Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel

Set on a private beach in Ajman, Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel combines a heritage-style retreat with the useful comforts of a large resort. You get views towards the Arabian Gulf or the city, an outdoor pool, a gym and free WiFi throughout the hotel. The website is available in English and Arabic.

The accommodation works for more than one sort of dive trip. Couples can keep things simple in a king room with a view, while families or small groups have apartments and suites with separate living space. There is also a spa, a garden, sun terraces and a private beach area, so the evening does not have to become a compulsory expedition into town.

You are in Ajman, on the United Arab Emirates coast, rather than in Dubai itself. The hotel sits directly on its private beach, with the Arabian Gulf on one side and the city close by. Ajman Beach is about 1 mile away, while Ajman Museum is roughly 0.6 miles from the hotel and can be reached on foot in around 12 minutes.

The surrounding area is practical rather than cut off. Cafés and restaurants are within walking distance, including Gulf Pastry, Al Shady Cafeteria, Gioia Restaurant and Al Jalani Restaurant. Sharjah’s museums are nearby by car, and Sharjah Aquarium is about 8 miles away. Dubai International Airport is around 14 miles away, while Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is about 44 miles away.

The standard rooms keep the arrangement straightforward: a choice of king or twin beds, a French balcony or terrace, and either a sea or city view. The view categories make more sense if you plan to spend time on the balcony with a cold drink rather than treating the room as a place to leave your bags. Every room has air conditioning, a flat-screen television, a minibar and an electric kettle.

For three people, or for anyone who prefers not to live around a pile of kit bags, the one-bedroom apartments and suites add a spacious living room. The two-bedroom apartment with a view is the obvious option for a larger group, with two bathrooms and room for up to five guests. Family rooms are available, and children of any age are welcome; children aged 12 and over are treated as adults for the accommodation policy.

Soundproof rooms should help keep the night from turning into a corridor soundtrack, while air conditioning takes care of the Gulf heat. Daily housekeeping is included, and room service runs around the clock. For a longer stay, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are also available.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, which is the sensible format when you want to eat properly before the day starts. Le Boulevard covers international cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, giving you the broadest choice within the hotel. Mood takes a narrower and more interesting route, serving Lebanese cuisine for dinner from 6pm until 1am.

There is also the Snug Lobby Café, open across breakfast, lunch and dinner service, plus a snack bar and an on-site coffee house. Twenty-four-hour room service is available when the body has voted for bed rather than another meal downstairs. Special-diet menus can be arranged on request.

One practical point matters here: this is a dry hotel, so alcoholic drinks are not served. The all-inclusive package covers breakfast, lunch and dinner at Arabesque Restaurant during the hotel’s meal periods, with unlimited soft drinks included.

The outdoor pool, private beach, sun loungers and umbrellas give you several ways to spend an unambitious afternoon. The garden and sun terrace are there for the same reason: somewhere to sit down without having to organise a major outing. Pool and beach towels are available, and there is a separate children’s pool.

The spa is the more convincing recovery plan. You can choose from massages, facial treatments, body scrubs, body wraps, mud baths, a steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi, with a relaxation lounge for the part where you stop pretending to check the time. A fitness centre, fitness and spa changing rooms, plus a personal trainer, cover those days when you feel the need to do something energetic.

If sitting still becomes too advanced, the hotel offers table tennis, water sports on site, walking tours, themed dinner nights and live sports broadcasts. Families also have a kids’ club, indoor play area and children’s playground. Cultural excursions can include Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, the Citadel and Petra.

Check-in starts from 3pm and check-out is by noon. You need photo identification and a credit card at arrival, and the minimum age for check-in is 18. The hotel asks you to share your expected arrival time in advance. Cash is accepted, and cash is required in advance on arrival to cover spending in the food and beverage outlets and the minibar.

Airport transfers are available on request, either privately or as a shared shuttle arranged with the hotel. Car hire is available, and free private parking is offered on site with reservation; valet parking is also available. The 24-hour reception, concierge, luggage storage, lockers and currency exchange are useful if your flight times do not line up neatly with the room.

Free private parking, wheelchair-accessible facilities, a lower bathroom sink, raised toilets, grab rails and an emergency bathroom cord are available. Pets are not allowed. WiFi is free throughout the hotel, so uploading the day’s underwater evidence does not require a hunt for the one working corner of the lobby.