amusement park - where animals should not be chased around, screamed at, or fed. Some of the comments and reviews allude to the quality of the food. If you are after fine dining, go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. If you are after a calming, nature infused experience that combines food, people, wildlife, and a unique ambience, stay at the Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort. My recommendation is to go for the Advance Purchase Full Board rate, which covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As you would expect, the prices at the restaurants are on the premium end. Al Sahel Villa Resort is the most distinctive and unique of the Anantara resort on the island, as it places guests in the centre of what Sir Bani Yas Island was created for. The Arabian oryx, a kind of antelope, was officially declared extinct in the wild in the late 1960s. The founder and first ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, began developing Sir Bani Yas as a place to protect it. Sir Bani Yas Island is a gem in the UAE crown, showcasing the care, ingenuity, and ambition of its rulers.

Stayed three nights with my family and my parents April 2024. Positives: Extremely nice and spacious villa. Nice private pool. Cool island, and it feels like you are in Africa. Good excursions (saw a lot of giraffes!) Negatives: The service from the restaurant was not good. We ordered two times to our villa to eat dinner outside by the pool. Both times the food took almost 2 hours, and both times they had either missed parts of the order or gotten it wrong. The staff tried their best, so 5/5 for effort, but a lot of the outcomes were a bit less "professional", in lack of a better word, than expected for such a fancy place like this. Verdict: Will we come back? Definitely! The positives outweighs the negative too much, and I believe we were just a bit unlucky. Recommended!