Al Faya Retreat by Sharjah Collection — Hotel in Milehah

We booked all 5 rooms in the hotel after we were assured we will have complete privacy in the pool area if booked the whole place. Since the pool area had the biggest space in the whole property we decided to do the baby shower there with small decorations & canapés. We informed them before confirming the booking that we were doing an event there (A Baby shower) for our sister with about 20 girls (10 are in house guests and the rest will visit for the day and leave). However, after confirming the booking we were told to pay 500 dhs per guest or 500 dhs per hour for the guests not staying over to sit by the pool area where the baby shower was held, put in mind we didn’t plan on swimming in the pool nor use the spa which was a self serviced spa. I had to negotiate with the manager named Ali, to allow us to get some decorations and refused to pay the ridiculous amount for the extra guests. I found Mr.Ali not friendly and said things he shouldn’t say at his position when I was negotiating with him, as a guest I shouldn’t be talked too like that, I found him rude instead of helpful as if he’s doing me a favor for my “unrealistic” demands and told me I can cancel if I want sarcastically but I won’t get a refund, a day before the event. We paid in full amount during high season, so the least we expect is for them to accommodate to our basic needs. I was clearly frustrated and instead of calming me down Mr. Ali informed me that he has the right to accept any spa booking made from visiting guests on the event day so it won’t be completely private if there was one. That was after we were ensured that it’ll be completely private for us pre-booking when we talked to the lady to make sure. On top of that we weren’t allowed to get food nor drink and they told us we have to order from their small limited pricy menu, put in mind it’s in the middle of no- where and the food in the menu was not appealing to be honest. I shouldn’t be forced to order from the lodge’s restaurant. So we had to camp literally next to the lodge to enjoy our own food & music because it was not allowed in house.

To be fair during check in we were greeted by friendly staff who knew our situation and were completely helpful during our stay and tried to accommodate to our every need however they had limited authority.

We requested late check out but they denied us, so we checked out by @12 o’clock (12:15) as requested. And when we were walking towards the pool before our trip back to Dubai, we were denied access and literally kicked out of the property by the manager. We refused to leave and accept such treatment and told them that this is ridiculous. After arguing with them, and at some point the manager giving us his back while arguing. Then they told us they’ll ask the other guests if they will allow us to sit by the pool area first. It was 12-30 - 1:00 o’clock and check in for other guests is @3 o’clock! Since when other guests have the authority to allow other guests to use the hotel’s public facilities...It didn’t make sense. Thank God the “other” guests allowed us to use the pool for an hour and we left between 1:30 - 2:00.

All in all, we had a good time despite the manager’s effort to shut the thing down and we managed to do the baby shower after much compromises were made from our side to follow the hotel’s strict rules.

In addition, the rooms were extremely small, and not worth the price. I was planning to go with my husband but changed my mind because it’s not private at all and I can clearly hear people’s conversations from the other room. The interior however was amazing and it deserves the award. The service...

Nice to be able to book a place out as a group. Private pool and fire pit were great.

However, I feel lots of key things make this a non-5* experience. Here are all the issues we faced:

1. The design of the site. You could have had the rooms and pools facing the mountains but instead they are facing nothing.
2. The rooms are way, way too small. I have travelled all over the world and never seen rooms this size in any price range. There is no lack of space here and this is the size of the rooms. It is poor design to save money. You could have made them much much bigger - 2x the size. The plugs in room 2 or 3 did not work either and the design of the shower is odd. The water leaks into the rest of the bathroom. It’s a case of style over substance. There was also only 1 mirror in the room (in the bathroom) which makes no sense. One of my friends also said the area behind the TV was not cleaned. The blackout blinds also let in all the light. Overall the rooms were the most disappointing part which isn’t great for a hotel. It all feels cheap.
3. The on-site restaurant only had 4 burgers and had a very very limited menu.
4. We never saw the spa area that is in photos. Only the pool.
5. Please remember you are in Sharjah so no alcohol officially meaning this isn’t the same experience as If you were in dubai or Abu Dhabi.
6. We brought one extra person who shared a room with others but they felt the need to charge 150 aed extra for that which is unnecessary.
7. There we’re not enough sunloungers for everyone. The pool was also dirty at the bottom and the silicone on the side was peeling in various places.

Overall despite being very visually appealing for instagram, I wouldnt return or jrecommend a stay for the price. It is overpriced and the tiny rooms are really disappointing. For half the price you can get a private villa on The Palm Jumeirah....

The 5 stars is kept purely by the staff members themselves, working so hard in the background to make the stay amazing! I booked this trip as a surprise getaway for my wife's 30th birthday, we rented the place out and had friends join us. The management team, and the team on site, were unbelievably helpful in making sure the stay was perfect!||This isn't to say there aren't thing I would change. For example, the restaurant located nearby has a limited selection and that isn't always available and only at specific times. It would be good to have something more available to be able to order in the day, especially if you didn't bring much food with you. The rooms need a little bit of attention to bring them back to the high standards of the rest of the place, but they are still great rooms nonetheless! Lastly, the cost of the spa seems a little high, 1000dhs for the use of it..whilst the salt room and sauna were very relaxing, the shower walk needed some attention in 1 or 2 places, but even then 1000dhs seems expensive for the use of this.||Now, with those things out of the way. The pool is outstanding, the BBQ area was so relaxing and the staff helped this also throughout the night if ever needed (even until 1am!), they provided a complimentary cinema setup, and the bonfire at night was perfect as well. |The staff were fantastic and could not have done more to help.|With blankets available to keep warm away from the fires, and stars above you in the night sky, I would 100% recommend this place to anyone looking for a local stay that feels like you've...