Desert Inn Resort and Camp
Cheap private-pool villas, with caveats you should read.
Is Desert Inn Resort and Camp worth it?
Desert Inn Resort and Camp is a desert resort in Al Wadi Desert, Ras Al Khaimah, about 75 minutes by road from Dubai International Airport. It has 8 keys. Lead-in rates start from around AED 382 a night, so check live rates for your dates. Guest reviews average 7.4/10 on Booking.com.
What you’ll find on-site
- Swimming pool
- Restaurants & bars
- Free Wi-Fi
- On-site parking
Where exactly is it?
Wadi Muzira / Ashis, Ras Al Khaimah — 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
Eight keys, cash only, and a maintenance record you should read before booking
Desert Inn Resort and Camp is a very small property — eight keys — in the Wadi Muzira and Ashis area, roughly 30 km from Ras Al Khaimah city and 16 km from the airport. Some of the villas have private pools, and pets are welcome. It scores 7.4 on Booking.com, which is a middling number, and the reviews behind it are consistent enough that we can tell you exactly what goes wrong.
Three things recur: maintenance, insects and pool cleanliness. Add to that a cash-only payment policy, which catches people out. This page exists so that readers for whom those are dealbreakers can rule the property out in thirty seconds, and readers who genuinely do not mind can book with their eyes open and probably enjoy it.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links. RAKTraveller may earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations remain editorial.
At a glance
- Where: Wadi Muzira / Ashis area, inland Ras Al Khaimah
- Distances: about 30 km from RAK city, about 16 km from RAK airport
- Keys: 8 — doubles, family rooms, villas and suites
- Private pools: in some villas
- Pets: welcome
- Payment: cash only
- Guest score: 7.4 on Booking.com
- Rates: from around AED 382 per night, check live rates
- Official website: none we could verify
- Drive from Dubai airport: about 75 minutes
Location and getting there
Wadi Muzira sits inland, toward the desert and the wadi country behind the Ras Al Khaimah coast. You are about 30 km from the city and 16 km from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. The drive from Dubai International is roughly 75 minutes.
There is no walkable anything. A car is not optional. We could not verify an official website for the property, so booking runs through third-party channels — which makes the cash-only policy on arrival more important to plan for, not less. Our areas guide shows where this sits relative to the coast.
Where you sleep
Eight keys in total, across doubles, family rooms, villas and suites. Eight is very small, and it has two consequences. The good one: it never feels crowded. The bad one: if your room has a problem, there is no second room to move you to.
Some of the villas have private pools, which is the main reason to book here rather than a conventional hotel at similar money. Detailed specifications per unit are not published anywhere we could verify, so confirm what you are getting — particularly whether your villa’s pool is private and whether air conditioning covers the whole unit — before you pay.
Facilities and food
The private villa pools are the facility. Beyond that, published information is thin, and we will not fill the gap with guesses. There is no verified official site listing restaurants, board options or opening hours.
Pool cleanliness is one of the recurring guest complaints, which is worth weighing given the pools are the selling point. Ask when the pool was last serviced when you check in, and do not treat photographs as current.
What you actually do here
Sit by your pool. That is the honest answer. The property is a base for the inland desert and wadi country, and with a car you can reach the city, the coast and the mountain road. Jebel Jais closes for the summer — road, restaurants and attractions all shut — so check before planning that day out. See our Jebel Jais hotels guide and things to do in Ras Al Khaimah.
There is no organised activity programme comparable to the Al Wadi desert camps. If you want camel rides and buggies bookable from reception, this is not the property for that.
Who it suits
UAE residents wanting a cheap villa with a private pool and a dog, who will bring their own food, carry cash, and are not going to be upset by a fly or a tired fitting. Groups who want the whole small property to themselves. Price-driven travellers who have read the complaints and accepted them.
What is good
- Private pools in some villas at a price well below resort equivalents
- Pet-friendly, which is rare in Ras Al Khaimah
- Only eight keys, so it is never busy
- Close to Ras Al Khaimah airport, about 16 km
- Genuine inland quiet
What is not good
- Cash only — no card payment on site
- Recurring guest complaints about maintenance
- Recurring guest complaints about insects
- Recurring guest complaints about pool cleanliness — the thing you are paying for
- No verified official website, so facility and dining information cannot be confirmed
- With eight keys, no fallback room if yours is unsatisfactory
Value verdict
From around AED 382 per night, check live rates. A private-pool villa that takes your dog, for under AED 400, is a genuinely low number in this emirate, and that is the entire case for the property. The counterweight is a 7.4 guest score with specific, repeated complaints about exactly the things you would care about. It is cheap for a reason. Whether that reason is acceptable is a judgement only you can make.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you are squeamish about insects. Skip it if you expect hotel-standard housekeeping and maintenance. Skip it if you cannot or will not pay in cash. Skip it if you are marking an occasion, travelling on business, or need dependable dining on site. And skip it if a pool that might not be clean would ruin the stay, because that is the most common complaint here.
Nearby alternatives
- RAK Glamping — pet-friendly and far better reviewed, at a higher rate
- The Dunes Camping & Safari — the best-reviewed desert stay here
- Citymax Hotel Ras Al Khaimah — similar money, predictable standards
- Best cheap hotels in Ras Al Khaimah
FAQ
Is it really cash only?
Yes. Desert Inn operates a cash-only payment policy, so bring enough dirhams to cover your stay and any extras. There is no walkable cash machine nearby, and the property is roughly 30 km from Ras Al Khaimah city, so plan this before you set off rather than on arrival.
What do guests complain about?
Three things recur across reviews: general maintenance, insects, and pool cleanliness. The last is the most significant, because the private pools are the main reason to book here. The 7.4 Booking.com score reflects a property that delivers on price but not consistently on upkeep.
Can I bring a dog?
The property is pet-friendly, which is uncommon in Ras Al Khaimah. Confirm any size, breed or charge conditions directly when booking, since there is no verified official website publishing the policy. If pet facilities matter as much as permission, RAK Glamping is the better-equipped option.
Do all the villas have private pools?
No. Some villas have private pools; doubles, family rooms and suites make up the rest of the eight keys. Because per-unit specifications are not published anywhere verifiable, confirm in writing that the unit you are booking has its own pool before paying.
Bottom line
A cheap private-pool villa that takes your dog, with a maintenance record that explains the price. Right for a specific, tolerant traveller; wrong for most people. Compare the alternatives in our Ras Al Khaimah hotel guide.
How this page was prepared
This page is desk research, drawn from official operator sources and verified guest-review data, not a hosted stay. No official website could be verified for this property, so facility detail is limited to what booking channels confirm. The 7.4 score is a Booking.com figure, not a RAKTraveller rating. Check live rates before booking.
All Ras Al Khaimah hotels at a glance
A quick summary of every hotel we cover, with direct booking links. Compare areas, best-for fits, and check live rates & availability on Booking.com.
Where to book Desert Inn Resort and Camp
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So, is Desert Inn Resort and Camp the right call?
If you’re after budget · pet owners · private pool in a five-star luxury setting, it’s hard to beat. Winter dates book out early — lock yours in.
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