Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm Villas

Dr. Masha Lekic

My family and I have stayed at multiple Anantara properties around the world over the years, and we always returned because of the hospitality and service we previously experienced. This time, we chose Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island to celebrate my birthday, expecting another memorable stay. Unfortunately, this experience was deeply disappointing. Apart from Mr. David, Mr. Jason, and Mr.Sahan who genuinely tried to assist us, the overall service experience was far below the standards we associate with the Anantara brand. I have serious health-related dietary requirements, all of which were communicated to the hotel one week before our arrival and acknowledged in advance. Despite this, meals repeatedly arrived incomplete, with important ingredients missing, and there was clear miscommunication between departments throughout our stay. For almost every meal, we waited between one and two hours despite the hotel not being fully occupied. The food quality itself was also not up to expected standards. On several occasions, burnt toast and poorly prepared meals were served to us, which was extremely disappointing considering the level and reputation of the property. Another major issue was that we were informed only after arrival that one of the beaches and one of the restaurants were closed. This was never communicated before our booking or arrival. As a result, we were left with limited options, including a beach area full of sharp rocks that was difficult to use comfortably. What was supposed to be a peaceful birthday celebration became a stressful and frustrating experience for my family and me. The only truly exceptional part of this stay was the breathtaking nature and beautiful animals surrounding the island. I sincerely hope the hotel improves its communication, organization, food quality, and overall guest experience moving forward.

D S

It was a big mistake to book this hotel for a special occasion as what was supposed to be a memorable day turned into a drag. We booked through a third party app and only discovered on the way to the hotel that there is specific ferry timings. I got multiple speeding tickets to try and reach the 3pm ferry or else I would have had to wait for the 6pm ferry. Second of all, it was a birthday and for a hotel like Anantara it was strange to only offer late check out - most of the UAE hotels do that regardless and mind you we went on a weekday. Finally after a lot of convincing and back and forth with 2 staff members, they agreed to give us floating breakfast. Thirdly, every request is a discussion and there’s certain ‘rules’ that staff had to clarify first before mentioning it for example using fazza discount in the restaurant is okay permitted with pre booking on the fazza application. Staff had to run to the manager to everything to clarify. Fourthly, the evening got worse when I found a lizard inside the hotel room and the staff came with a towel to remove it and took around 45 minutes to remove it. I have stayed in desert hotels like Liwa and wathba but have never seen lizards inside the room. I’m glad I went in off season and got a bargain price as it would not have been justified to pay the winter prices for such a badly managed hotel with bad service. Such a shame as the hotel itself is beautiful.

Svetlana Gavrilova

We had a truly wonderful stay at this hotel and left with very warm memories ✨ The experience felt special in every way — from sunny, relaxing moments to cozy rainy ones 🌦️ it honestly felt like we got to enjoy every “season” during our stay. Everything was beautifully organized, and the overall atmosphere made it easy to fully relax and enjoy the time 🌿 I would like to make a special mention of Hassan, the hotel manager. He is an outstanding professional — attentive, highly responsive, and genuinely dedicated to creating the best possible experience for guests. No matter the situation, he handled everything with efficiency, kindness, and a calm, solution-oriented approach 🤍 His level of hospitality and care truly stands out and reflects the highest standards of service. Thanks to his efforts, our stay was smooth, enjoyable, and truly memorable 🌟 It’s rare to meet someone so committed and thoughtful in his role. Overall, we absolutely loved our time here and would gladly return. Highly recommended! 🌴

sharifa alhashmi

⭐️⭐️ (2/5) Unfortunately, our experience at Al Yamm Resort was disappointing due to the lack of hospitality and support from the duty manager, Hussam. From the moment we interacted with him, there was no sense of welcome. When we asked for recommendations to help us plan our day at the hotel, he simply answered questions literally without offering any suggestions, ideas, or initiative — which is the bare minimum expected from a duty manager, especially at a luxury resort. We were clearly looking for guidance, yet nothing was recommended. What made the experience worse is that he also did not assist us with booking a restaurant. We were left struggling and eventually had to rely on the buggy driver, Santosh, who was extremely polite, helpful, and proactive. Santosh went out of his way to recommend activities and help us, which honestly highlighted how little support we received from the duty manager himself. Additionally, calling the hotel from the room phone was extremely frustrating. No one answered our calls at all, and the only way to get a response was by pressing the emergency button, which is unacceptable and concerning for a resort of this standard. In contrast, our experience at Anantara Desert Island Hotel was the complete opposite. The duty manager there, Retno, welcomed us with the warmest smile, personally involved the chef to help us order, and continued assisting us until 12:00 AM — despite the outlet closing at 10:00 PM. That is true hospitality and dedication. Retno truly represents what a duty manager should be, unlike the experience we had with Hussam at Al Yamm Resort. The difference in service was striking and disappointing.

Sanaa Almheiri

The island itself is beautiful, but unfortunately our overall experience with Alyamm Resorts was very disappointing due to the lack of hospitality and the attitude of some staff members. One staff member in particular, Sohan, seriously needs proper customer service and hospitality training. His behavior throughout our stay was rude, dismissive, and completely unhelpful. His attitude came across as arrogant and unprofessional, almost as if he personally owned the island . The way he spoke and handled situations made our stay extremely uncomfortable and stressful. Simple requests that would normally take minutes in most hotels took hours at Anantara Al Yamm. Communication and coordination were extremely poor throughout the stay. We tried calling multiple times from three different phones to confirm the boat ride, but no one answered despite over 10 attempts. There also seemed to be no proper system in place to verify guest lists, which caused us to miss the 6 PM boat and wait until the 11 PM ride instead. In-room dining was also disappointing. The food took over 1.5 hours to arrive, was served cold, and when we requested extra cutlery, no one came even after waiting nearly two hours. To make matters worse, staff repeatedly called and interrupted our stay for unnecessary matters, which affected the overall experience even more. The island itself is lovely, but the service standards, operational management, and especially staff training urgently need improvement.