Barracuda Beach Resort

★★★Khor Al Beidah, Umm Al QuwainSpecialist pick

Overview

Barracuda Beach Resort is a long-standing three-star lagoon resort in Umm Al Quwain, roughly an hour from Dubai. Most UAE residents know it as much for the huge Barracuda drinks store next door as for the resort itself. It suits families and groups after a simple, inexpensive weekend rather than anyone chasing polish or a five-star finish.

The 51 rooms, suites and villas sit around an infinity pool with a children's paddle pool, and there's a communal barbecue terrace where evenings turn social and lively rather than quiet. Children have volleyball, basketball and cricket space to burn off energy, and Dreamland Aqua Park is close enough to walk to. Four straightforward restaurants cover pizza and grills, Kerala cooking, Filipino food and biryani, so a large mixed group won't struggle to eat.

The lagoon here is tidal and pulls back a long way at low tide, so this isn't a booking to make purely for beach time — check the tide before you promise the kids a swim. Treat it as a functional, well-priced weekend base for a Dubai family rather than a polished destination resort; the fit-out is practical rather than plush, and it can get busy and noisy with day-trippers and large groups at weekends.

lagoon-side setting
infinity pool
51 rooms and suites
next to dreamland aqua park
children's paddle pool
volleyball and basketball courts
communal bbq terrace
free self parking
four on-site restaurants
24-hour front desk

Rooms

Good to know

Meal plans: Room only · Bed & breakfast
Paid at the hotel: The tourism dirham fee and any security deposit
Cancelling: Each room shows its own terms; cancel online from My trips while they allow

Eating and drinking

Thunder Road Pizza and Grill — Hand-tossed thin-crust pizzas, steaks and burgers in a casual American-style room with TV screens for the game. Easily the most child-friendly of the resort's restaurants and a safe bet for fussy eaters.
Backwaters — Traditional Kerala cooking, with dishes such as Thrissur fish curry and Malabar lamb curry on the menu. A more regionally specific option than the resort's other Indian venue, aimed at those who know the cuisine.
Barako Grill — A Filipino restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, VIP rooms, a full bar and live music in the evenings. Livelier and later-running than the family restaurants, popular for group dinners.
Biryani Junction — An all-day Indian restaurant built around biryani and a broader Indian menu, open from morning through to late evening. Straightforward, family-friendly and one of the resort's longest-running venues.

Getting there

It's about 60km from Dubai, generally an hour or so depending on traffic through Sharjah and Ajman, with Dubai International Airport roughly 69km away. Free self-parking is available on site, and given the price point most residents drive themselves rather than arranging a transfer.

Ask about Barracuda Beach Resort

Another room type, more than one room, or a date that is not showing — send it over and a specialist replies with what is available and what it costs, usually the same working day.