We just arrived back from Hilton RAK Resort and Spa after a lovely holiday and overall a good experience. I would not have any complaints as that would be unfair but I think that the hotel is not quite up to 5 star or comparable to those in Dubai.
The rooms are lovely, food superb (even on all inclusive) and the staff are excellent but the hotel lacks a little "finesse" - ie. poolside waiter service which usually include cold towels, fruit etc.
Also, the buffet restaurant is fine for breakfast and dinner but is too bright and lacks intimacy for an evening dining experience. At the moment the nightime dining and entertainment is slightly lacking but I believe this will be remedied in October when the resort is fully opened.
This said we had a lovely relaxing time and had a very positive experience. I would say that given time and a little fine tuning this could become a top class resort.

We have just returned from staying at the RAK Resort and Spa, we were there for 5 nights. Its approx 1 hour and 10mins from Dubai airport. We arrived into the airport at 730am and was at the resort by 9am. We were given a room straightaway. On observation its a resort that doesnt have much around it, other than residential homes. its very very new but there are many teething problems which need to be addressed. One of my main concerns were around the pool area, many loose and cracked tiles. We stayed in the main hotel and opted for All Inclusive which was very good and cost effective. They had different themed nights. There is plenty for all tastes. The staff we found to be very friendly. Housekeeping were a bit slow with requests ie foam pillows, not enough towels but overall the rooms are very spacious - 2 beds, spacious bathroom (seaview). We have stayed at the Oasis, LeRoyal Meridien , Habtoor and Hilton all in Jumeriah beach area in the past, so we felt this was reasonable if you need time to get away, not having to worry about spending any money on drinks and food. There are approximately 7 pools but we only saw 3 large ones. one of them was a salt water one that goes on for ever. There are plenty of sun beds, so no having to save spots. We didn't go on the beach..too hot. We are not big drinkers but made the most of the wine and beer they had on offer. We saw others sampling the cocktails which looked lovely. During the day by the pool you can get snacking foods (salads, burgers, which you get an allowance of 70DHS towards. This was more than enough as we had salads, burgers, club sarnies, with 6soft drinks between 3 of us and it only came to DHS200 per lunch. The spa and gym was too far away from the main restaurant, thats my only criticism. We could see the villas on the other side of the hotel, which looked far, so if your room key work for whatever reason, it would be annoying to have to walk back to the main hotel to get them to sort out. Twice a week they organise a trip to the local mall. which doesnt have big brand names, Next, Dotty Ps, Early Learning Centre, Its 10mins away but gives you a chance to do a bit of shopping if you are room only. Its worth the visit, and they have a huge food hall for those not eating at the hotel. There is no pool service for taking drinks and food so you have to go up to the bar to order which in this heat (45degrees most days) just makes you lazye.Overall i would go back, if you are not expecting to leave the hotel. 5 days was enough. Their internet access was 25dhs for 30mins or 45dhs for 1 hour and you get pre-paid cards. Where the Jumeriah beach area is so built up now, it made a nice change to go out a bit further, we couldnt fault the food, but be aware as its a new hotel, there is a section thats still not open to the public which they are working on, i heard no construction but you are aware there are workman on site.
We would definitely go again back to this hotel.

Just spent a few days at this hotel and left feeling disappointed after all the enthusiastic reviews posted here. We stayed in a villa room, which was spacious and comfortable but definitely not 5 star. The toilet seat was broken in 3 places making it unusable. When I reported it, I was thanked for pointing it out (doesn't housekeeping check these things?) but no immediate action was taken. Of the two wash hand basins in the bathroom, only one was functional and neither of them had a plug. So, despite all the little notices scattered around the room reminding us to be "environmentally friendly" with our towels and sheets, there was no way to conserve water! This is almost a crime in a country like the UAE where every litre of water is desalinated and there are about 4 days of rain a year! We also watched in disbelief as housekeeping staff "washed" the electric ceiling fan in the balcony area with a garden hose! A couple of the bathroom fittings fell off the wall and the key cards had to be changed almost every time we left the room. Apparently, the system is "sensitive". A word of warning - if you're in a villa, there's no way to contact the main hotel if you get locked out of your room. You have to walk a kilometer in 45 degrees to get your new key because, after the beach bars close, there are no phones available! They run golf buggies (they call them club cars) but be prepared to carry your own luggage. The buggy drivers don't like getting out in the heat and will happily watch you stagger over crazy paving and landscaping as you try to make it from the villa to the buggy with your cases! The hotel itself is still not finished and construction work is continuing in the main building and also around the pool areas. There are very limited options for eating - dinner was a choice of either the Italian restaurant or the lacklustre "eat till you burst" buffet served in a huge charm-free dining hall. The staff range from cheerful to downright grumpy and quite a few refused to return basic greetings! As another reviewer has noted, there are lots of broken tiles around the pool areas and the finishing on the rooms is slapdash. I got the feeling from the duty manager I spoke to that "near enough is good enough". The pools and beach are good but getting your hands on a towel can be problematic. These are dispensed from "towel counters" that are often unstaffed. On one occasion, I was told that the towels were finished and no more were coming. He then flapped his hands dismissively and said, "Go beach!" I wasn't sure if he was suggesting I pinch one from the loungers there or simply commenting on what he thought of my character! The hotel also put blocks on your credit card, which they do not tell you about. In our case, they blocked 150% of the amount we'd already paid for the room! I guess this is in case you make off with one of their precious towels should you actually be lucky enough to get your hands on one! All in all, fine for a night as the beach and pools are great but the resort is already looking a little tired and rather tacky.

stayed at this hotel for 10 nights, no way is this a 5 star resort, more like a good 3 star and the al la cartte restaurants and xo bar would match up to 4 star standard.
Be aware they water the grounds of the resort with filtered sewerage water which stinks. This is done late in the evenings every day so if you are unlucky enough to be walking through the grounds when the sprinklers come on you get soaked with stiking filthy water. We have returned from a so called realxing holiday having suffered sickeness and stomach problems as well as now taking prescribed medicine for glandular infections thanks to inhaling the fumes from this most unhygenice water. Watching people lay on the grass and walk barefoot on this made my stomach turn. If they rectified this problem it may make it bareable. The hotel is also run on minimum staff so no drinks service by the pool during the days. Stayed in a villa which if it were not for the smell which seeps into your room was actually very nice and spacious with stunning views of the beach and sea.