Al Hamra Residence
Beachfront serviced apartments in Al Hamra, from studios to five-bedroom penthouses
Is Al Hamra Residence worth it?
Al Hamra Residence is a 4-star serviced apartments in Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, about 80 minutes by road from Dubai International Airport. It has 143 keys. It is operated under the Al Hamra Resorts portfolio. Lead-in rates start from around AED 435 a night, so check live rates for your dates. Guest reviews average 7.6/10 on Hotels.com.
What you’ll find on-site
- Swimming pool
- Restaurants & bars
- Free Wi-Fi
- On-site parking
Where exactly is it?
Al Hamra Beach, Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates — with the coastline, the Hajar mountains and Ras Al Khaimah’s growing dining scene all within easy reach.
- Check-in / out15:00 / 12:00
- Best monthsOct – Apr
What it’s actually like
Apartments with kitchens on Al Hamra Beach, built for long stays rather than short ones
Al Hamra Residence is not a hotel and should not be judged as one. It is 143 serviced residences sitting directly on Al Hamra Beach, running from studios up to five-bedroom penthouses, with a kitchen in every unit. The question it answers is a specific one: what if you need space, self-catering and a beach for a fortnight, rather than a room for three nights?
For two families travelling together, for a group who want to cook breakfast and eat out only when they choose, or for anyone staying long enough that restaurant bills start to matter, this is the strongest option in Al Hamra. Social Kitchen, the Fresca Pool Bar and the White Beach Bar cover you when you do not want to cook, and there are tennis courts on site. Alcohol is served.
The single biggest reason to hesitate is the guest score. At 7.6 on Hotels.com it is the lowest of the Al Hamra properties we cover, and at around AED 435 a night the lead-in rate is not a bargain either — it is close to the five-star Sofitel down the beach. You are paying resort money for apartment service, and serviced apartments are consistently marked down on housekeeping frequency and front-desk responsiveness. Know that going in.
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At a glance
- Area: Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, directly on Al Hamra Beach
- Class: 4-star serviced apartments
- Units: 143 residences, from studios to five-bedroom penthouses
- Opened: not published
- Price from: around AED 435 per night as a lead-in rate — check live rates, and check weekly and monthly rates, which is where this property makes sense
- Best for: long stays, family groups, self-catering
- Drive from Dubai International (DXB): roughly 80 minutes
- Guest score: 7.6 on Hotels.com at the time of writing. That is the aggregated guest score, not a RAKTraveller rating
Location
The residences sit directly on Al Hamra Beach, in the established resort district on the southern edge of Ras Al Khaimah. Al Hamra is the most self-contained part of the emirate: the marina, the mall and the golf club are all inside the same masterplan, which matters enormously on a long stay. You can buy groceries, walk to dinner and play a round without driving anywhere — something you cannot do on Al Marjan Island.
That self-containment is the strongest argument for choosing Al Hamra over the island for anything longer than a few nights. Dubai International is roughly 80 minutes by road. Jebel Jais is over an hour inland and worth a full day.
Rooms and suites
143 residences spanning studios to five-bedroom penthouses. That range is unusually wide and is the property’s real distinguishing feature — there are very few places in Ras Al Khaimah where a group of ten can book a single beachfront unit rather than five hotel rooms.
Every unit has a kitchen, which changes the economics of a longer stay more than any nightly rate does. A family cooking breakfast and two or three dinners a week will claw back a substantial amount against a hotel. Individual unit sizes and layouts are not consistently published, so if you are booking a specific configuration — three bedrooms with two bathrooms, say — confirm it in writing with the property rather than inferring it from a floorplan image.
Serviced apartments also vary in condition more than hotel rooms do, because units are managed individually. This is the most likely driver of the 7.6 score, and the reason to ask about the age and last refurbishment of the specific unit you are allocated.
Beach, pool, and facilities
There is a private beach, a pool, a gym and tennis courts. The tennis is a genuine point of difference: very few properties in the emirate at any price include courts, and on a two-week stay it gives you something to do that is not the beach.
What is not here is a spa or a kids’ club. If you want either, you are looking at a full resort. The compensation is that the golf club, marina and mall are within the same district rather than a drive away, so the residence does not need to provide everything itself — which is broadly the point of the format.
Dining
Three named venues: Social Kitchen, the Fresca Pool Bar and the White Beach Bar. Alcohol is served. That is a modest line-up next to a full resort, and deliberately so — the kitchen in your apartment is meant to be the main catering arrangement, with these three as the alternative when you cannot face it.
On a stay of a week or more, that arrangement works well because Al Hamra has restaurants at the marina and mall within easy reach. On a two-night stay it will feel thin compared with the seven or eight outlets at the Sofitel or the six at Radisson Resort Marjan Island. Check current outlet opening hours, which vary by season.
Family suitability
Very good for family groups, mediocre for a family looking for entertainment. Space, kitchens, multi-bedroom units and a beach on the doorstep solve the hardest problems of travelling with children — nap times, fussy eaters, early breakfasts, and the cost of feeding everyone in restaurants twice a day.
