Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island — Hotel in Al Marjan Island

We stayed at Moevenpick Al Marjan just right after the school break, and while the hotel has a lot to offer, it’s worth noting that most guests during our stay were families with kids. We are a couple and don’t have kids. But we didn’t mind we’re surrounded with kids and little noisy in some areas as the hotel facilities are overall great, mini golf, beach access, games, and more, but if you're looking for a peaceful, romantic escape, summer/school break might not be the ideal time to visit due to the number of children & families around.

The hotel is reasonably priced for summer, and the service staff were all very friendly and attentive. However, breakfast could use a little improvement, the variety was quite limited and didn’t live up to expectations.

Our only real disappointment was during checkout. My husband needed a quiet spot for a work call at 2 PM, so we requested a late checkout. The front desk agent, Badr, informed us that the hotel was 100% full and instead suggested we use the business center. He is absolutely not a pleasant to talk to. We followed the advice, but just before the call, the business center area was being set up for an event and we had to relocate to the Boons restaurant, which wasn’t ideal.

Interestingly, when we asked another staff member about occupancy, we were told the hotel was only at 50% capacity. Considering my husband is a Gold Member, we expected a bit more flexibility or even just a quiet space offered proactively.

To add to that, we received a call two minutes before the official checkout time of 1 PM, urging us to vacate the room, which felt unnecessary and a bit ungracious.

Overall, the hotel has great potential, but service consistency and guest experience, especially for loyalty members, could be improved. Still, a solid stay with good amenities if you're traveling with family.

As someone who works in luxury hospitality myself, I feel compelled to share a few recommendations based on our experience:

Checkout Etiquette- Calling to rush guests out just minutes before the official check-out time is unnecessary and leaves a poor final impression. A more courteous approach, or even a brief grace period , would be more appropriate and appreciated.

Loyalty Guest Recognition— Loyalty members and returning guests deserve a bit more attention, particularly when making reasonable requests, such as access to a quiet space for work. A small gesture of recognition and basic courtesy can go a long way in enhancing the guest experience.

Transparency on Occupancy- If occupancy is cited as the reason for denying a request, staff should ensure consistent and transparent communication. Being told the hotel was at 100% capacity, only to later hear from another team member that it was actually 50%, created unnecessary confusion and...

Disappointing Stay at Movenpick Ras Al Khaimah – Not Worth the Hype

We stayed at Movenpick Ras Al Khaimah during the Eid Al Adha holiday, expecting a relaxing five-star family getaway. Unfortunately, our experience was anything but that.

(Premium Family Room): There was absolutely nothing “premium” about the Premium Family Room. It was so small that my toddler had no space to even walk around. The coffee machine didn’t work, and one of the light switch covers was hanging off — not what you’d expect from a five-star property.

Pools and Facilities: The main pool was completely overcrowded and far too small for the number of hotel guests. People were arguing over sunbeds and dragging them from one area to another, blocking pathways and creating a chaotic and stressful environment. Sadly, no staff or management attempted to manage the situation or offer any kind of solution — it felt like a free-for-all. The second pool, which was tiny, was for adults only — which was frustrating in what’s supposed to be a family-friendly resort. There was absolutely nothing relaxing, peaceful, or premium about the pool experience.

All-Inclusive Package: The “all-inclusive” package was misleading and disappointing. Drinks — including water and soft drinks — were served in open paper cups, which was both unhygienic and unprofessional. There was no sense of quality or care, and certainly nothing five-star about it.

Dining Experience: The buffet at “The Market” was one of the biggest letdowns. As soon as we entered, we were hit with a strong stench of eggs or fish. When we mentioned it to staff, we were told the air freshener would “kick in soon” — not a reassuring response. The food itself was poor, with very limited options. One of the five main course items was hot dogs — I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. No fresh juices were available, which was surprising and disappointing for a family-focused hotel. The only positive note was the chef, who was very kind and offered to personally cook something for us when we raised our concerns — his effort and attitude were truly appreciated.

Sadly, our stay ended on an even worse note, as we all went home with a stomach bug — which says a lot about the food and hygiene standards.

To be fair, most of the staff we encountered were polite and friendly, and they did their best within the limits of what they were working with. The issues we faced felt more like failings of management and infrastructure, not the front-line team.

This was far from the five-star experience Movenpick claims to offer. Cramped rooms, chaotic facilities, disappointing food, and questionable hygiene made it a stressful and unpleasant stay. Definitely not worth the price or the brand name, and not a place I would recommend — especially...

Generally good, especially with kids. We might come again in 2-3 years.

I’ll start by saying I’m quite picky. We visited with 2 small kids and stayed for 10 days. We had the deluxe island sea view room. This side has a road. Normally I would mind but we don’t sleep because of the kids anyway. I recommend getting the beach and pool view instead. The rooms are modern and housekeeping always did a good job.

Based on some Google reviews saying the all inclusive restaurant (Market) is not great we got the bed and breakfast. I think this was a good choice. The breakfast in Market restaurant is fine/plenty of options. For breakfast there is little table service apart from clearing the tables. You sit wherever you want and get food/water/coffee/juice from the stations inside. We went a couple of times for dinner and found some of the food bland. For lunch and dinner, we mostly ordered room service or went to Ula or the Beach House. Room service had the best food, and Ula had the best atmosphere. Speed was an issue in both. We had coffee every day in Moca, which I recommend. For Ula and Boons I recommend explicitly asking for the 25% off for hotel guests.

There are 3 pools: one small shaded one for babies and toddlers, a larger one for older kids and one that is adults only. We spent most of our time in the first two. If you don’t have kids I recommend the adult one. It also has a DJ/music.

The beach is small, but clean. The water is shallow which is great for kids. There is a white sand which I presume was brought in from somewhere. We always woke up early so never had issues finding lounge chairs, but it seemed to get busy around 11. There are many trees next to the beach and there are a couple of alleys where you can walk between the trees. There are also many birds which was a pleasant surprise.

There is a kids club open 10 till 10 and they have many activities. The kids can be alone if they are older than 4 (which our kids are not). There is a babysitter/nanny service but only after 8 pm which was a bummer for us. There is also an outdoor playground as well as a grassy area that kids were using as a soccer field. Minigolf was paid but only 30 aed per person.

The hotel is not very accessible. There are heavy doors which you need to open to get into the building. I cannot imagine how someone in a wheelchair could get around unassisted. We had a stroller and it was always challenging to get in and out of the building.

The gym is well equipped.

Finally, the island is experiencing massive construction work. It can sometimes get noisy on the beach and you are surrounded by cranes. If you mind this, you probably need to...