Excellent hotel, staff made it for us. So very friendly and accommodating. Family suites were amazing, and massive!

We had a fantastic stay at the Rixos. We stayed for my husband’s 50th. The room had been decorated and a cake and some sparkling grape juice had been left which was a really nice touch and appreciated. The staff were so helpful and accommodating and I would recommend. In terms of the accommodation we had a premium room with sea view, the room was a good size and big enough for a family of three. There were two wardrobes and a large bathroom which had a separate shower and toilet area. There were plenty of toiletries that were replenished frequently. Food and drinks - the hotel has three a la carte restaurants. A steak restaurant (Toro Loco) which is near the main reception area. We ate here one evening and the food and service was fantastic. They didn’t have steak on the children’s menu but they were happy to serve steak for my daughter (age 5). We also tried the Bodrum restaurant which is near the main pool bar. This is a sea food restaurant in the evening but you can also go there for lunch where they serve salad, burger and pasta. Not an extensive menu but like the other restaurants the service is great. There is an Italian restaurant L’Olive again near the main reception. The service and food here was also fantastic. During your stay depending on the number of nights they guarantee three nights at the a la carte restaurants. I would recommend that you book these before your stay, especially if you would like an earlier sitting. There are two buffet restaurants one down the stairs from the main reception and a smaller one around the back by one of the pools. There was great variety at these restaurants and you could have steak, chicken, kebabs etc cooked fresh for you. In terms of the bars and alcoholic drinks there was plenty of choice of drinks that you could have. There are a number of bars, there is a sports bar and also a court yard bar that was nice to sit and relax in the evening. There is a pool bar and also a swim up bar. They also provide snacks such as crisps, olives and nuts. There is a patisserie near the lifts where you can get sandwiches, croissants and desserts as well as coffees. Children’s activities they have an extensive array of activities for children, they have play areas, a splash park and a children’s club. They ran activities throughout the day to keep children entertained. They have a decent size gym within the hotel with new equipment. There is water and towel available to use. There is also an outdoor gym area which does a number of classes throughout the day. There is also a spa with a sauna. In terms of location it is at the end of the Palm so depending on traffic it can take about an hour or so to get into the city. There is a shuttle bus twice a day that takes you to the Emirates Mall and also to the Atlantis Water Park. Taxis cost between 100 and 150 dirham to get to the city. There are taxis outside the hotel and the concierge will help you get a taxi and agree a price before you get in which is great. There are three pools as well as a splash park. We tended to stay around the main pool, where there were staff coming around taking drinks orders, there were blue boxes which had cold water, there was a fresh fruit stand and an ice cream stand. There is plenty to do around the hotel with some entertainment in the evenings. I would definitely recommend for a relaxing stay.

The hotel is great and close enough to city via taxi but far away enough to feel like you’re in a relaxing paradise. However, what really makes this place and our holidays at The Rixos is the staff and that’s why we’ve spent our holidays there for the last 3 years. Everywhere you look there’s a friendly smile and someone wanting to contribute towards making sure you have the best holiday or stay at the hotel. The management of the hotel are attentive and detailed, but it is also really good to see the warm and respectful dynamic they have with all staff at the hotel, which I think leads to having a great team. Special mention must go to Jimmy And Serah who work at the front of house/conceirge/guest relations and also Frederick who works at the pool bar. These people as well as their colleagues are the main reason we keep returning and we look forward to seeing them all when we return next. Thanks for a great experience once again!