The Best Hotels Near The Ritz Carlton Spa, by the Record
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Overwater villas were a first for Ras Al Khaimah when this Forbes Four Star resort opened them, and the setting still earns the bragging rights: a peninsula between the Hajar Mountains and the Arabian Sea, with a mangrove reserve on one side and a private beach on the other. The 174-room resort runs hard on watersports, padel, and sea-turtle conservation, so guests spend more time in wetsuits than robes, which is either a selling point or a warning.
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Hayat Island is man-made, which somehow makes the Jebel Jais mountains behind it and the Gulf water in front of it look more surreal, not less. This is a large beach resort, with 351 rooms, suites, and villas, a private beach, pools, a spa, and six restaurants and bars. Some villas come with private pools; all rooms get the ocean view. Ras Al Khaimah rewards the detour from Dubai, and this is the kind of place that gives you a reason to stay a few days and actually use it.
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Nujuma means "stars" in Arabic, and the overwater villas here do sit close enough to the night sky to make the name feel earned. A Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Saudi Arabia's Ummahat Islands, this is overwater-bungalow luxury at full volume, with private pools, butler service, and coral reefs below the deck. A Forbes Five Star property, it pairs the seclusion of a genuinely remote Red Sea archipelago with chef-led dining and guided snorkeling through rare marine life.
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The gold dome and arabesque facade make the building look like a palace from the road, which is more or less the point. This Forbes Four Star resort sits between the Arabian Gulf and an 18-hole golf course, with the Hajar Mountains visible beyond. The private beach, temperature-controlled pools, and an underwater-themed spa give you enough reasons to never leave the grounds, and the seven dining options make sure you don't have to.
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Arabian oryx roam freely across the protected reserve surrounding this desert resort, which sets the mood before you've even unpacked. The 109 private villas come in sand tones that blur into the dunes, with tented ceilings, brass lanterns, and a pool of your own. Stargazing, archery, and nature walks fill the days, and Farmhouse by Syrco handles the farm-to-table corner of dinner. It holds a Forbes Four Star.
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A resort of 82 private pool villas tucked into a working-village layout at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, with the Gulf of Oman sitting just past the palm fringe. Six Senses Zighy Bay sits on the Musandam Peninsula, about two hours from Dubai, and carries a Forbes Four Star rating and a spot on the World's 50 Best Hotels list. The spa, the organic garden, and the general lack of urgency are what most guests seem to be after.
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A full-scale beach resort on a quiet stretch of Ras Al Khaimah coastline, about an hour from Dubai, where French Sofitel polish meets Gulf-facing infinity pool. Seven restaurants and bars cover the range from alfresco seafood to a patisserie doing afternoon tea, and a Clarins spa handles the rest. The design leans into Arabic heritage without overdoing it, and the rooms come with private balconies and sea views. Families get kids clubs and water sports; everyone else gets the beach.
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The Hajar Mountains drop straight to the Gulf of Oman here, and Address Beach Resort Fujairah parks itself right at that junction. It's a Forbes Four Star beach resort about 90 minutes from Dubai, with a dive center, a long promenade down to the sea, and a spa running two hammams. Rooms lean cool marble and deep soaking tubs, which feels about right after a day climbing the mountains behind you.