Anantara Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort

Until recently the Anantara resorts were pretty much confined to the lush environs of Thailand, the Maldives and Indonesia; their move into the United Arab Emirates comes as something of a surprise. And we’re not even talking about a hotel on stilts off some island in the Gulf — the Anantara Resort & Spa Qasr Al Sarab is an oasis an hour and a half outside of Abu Dhabi, in the middle of the Liwa Desert, which is part of the Empty Quarter, the biggest stretch of bare sand in the world.

So this one definitely isn’t lush. What it is, however, is plush: the most basic rooms are very big indeed, with oversized soaking tubs and stunning views of the dunes, while the suites and villas, it’s fair to say, remind you rather forcefully that you’re in the Emirates, a place that’s not shy about luxury. Space is absolutely not an issue, and the comforts go above and beyond anything you could rightly expect.

You don’t venture this far out into the desert unless you’re in search of some peace and quiet. The Anantara spa goes a long way towards scratching that particular itch, as does the infinity pool, and these are the sort of rooms and suites you could quite comfortably shut yourself in for days at a time.