THE FACTS ABOUT BAB AL SHAMS DESERT RESORT & SPA

UAE Dubai

Jumeirah International's latest venture, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, is a carefully conceived Arabian village with simple one- and two-storey buildings connected by courtyards and winding stone staircases. The imposing entrance archway sets a rather Beau Geste tone but inside, Hollywood epic becomes intimate 'designer rustic' with low ceilings, lantern-lit alcoves and meandering paths. The dips in the pre-worn stone steps are trying a little hard for authenticity, but the charm and romance are seductive. There are 115 bedrooms and suites, some with balconies or private terraces, and suites have walk-in showers with stone seats set into the undulating walls for a hammam-style soaking. The plaster walls are hung with rugs, and there isn't a shiny, man-made surface in sight. The stylish, simple spa is in a detached building, with four indoor treatment rooms and an outdoor room spacious enough for a couple. And outdoors is where you really want to be, either lounging next to the angular swimming pool, sitting on cushioned terraces around a log fire on cooler winter nights or, best of all, sprawled on a sofa at the rooftop bar where you can puff on apple shisha under the stars. The central restaurant, Al Forsan, offers an international buffet, while the tented Al Hadheerah is a more animated affair, with cooking stations, belly dancers, henna painting and falconry displays. WHEN TO GO Late October-May:midsummer is scorching and humid ROOM TO BOOK 130, a deluxe suite with a balcony facing the sunset CONTACT Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, UAE (00 971 4 314 3647; fax: 314 3666; www.jumeirahinternational.com). Doubles from 1,080 dirhams (about £140); deluxe suites from about £460