I liked the look of the Khatt springs while plodding through the Emirates hotels website, i fancied some wintersun and had heard the U.A.E was the place to go, i was not disapointed.
From Dubai International it took 90 mins via private transfer.
I had a deluxe room which was of a very high standard as you would expect. Breakfast was buffet style in the Palmerie restaurant and catered to both European and Arabic tastes.
Dinner was also in this restaurant, both a la carte and buffet style, and i was spoilt for choice every meal time and the staff were polite, attentive and genuine.
The Gen X bar had the longest happy hour i have ever encounted and was a pleasent atmosphere to have a drink and read.
I did take advantage of the extensive spa facilities which exceaded those i experienced at Gleneagles and they were reasonably priced.
This was my first trip as a 'lone traveller' since the loss of my partner and i was nervous but that fear was misplaced as i was so well looked after by the staff at the Khatt Springs, one example was i wished to go to Dubai for the day but all trips seemed to be for a minimum of two persons, of no use to me so the concierge organised a driver to take me to Dubai and take me were ever i wanted to go for the sme price as an organised trip, now that is customer care.
I went to the Khatt Springs for rest, relaxation and a chance to gather myself after a bereavment and all my expectations were exceaded.
If i could find a gripe it would be it is a long way from the airport and the traffic around Dubai and Sharjah is horrendous increasing travel time between airport and resort significantly.
Overall it has been a truly liberating trip.

having read others reveiws dated july/aug 2006. it would appear the problems with pool, steam room ,sauna etc have and are well etablished and very much a permant feature. During our stay all free recreational facilities were withdrawn, funnily enough all the chargeable treatments were always available, the road leading up to the hotel had collapsed, it was just a building site for the duration of our stay. the food was awful, they advertised menu that they did not have, they could not make eggs benedict, and offered an veg omlette in its place. they ruined a special birthday and wedding anniversary. To has insulted to injury they offered complimentary meal and wine, but later tried to charge one of our party for their meal. All this hotel is bothered about is getting every last penny out of there guests. Don't bother using this hotel ever

This was booked in all good faith as a romantic break. It without a sense of humour would have been quite simply the worst holiday I have ever had. Please dear reader do not read and believe what is written about the hotel facilities, as mostly although not a lie the reality bears no resemblence. I have just returned from a 9 day trip there and at the time of my stay I write my impression. Firstly, the hotel is placed majestically atop a hill. This hotel in all honesty would does have wonderful views across the surrounding area due to its very high position fort like above a very steep hill. However, this hill is currently barren and very unattractive hill is virtually an assault course, its incline would make a top class atheletic wince, There are no rails around some parts of the steep winding roads up to the hotel, so this is not a place for the infirm, frail or children. The soon majestic castle once takes once you reach the forecourt,( which is under repair and sectionedoff) then takes on the air of a prison. Once checked in you realise, there is Nowhere to sit outside, there is an outside pool which is currently empty, a pool terrace with a great deal of building work/major repair work going on, and not very comforting is huge cracks appear in the side walls, which appear that the outside area walls of the terrace are serenly slipping way from the main building. Frantic banging and clanging, bashing and smashing accompany the now empending sence of doom you begin to experience.

Once inside the room, in my case a standard room, the romance does go out of the window..... The bathroom, is so poorly laid out that it is impossible (note I say impossible and not virtually) for a person of average size to stand at the sink and not be hit by the door should the second occupant of the room come in. I leave you dear reader to imagine if you can that should the person at the sink was shaving, the blood and the profanities would be prolific. The room does have two showers one independent, which is useful, but the second shower is a commedy act. This second shower is sited above the bath and consists of an overhead and high power jets at the side. These jets because of their ferousity shoot out with blinding accuracy into the eyes of the shower user. The resulting jets, hit the back wall of the bath and cascade down over the floor of the bathroom and completely flood it. The floor when really wet then resembles an ice rink, so blinded by the water in the eyes, you stumble out of the bath, slip over on the floor, then get hit on the head by the door as you try to escape this nightmare!!!

Next the food, well the buffet breakfasts are Not five star, they are adequate, when and if the tureens are replenished. Obviously this means that the more popular breakfast items are nearly always hard to come by and the less popular items, sit lonely and conjealing in the tureens ( very unattractive). The waiters, are pleasant but somehow like the tide, drift in and out of the restaurant leaving the room almost unstaffed at times.

The food in the a la carte does have a large choice, but be prepared for a long wait between courses, The average time is plus 45 minutes. Again the food, and we had to eat there most nights as there is nothing around for miles, is good to passable. Again, not consistantly five star. The overwhelming standard of this service, ranged from incredibly slow to what on earth is going on, the highlight during one meal, sadly had the main course arrived, before the starter was finished!!!! Although there had been a 30 minute wait for the starter. The other sad remark, that the hot rolls are microwaved, not altogether a bad thing, until you realise that unless served quickly the bread goes rock hard quickly. When I tried to eat one roll it was too hard to bit through through completely, I gently complained, that they were cold and hard, and the very charming waiter took the rolls away. He returned smiling and apologetic with the new basket of rolls. Guess what? they were the same rolls warmed up again? Complete with the one with my half attempt to bite through! Five star service this is not.

Next comes the spa, This could be a wonderful spa, as the staff try very hard to give a wonderful service, but yes there are beach chairs in the pedicure rooms - which do not have any privacy to them as they are glass fronted an in the reception area, A word of warning, if you wish to swim or exercise, with your other sex partner, you are unable to do so, as the sexes are separated. This would not be such a terrible thing, if you could spend some time during the day swimming or lazing together around a pool or walking romantically under the dessert sky, but as I said, there are no outside areas to walk, nowhere to sit and certainly no where to swim outside. So as you can see not condusive to romance is it?

Even the famous Khatt Springs, down the hill in the town was closed as this is being remodled.

Lastly, the regular bus service to the sister hotel. Read the word regular and not interpret to frequent, there are two buses a day to the sister hotel and two buses back, The drive is about 35 minutes and if you are taking the day at the sister hotel you are driven by timetables of dispair. Not the thing to have on a holiday.

Lastly the staff where kind polite and friendly and the Manager is an expert exponant of the art of diplomacy... A wonderfully charming man, who must pull his hair out daily.

All in all not a five star hotel, sadly disappointed, i hope that it improves and lives to the promises that the wonderful manager advises that will happen. but so far the reality is that I would not recommend it at present, and would not return unless it was for free to see the wonderful changes promised.

Dubai: Jumeria villa
Date: Visited August 6, 2004
Reviewer: Syed Ali-Freelance journalist-Indian(Age-35)

Julphar ie RAK is one ofthe most tradiional,cultural and richest tradintion based emirate. Even the quality of this emarati's some- what you canot describe in a nutshell. specially helping and hospitalising the guest and public. it may be the nature of this soil.

RAK Khatt-is the natural spring channelised according to modern environment. It has it's own quality of warm and hot nature according to external environment and wheather. The organic components of this spring and terrian, rocky, mountain views and the natural calamity describes the quality of the spring water with its medicianl splashes.

The flow of water and the pH is entiry different and has a amazing indifferent qualiy in this dessert. Surely it's an eye of julphar. visit this place with out much expectation but you will feel the real rhythm and its moan of the wind.(I came to know recently the spot has innovated with some new concepts and stay homes).

One has to leave their footprints is necessary in the history of tourist journey. What else one can write in his travellers diary...?
earlier in... julphar..vasco-da- gaama,
marco polo......,
me,......and.....now......you..........too.!

Syed Ali-CAN
If you need more information sms to 050-2266811 or e:mail me to:can4journalist@yahoo.co.in