City Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah

When it finally dawned on me that I will have to live in the UAE, I told myself that aside from Dubai where I'm currently living, I should also be able to explore the rest of the 7 emirates. Of course I know there are still a lot of things that I have yet to explore here in Dubai, so my goal of visiting the other emirates will have to be achieved over time, if not sooner, especially considering Mark's busy schedule.

So when Mark told me about a body building competition that he plans to join in is being held in Ras Al Khaimah, I was more than excited! :D

Ras al-Khaimah is a Persian Gulf Arab emirate and a member of the United Arab Emirates. Its name means "Top of the Tent". The emirate is in the northern part of the UAE, bordering Oman's exclave of Musandam. It covers an area of 1,684 square km. ~Wikipedia

The competition had events on 2 consecutive days so Mark took charge in booking a hotel for us to stay in Ras Al Khaimah and chose City Hotel.

City Hotel is Ras Al Khaimah’s best kept secret with an enviable location boarding the main roads. Located at the heart of the city, the hotel is just a few steps away from Manar Shopping Mall, one of the biggest shopping malls, and it is conveniently located for all your downtown business needs. It is also just a few walks away from the Ministry of Arts, where the body building competition was held.

Mark already booked and paid online, so checking in was a breeze. We were just asked for our IDs for checking and were given with our room key shortly after.

Receiving Area

We were also provided with welcome drinks which were a little too sweet. It was a very sweet gesture though. :)

Hotel Lobby

Our room is located at the 3rd floor of the hotel. These twin beds with flower petals and balloons were what welcomed us as we entered our room.

Standard Deluxe Room - 257.00 AED per night

I just wasn't sure about the balloons, but the flower petals somehow gave us that romantic vibe. :)

The linens were clean and sweet-smelling and the pillows, although there was just one on each bed, were very soft. In between the beds is a lamp which can be dimmed, which definitely aided for a relaxing rest and a good night's sleep.

Mark was already prepping up for the competition so he immediately took off his shirt and did his routine poses while I was busy taking photos of the room, so please excuse his half-naked shots. :P

Just right across the beds were the cabinet, cable TV, refrigerator, and an office desk where we mostly placed our things.

I loved that the cable TV has a good reception and lots of English channels.

The site says that a mini bar is included but we only had an empty ref plus complimentary bottled water.

Situated inside the huge cabinet were a couple of hangers, towels, Koran, digital safe, and laundry bags. I was searching for slippers, which are usually present in hotels that I've been to, but apparently, City Hotel does not have one.

Aside from the spacious room, it also has a balcony overlooking the heart of the city.

The bathroom was what I checked last. It was clean and spacious. It has toilet with working bidet and an enclosed shower with hot and cold shower system.

We also were provided with two sets of towels and toiletries.

I just found it strange though that there were no toothbrush and toothpaste provided. A shaving kit was available instead. Good thing we always bring our own toiletries whenever we travel. :p

Each room in the hotel also has an individually-controlled air conditioning system, direct dial international phone service, round-the-clock room service facilities, and free WIFI access. Mark and I agreed that the room was generally okay considering that it was light on the budget, but we just have one major issue. We didn't quite get a sound sleep because we can hear the very loud music from the hotel's in-house bar which I believe is in the mezzanine floor.

Our accommodation also included complimentary breakfast buffet for two. Mark needed to be at the competition venue by 7am, so we woke up early to have our breakfast at the in-house restaurant in the mezzanine floor of the hotel.

The breakfast buffet spread, though not that extensive, had a variety of food to choose from, most of which were patterned to cater to the Middle Eastern palates.

There was a coffee section with a choice of brewed and Arabic coffee. The breads section included the usual loaf breads, plus some Arabic and Indian breads, and Danish pastries. There was also a selection of butter and jams.

The main dishes included boiled eggs and chicken sausages,

potato wedges and Foul Modammas (a Middle Eastern bean dip),

Chana Masala and Vegetable Samosa,

and vegetable fried rice.

There's also a section for cheese and cold cuts,

fresh garden salad,

and fresh fruits.

A section for cereals and milk and juices was also present.

Mark can only load up after the competition, so he just had a couple of breads and bananas. I, on the other hand, got a small serving each of the main dishes (minus the foul modammas and boiled eggs), plus some fruits. :D

Although it's not the usual breakfast food that I'm accustomed too, I must say that I enjoyed my Middle Eastern breakfast. The chana masala and vegetable samosa were what I loved the most in my plate.

I know that there are still a lot for Mark and I to discover and explore in Ras Al Khaimah, but at least we got to experience what it's like to be in a hotel in the Middle East.

There were still a lot of guests checking in when we were about to check out, so although there were a few misses, I must say that we still had a great time at the hotel because of the exemplary customer service.

Mark and I were supposed to checkout on 12 noon and we came back from the competition 30 minutes late, but we were still given another 30 minutes to rest and freshen up before we checkout. I guess their customer service is what keeps people coming back. :)

CITY HOTEL, Ras Al Khaimah
P.O. Box 13388
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 7 227 4000
Fax: +971 7 227 4002
www.cityhotelrak.com