All-Inclusive Retreat in Abu Dhabi
Author: Eat Well · Feel Well · Live Well Editorial Team
Just imagining a holiday surrounded by an endless desert landscape already feels exciting.
Available until 31 December 2026, the All-Inclusive Desert Retreat at Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi offers a stay in the heart of the Abu Dhabi desert.
The package includes dining, drinks and access to wellness facilities, bringing everything together for a relaxed resort stay surrounded by the desert.
Why Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi is often associated with grand mosques, striking modern architecture and luxury hotels. But travel just beyond the city, and the scenery changes completely. In their place are the quiet, open landscapes of the Arabian Desert.
The emirate of Abu Dhabi includes more than 200 islands. Along its coastline are beaches and mangroves, while Saadiyat Island is known for art and culture.
In the city, landmarks such as Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque reflect Abu Dhabi’s architectural scale and ambition. Head further out, however, and the urban landscape gives way to seemingly endless sand dunes.
City, sea, culture and desert all sit surprisingly close to one another. Being able to move between these very different settings within a single trip is part of what makes Abu Dhabi so interesting.
There is also more to the emirate than new architecture and luxury. Traditions shaped by life between the desert and the sea remain part of local culture today, from falconry and the history of pearl diving to the custom of serving Arabic coffee.
Abu Dhabi has changed rapidly, but Emirati traditions remain visible beneath its modern skyline. Experiencing both sides of the emirate is one of the reasons to spend time here.
For this trip, we turned our attention to another way of experiencing Abu Dhabi: staying in the desert.
Eat, Rest and Recharge
The All-Inclusive Desert Retreat includes full-board dining, non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day, selected house alcoholic beverages from noon, and access to the facilities at Saray Spa and the fitness centre.
Saray Spa takes its inspiration from the caravanserais that once offered travellers a place to rest along the Silk Road. Its facilities include a sauna, steam room, hammam and salt room.
Spa treatments are not included in the package, but guests can use the spa facilities during their stay.
With the desert just outside, the retreat makes it easy to spend the day eating, resting and taking time to slow down.
A Desert Retreat for Families
With the All-Inclusive Desert Retreat, children under 12 can stay and dine at no additional charge.
That makes the resort an option not only for couples looking for a quieter escape, but also for families spending time in Abu Dhabi.
The resort also offers a range of desert activities, including horse riding, camel riding and archery, making use of its setting in the Arabian Desert.
Here, the stay itself can become part of the trip.
Time spent in the quiet of the desert offers a very different side of Abu Dhabi from the city.
All-Inclusive Desert Retreat
Location
Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi
Price
From AED 800++
The package includes
Full-board dining at the resort’s restaurants
Non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day
Selected house alcoholic beverages from 12:00 PM
Complimentary stay and dining for children under 12
Access to Saray Spa and fitness centre facilities
Valid until
31 December 2026
※Rates and conditions are subject to change. Please check the latest information when booking.
Image credit: Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi
Editor's Note
There is always something enjoyable about a trip filled with sightseeing, but there is also something to be said for slowing down — bringing meals, rest and quiet time together in one place, and deliberately leaving space to do nothing at all.
City, sea, culture and desert. Abu Dhabi is difficult to define through just one image — and that is exactly what makes it so interesting.