What is absent is a kids’ club and any organised programme. If your children need structure, book a resort: Movenpick Al Marjan Island or the Sofitel both run one, and our family shortlist compares them. Al Hamra Residence assumes you will entertain your own children, and prices accordingly — which is to say, not cheaply.
Couples suitability
A studio or one-bedroom here is a reasonable base for a couple on a longer, slower trip — particularly if you want to cook, to walk to the marina in the evening, and to avoid the restaurant treadmill. Tennis courts and a quiet beach help.
For a short romantic break it is the wrong shape. No spa, limited service, a modest dining line-up and a rate near five-star territory. Couples with AED 435 a night to spend on three nights should be looking at Cove Rotana or the InterContinental at Mina Al Arab.
What is good
- Kitchens in every unit, which transforms the cost of a long stay
- Unit sizes from studio to five-bedroom penthouse — a rare range in Ras Al Khaimah
- Directly on Al Hamra Beach, in the emirate’s most walkable resort district
- Tennis courts, which almost nothing else here offers
- Licensed, with three on-site venues for the nights you do not cook
What is not good
- A 7.6 guest score, the weakest of the Al Hamra properties we cover
- Around AED 435 is close to five-star money for apartment-level service
- No spa and no kids’ club
- Three dining venues will feel thin on a short stay
- Unit condition varies more than in a hotel — check what you are allocated
Value verdict
Judged per night, the value looks poor. Around AED 435 buys you a five-star resort room elsewhere in Al Hamra with more pools, more restaurants and a spa. Judged per person per week with self-catering factored in, it looks completely different: a three-bedroom unit split between two families, with breakfasts and half the dinners cooked at home, undercuts three hotel rooms comfortably.
That is the whole calculation. Al Hamra Residence is priced for groups and for duration. Do not book it for a weekend; the format gives you nothing and costs you a resort rate. Ask for weekly and monthly rates directly, which are not always shown on booking platforms, and compare against the wider Al Hamra field.
Who should book Al Hamra Residence?
Two families travelling together who want one roof rather than four doors. Groups of six to ten who need a multi-bedroom beachfront unit. Anyone staying a week or longer, relocating, or working in the UAE for a stretch. Self-caterers, people with dietary requirements, and families with small children who need a kitchen and a washing machine more than they need a kids’ club.
Who should skip it?
Anyone on a short break — two or three nights makes no use of the format and you will pay resort rates for less service. Couples wanting a spa and a romantic dinner list. Families who want organised children’s activities. And anyone unwilling to accept the variability in unit condition that the 7.6 score reflects.
Nearby alternatives
- Al Hamra Village Hotel — the cheaper Al Hamra option, hotel format, beside the golf club
- Sofitel Ras Al Khaimah Al Hamra Beach Resort — a full five-star resort on a comparable rate
- The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra Beach — villas, if space is what you are buying and budget is not the constraint
- Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah — the district’s flagship, for short stays
- Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah — a straightforward budget alternative away from the beach
FAQ
Do all the units have kitchens?
Yes. All 143 residences are serviced apartments with kitchens, from studios up to five-bedroom penthouses. That is the format’s central advantage and the reason it works for long stays. Confirm the exact equipment — oven, dishwasher, washing machine — for your specific unit type when you book.
Is it directly on the beach?
Yes, the residences sit directly on Al Hamra Beach with private beach access. The White Beach Bar and Fresca Pool Bar serve the beach and pool areas. Al Hamra Marina, Al Hamra Mall and Al Hamra Golf Club are all within the same district rather than a separate drive.
Is there a kids’ club?
No. There is no kids’ club and no organised children’s programme in the published facilities. Families are well served on space, kitchens and beach access but not on entertainment. If supervised activities matter, book a full resort such as the Sofitel or Movenpick Al Marjan Island instead.
Is it worth it for a short stay?
Generally not. At around AED 435 a night you are paying close to five-star resort rates for apartment-level service and three dining venues. The kitchen and the space only pay for themselves over a week or more, or when a group shares one multi-bedroom unit. Ask about weekly rates.
Bottom line
The right answer to a narrow question. If you need beachfront space, a kitchen and a stay measured in weeks rather than nights, Al Hamra Residence has almost no competition in Ras Al Khaimah. If you are booking a short holiday, the same money buys a considerably better resort a few minutes away, and the 7.6 guest score is a fair warning that service here is not the selling point.
How this review was prepared
This review is desk research, drawing on official Al Hamra Resorts material for the property, and on verified guest-review data from booking platforms. It is not a paid placement and not based on a hosted or complimentary stay. Where details are not published — individual unit sizes, the opening year — we have said so rather than estimated. See all our Ras Al Khaimah hotel reviews.
All Ras Al Khaimah hotels at a glance
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So, is Al Hamra Residence the right call?
If you’re after long stays · family groups · self-catering in a four-star setting, it’s hard to beat. Winter dates book out early — lock yours in.
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