I took my two children for a week to Dar Al Masyaf. It was very, very good.
They loved the water-taxis, the buggies, the buffet breakfast in the Arboratum, the many excellent restaurants, the free visits to Wild Waldi Water Park, the butlers Vivian and Mark, the chocolates on the pillows after turn-down each evening, the size of the Arabian Villas, the birds singing in the mornings, the white sand and warm seat of the Persian Gulf, and so on.
I loved the space, the heat, the big main pool, the private Villa pool, the pool-side waiter service, the cold fruit kebabs, the cold face flannels, the stuffed dates, the mega-efficient butlers, the coffee and, basically, the sheer elegance and delivery of it all. It was all fabulous and pretty much flawless; a previous reviewer had written that they would struggle to find so many top restaurants outside of London; I live in Central London and I would totally agree with that sentiment; most of the restaurants on the resort surpassed the Charlotte St restaurants near me.
The only drawback - seven days was not long enough. Next time, we plan to go for ten. I found the reviews on this site very useful when I researched the Dar Al Masyaf and Al Qasr, and I have to say IGNORE any negative reviews - the Dar really is something special.

The best hotel i have ever stayed in. It was a great experience. Excellent service, most amazing property. I would highly recommend people visiting Dubai especially on a holiday with children to stay at this hotel. The whole experence of commuting in Abra's (boats) within the hotel was fabulous. The rooms were big and beautiful. There is so much to do (Wild wadi, souk, burj al arab, children's club etc etc) within the Madinat jumerieh area that you can spend a few days in madinat itself.

stayed here for 5 nights and loved every minute of it. You arrive through a palm tree lined road with gold horse statues and it totally takes your breath away. Got there at around 2am and we got upgraded to an arabian suite instead of the gulf summerhouse (which is closer to the beach) so i wasnt best pleased until i saw the rooms. Like having an apartment the size of it. And the bed! I miss that bed so much, it was heavenly. The butlers cant do enough to help you, 24 hours a day and especially the pool guys who run about bringing you drinks, cold towels, evian spray and food, fabulous. It was 5 mins walk to the Al Qasr for breakfast but we got so lazy and took advantage of the buggys on your doorstep, taking you anywhere. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to chill out and be pampered for a few days and would definitly go again.

Earlier this year, I reported on our 2006 visit to the Mina A’Salam, and how much we enjoyed it. We returned to stay in the Dar Al Masyaf this year. We were not disappointed, it was a marvellous holiday.
A few problems with the trip out, delayed flight, missed transfer, but eventually we arrived, having missed the first night. (Emirates direct next time)
On arrival in the early morning at the Al Qsar hotel, we were welcomed and ushered through to the signing in desk, cold towels immediately on hand. The formalities were completed later in our own room by the butler. Soon we found ourselves being whisked by buggy to our Ocean View room.
That short trip in the quiet morning, as the sun was rising, just washed away all the bad things so far. The colourful life size model camels, the winding lanes, and peaceful air, immediately made us feel good.
We were introduced to our butler, and he showed us our room on the ground floor. The Dar Al Masyaf “villas” are deceiving to the eye. They look like solid villas from the outside, but through the cool lobby, you enter a two tier courtyard, with rooms on two floors. The courtyard is a haven of peace, and each courtyard has a unique water feature.
The room was marvellous, with a small terrace with table and chairs, which led out to the manicured grass, a buggy track and then the beach. For some reason there were two king sized beds joined together, which produced the largest bed we have ever slept in. The bathroom was wonderful, with a bath tub the size of a small boat, and a large walk in shower.
I will emphasise now that our room was wonderful, and very conveniently placed for many parts of the hotel complex. We have no complaints about the accommodation. We like to relax, soak up the sun and just chill out. The drawback was the pool we were nearest to. It was the main Al Qsar pool. All very nicely laid out, but a little too crowded, plus some families with young children. (Grumpy Old Man time !)
We asked about an alternative room further back in the complex, where there are smaller, more private pools. We were shown a lovely room that overlooked the waterways, very quiet, and with a small pool about 20 metres away. The area was more relaxed altogether, and we loved it. The transfer was painless, with the butlers taking care of the luggage and clothes, some carefully transported on hangers. The room was identical to the Ocean View room, but instead overlooked the waterways, bliss.
Eating is easy, we took breakfast either in our room, or in the Khaymat Al Bahar, which was a lovely place to start the day. In the evenings we found a few places in the Souk that were excellent, and very reasonable. Plus of course the wonderful fruit cocktails they serve up, we have personal favourites, and they are delicious. My one complaint in this area, is why the “pool” menu is not also available as a room menu, with all the cocktails included. If it had not been for our persistent butler, we would never have had our favourite cocktails in our room after 8pm.
It was extremely hot this year, but pool staff serve up fresh fruit, fruit sorbets, and are always available with towels.
This sort of holiday may not suit everyone, but as a wind down and for a recharge, with the option to take in a few sights, some shopping, and just feeling relaxed, you can’t beat it. We chatted to several people who were already regulars at the resort, some returning for their 2nd, 3rd or 8th visit ! Wonderful.
Will we go again ? . . . . . . wild horses !