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L I V I N G
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON RESORT & SPA MARJAN ISLAND Mum of two teenagers, Smitha Joseph tells us about the recent family staycation that her son describes as: “the best place I’ve ever been to in my life!” Here, we discover what makes the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island such a special place to make unforgettable family memories. My husband and I have two teenagers and it’s been a tough year for us all. For this reason, I’ve made sure we take advantage of the staycation deals available to us in the UAE - and we’ve just had the best one yet! At the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, in Ras Al Khaimah. This resort delivered absolutely everything and more that we could have hoped for, it felt like we were staying in a far-away tropical island paradise and our children loved every minute - as did we.
THE ROOMS
The further we drove out of Dubai and on the way to RAK, the more excited we all were. Just like a true vacation, the children even fell asleep on the journey there! Arriving at the Hilton Resort on Marjan Island it feels luxurious and tropical. We arrived at the start of the sunset, with a huge orange sun beginning to set into the calm waters of the Arabian Gulf. I wish you could have heard the gasps of sheer awe from our children - it was a stunning start to our staycation.
The Marjan Island Resort is so beautiful - we were totally surrounded by lovely aquamarine, crystal-clear seascapes from all sides and we also enjoyed the purpose-built walking and cycle tracks to take it all in, in the most relaxing ways. There were times when we availed of the resort buggies to get around, which was a fun, breezy, light and easy way to get around. There are a myriad of watersports to choose from, bicycles for hire and so much fun to be had on the beach diving facilities and resort pools!
Our greeting upon arrival could not have been warmer or more friendly - check-in was so swift and easy. We booked a 2-night staycation package on a Wednesday and Thursday, so we could come home and still enjoy the extra weekend time. But I wish we’d ‘stay-cated’ longer instead!
THE FOOD & RESTAURANTS
We had two interconnecting rooms - one for our boys, and one for us. When we walked into each room, we were hit with the sight of a beautiful turquoise sea from the full-length windows. I can’t even describe how breathtaking this was! A refreshing fruit platter awaited us, which we enjoyed on the big comfy chairs of the balcony while letting the holiday vibe of this view wash over all of us. THE RESORT & SURROUNDINGS
Hands-down, the quality, flavours and choice of the food we had at the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island was the best of any family vacation we’ve ever had. We experienced these restaurants:
40 | DECEMBER 2020 | MOTHER, BABY & CHILD
