Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara

Desert Island is way beyond our expectations. We had a very relaxing and chill experience. Many thanks to Ms. Michelle and Ramesh who assisted us during our stay. High recommended especially the one bed room villa. Safari is one of the highlight. Worth a try. We will Definitely recommend this place to our family and friends. We will come back again for sure 😎

Anantara is often associated with luxury, but Desert Islands falls short of this expectation. While the overall experience was pleasant, it lacked the luxurious touch. A special summer offer provided good value for the stay. The staff were generally friendly and welcoming, though at times their attentiveness felt excessive. Restaurant staff frequently interrupted to inquire about the meal, often rushing to clear plates, mistaking pauses as a sign of completion. Visiting during the week is ideal when it’s quieter, as the hotel seems to struggle with high occupancy. Food options are limited, with several menu items unavailable. Recommended activities include kayaking and a safari, either on foot for those seeking adventure or otherwise. For an improved experience, the hotel could enhance service quality by hiring more staff to manage guest volume and train them to offer excellent customer service without frequent interruptions during meals. The spa services were impressive, though service was slow due to only one therapist being available. The treatments were relaxing, and despite the therapist's limited English proficiency, they were skilled. It will be interesting to see the property's transformation after the renovation.

A very disappointing experience unfortunately. Arrived at the hotel to realise there are major works being carried out in the beach by the swimming pool, so noisy ! |Our room should have had a terrace with a sea view but was completely covered by trees. On the terrace there were two sun loungers but no table and chairs so you couldn’t actually sit there. We booked our return boat before we arrived here to ensure we got on the one we wanted only to be called the night before to offer us a boat three hours earlier or three ours later, so had to argue to get on the correct sailing. |We booked a table for two outside at the Savanna restaurant and when we arrived they had a table for 6 inside reserved for us, had to argue again to be sat where we had booked.|This morning everything that should have been hot at breakfast was stone cold. |Overall a very disappointing experience, unfortunately I could not recommend anyone to stay here.|Most definitely not a 5 star hotel.

The staff, the hotel and the Safari experience are great……||Although when we arrived and taken on the tour we were informed that construction work was happing on the beach to preserve the coastline. Sadly the work is happening right in front of the pool which involves two large diggers moving rock which is create a significant amount of noise….. far from relaxing!! The construction runs from 8am -6pm. As a result of this the beach has also been blocked off so there is no view of the sea just a wooden barrier. ||I feel that the hotel could have explicitly communicated this prior to our arrival, the only email we received was that , maintenance work was happening and from time time you may experience some noise’. No mention of heavy machinery moving and dropping rocks on the beach from 8am - 6am ||This is a lovely hotel with great staff, but if you would like to relax I would avoid until the construction has finished.

I've worked in 5* hotels and for hotel chains so I feel I speak somewhat authoritatively when I saw this hotel is exquisite. I was concerned that being the less expensive if the 3 system properties it may be derelict but that was not the case at all. The attentiveness of the service (shoutout to Ms. Abigail) is second to none. The wildlife sighting, birding, and gardens are phenomenal.

The hotel is ideal for relaxation, best time to visit is during winter, it almost 4-5 hours from Dubai including time for the ferry, hotel rooms are super nice, staff are friendly, on Jan 2025, the only draw back was the noise of cranes and jacks working on adding rocks to the sandy beach, you can observe deers, peacocks and animals everywhere. Some activities are available around the hotel like horse riding and kayaking. Camping is also available directly on the beach

We had a wonderful stay at the desert island resort. The location is breathtaking, and the variety of activities makes it hard to choose what to do first. One of the highlights was the safari—an incredible experience for both kids and adults. Our guide, Delano, was amazing—knowledgeable, engaging, and a true expert on the area. The hour and a half flew by, and we saw a wide range of animals thanks to his expertise. A special shout-out to Amruth, whose kindness, professionalism, and dedication made our stay unforgettable. Be sure to ask for Amruth if you visit this resort—you won’t regret it!

An aging resort that needs some renovations. Food is average and rooms are fine. The pool is large and beautiful. The restaurants are the most in need of upgrades and care. Service is excellent. The spa service impeccable but without all the small extras you may find in most luxurious Anantara locations. Overall a great place to. Be aware that reservations to the other locations will be move to this resort as there are limited service and much construction in other locations.