CommunityMental HealthLivehealthy approved: Sharjah Sheraton Resort & Spa’s Wellness package

If you need a weekend of solitude, wellness, relaxation and rest by the beach, why not consider Sharjah?

I never had, until recently. To be honest, I haven’t paid nearly enough attention to Sharjah in the almost 15 years I’ve lived in the United Arab Emirates.

But, thanks to Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, I have a whole new appreciation for this fascinating emirate. Being invited to try the destination’s new Wellness package let me explore the emirate first-hand, and determined to go back very soon.

The first thing I noticed was that the hotel, which is located on Al Muntazah Street on the north side of Sharjah, is right beside a recently-opened section of the Sharjah Corniche. This gave me direct access to one of my favorite activities: seaside walking. The open section takes about 40 minutes to walk, and I did that both mornings during my stay (first wellness priority checked).

As an added bonus, there are loads of new restaurants and cafes right by the Corniche, along with toilets and ample swimming spots. So, if you want to leave the hotel for a coffee at Tim Horton’s or a cheat burger at Pickl, all while gazing out at impossibly blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, the option is always available.

But back to the hotel: the check-in was seamless and my room was sea-facing and complete with a beautiful balcony. It was a joy to sleep both nights with the sliding door open so I could drift off, and wake up, to the sound of the lapping waves. The room also had something that is becoming increasingly rare in UAE hotels: a deep bathtub.

Sheraton Sharjah Resort & SpaAhead of my arrival, I was asked to select two treatments to try at Shine Spa. Feeling adventurous, I went with the ones that seemed the most interesting and unusual.

However, it was cold and blustery on the day I pulled up, and my first treatment was scheduled for shortly after I checked in. That’s probably why my therapist asked if I wanted to choose another treatment: mine was the cold stone massage.

I said I’d stick with it (I was curious), and her reply was ever so clever: “negative plus negative might equal positive”.

I’ve had hot stone massages before but I always found the stones too hot. Most likely I was drawn to the cold stones due to my affinity for the way I feel after cold showers and ice baths. After all, no one really enjoys having freezing cold applied to their body, do they? But it feels good afterwards.

The cold stones were no different. First off, the massage was beautiful: long, slow, relaxing strokes that had me melting into the bed. I could feel my knots loosening and my brain slowing down. It was a masterful massage. The cold stones were jarring – why wouldn’t they be? – but I got used to it, and liked them much better than any hot stones I’ve experienced. Once I leaned into it, the experience was very refreshing and the combination of the warm massage bed, the relaxing working of my muscles, and the iciness of the stones ultimately did exactly what I needed it to. I arrived at the resort feeling very, very tired, and I left the massage feeling significantly rejuvenated. It was one of the best spa treatments I’ve had, and I would highly recommend it.

The next day I had a 60-minute personal training session in the hotel’s Technogym-equipped fitness center. I was feeling pretty low on energy, and I was thankful that my trainer respected that when I told him at the outset. After a quick warmup we did a series of full-body movements, such as squats with weighted arm raises, and by the end I was sweating and tired, just the way you would want to be.

A few hours later I had a dry floatation session – I told you I picked strange sessions – and I arrived with literally no idea of what it would entail. After unwinding with rotating visits to the jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, the therapist came and retrieved me for my half-hour session. It turned out that “dry flotation” involved laying on a bed that rhythmically inflated and deflated, while my therapist Ada gave me a delicious head, face and neck massage. My body felt completely weightless, like I was floating in the ocean but with zero effort. Shine Spa actually specializes in Thai treatments, and I plan on trying some of those on my next visit.

Dinners were at Gusti, while breakfast was room service. Although the hotel is 5-star, the food and atmosphere of Gusti is more four. The dining room atmosphere felt a bit like a cafeteria, but that aside, I was able to find loads of healthy options. My favorite items were the meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes and the salad bar. Each dinner I had a large salad, and when on the first night I asked for lemon and olive oil to dress it, the staff quickly responded. Then the next night a waiter saw me at the salad bar and asked if I would like lemon and olive oil again, which was lovely. There was also lots of fresh fruit available, including perfectly ripe pineapple. Breakfasts in the room were extensive, and the room service staff were able to respond to my specific food requirements, specifically substituting eggs for foul. It would also be nice if hotels would start offering more actually healthy options, rather than options that just seem healthy. For instance Greek yoghurt versus sugary fruit yogurt, or sourdough or rye bread instead of white toast.

However, those were my only quibbles. Overall the experience was great, and the price is also right. It’s incredibly frustrating how expensive it can be for people to enjoy a simple relaxing weekend away, never mind one with some spa time added in. It’s also very disappointing to shell out Dh900 or more for a spa treatment and encounter a lackluster experience.

But the Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa’s Wellness Weekend provides a much more reasonable option, with spa treatments that would rival – and indeed surpass – many of their competitors. The package includes two spa treatments, a 60-minute personal training session or swimming lesson, and 20 percent off food and many other hotel services. Prices vary depending on the time of stay, but generally begin at about Dh1,200 per night.

For enquiries or reservations contact 6 563 0000 or look for Wellness under the “Deals and Packages” section of the hotel’s website.

• This hotel stay was provided for the purposes of a review. We try a lot of things here at Livehealthy, but we only publish Livehealthy Approved reviews for those that are truly worth it.