Why book Caravan Hatta by Our Habitas

For years, Hatta has been the place Dubai residents drive to and drive home from. An hour or so from the city, the Hajar Mountains offer something the rest of the emirate cannot: jagged peaks, wadis, hiking and biking trails and the turquoise waters of Hatta Dam, where kayaks and paddleboards drift beneath the cliffs. What it has lacked is somewhere to stay that matches the scenery. JA Hatta Fort Hotel has served the area for decades, and Hatta Resorts added its rustic Damani Lodges, Hatta Dome Park and Sedr Trailers. All good, all functional – but none built for the traveller who wants the mountains and a five-star hotel experience in the same weekend.

Caravan Hatta changes that. This is Our Habitas’ first home in the UAE, from the brand behind Our Habitas AlUla and the Caravan camps in AlUla and Morocco’s Agafay desert, developed with Dubai Holding and Ennismore. It opened in September 2026 on the site of the former Sedr Trailers, which Habitas has dramatically expanded and reimagined with 50 Airstreams overlooking the valley and the lake.

The result feels far more like a five-star hotel than a campsite. There is a comfortable queen bed, robes and slippers, a minibar and coffee machine, a bathroom stocked with amenities, daily housekeeping and turndown, breakfast included, a restaurant and bar, an infinity pool, a spa with sauna and cold plunge, and a gym. For a younger, wealthier and less outdoorsy crowd who have never thought of spending the night in Hatta, it is the invitation they needed – and from a brand with a track record that makes it easy to say yes. It is a real milestone for this overlooked corner of Dubai.

The vibe

Social, grounded and unplugged, in true Habitas fashion. There are no TVs in the caravans and no room service: the idea is that you spend time with the people you came with, and come together with everyone else in the shared spaces. It works. My husband and I came for one night as summer was turning to autumn, and the place already had the easy, communal energy the brand is known for, with a crowd that skews millennial and Gen Z, and staff who are friendly, genuinely passionate about Hatta and happy to talk you through the landscape. By reception, a small stand sells Hatta-made products to take home.

Location & setting

Caravan Hatta sits within Hatta Resorts, just over an hour’s drive from Dubai, on the slopes above Hatta Dam with the Hajar Mountains rising all around. Arrival sets the tone: you leave your car in the guest car park and a 4×4 takes you the final stretch up to reception. From the terrace of my caravan, the view was nothing but mountains – and, on my first afternoon, a small band of mountain goats picking their way across the rocks. A viewpoint above the site takes in the whole camp and the peaks beyond, and is worth the short walk.

The caravans

There are 50 in total, in two categories – 13 Ridge Caravans and 37 Peak Caravans – and the site now mixes original Airstreams from the Sedr days with newer ones. It is worth knowing the difference. The older caravans sit near reception and come with huge private terraces and beautiful views, but have lower ceilings and less space inside; they feel more like caravans. The newer additions have high ceilings, raised beds and far more room, and feel like small hotel rooms.

We stayed in a Peak Caravan, one of the newer builds: 21.5 square metres inside with an 18.8-square-metre outdoor deck. It was spacious and light, and didn’t feel like a caravan at all. The palette is sand, terracotta and stone, with rattan, linen and raw wood, and the details are those of a good hotel: a powerful shower, amenities by homegrown brand Dastaangoi made exclusively for the property, robes, slippers, a minibar and a coffee machine. The terrace has seating for two and a daybed, and I could have stayed there all afternoon.

Dining & drinks

Madar – Arabic for “orbit” – is the heart of the retreat, a chef-led restaurant developed with Paris Society Consulting and inspired by Emirati flavours and open-fire cooking. Lunch on arrival set the bar high: a harvest bowl, labneh and za’atar flatbread, lamb chops and mezze, alongside a Penicillin cocktail my husband declared perfect. It could have been any five-star hotel. Dinner was just as good.

Breakfast impressed me too, especially for a “caravan” stay. A buffet of pastries, cold cuts and fruit is joined by a menu of eggs, pancakes and more, plus great coffee, matcha and fresh juices. It is exactly what modern travellers want, and Habitas has nailed it.

The one note of caution is space. There is limited outdoor seating for dining and drinks, and dinner ended up indoors. When the site is full in the busy season, that squeeze will be felt, so arrive early if you want a table under the sky.

Facilities

The infinity pool looks straight out at the mountains, but there are fewer loungers than guests, and they fill quickly. On the Saturday I gave up and retreated to my terrace; on the Sunday, an early start won me a spot. Plan accordingly.

Thuraya Wellness is a highlight. Although it is tented, it feels like a proper, permanent spa, with two treatment rooms and a reception selling products. Outside sit a barrel sauna and cold plunge, rugged and charming. My massage was wonderful, and the menu runs to facials and pre-natal treatments, so there is something for everyone.

The ‘Jungle Gym’ is outdoors, built largely from natural materials and in-keeping with the surroundings. It suits the setting, though it won’t be usable all year round, and cold water on hand would be a welcome addition.

Things to do

Like all Habitas properties, Caravan Hatta runs a daily roster of complimentary activities. On my weekend there was sunrise yoga at 6am (which I skipped, though it looked tranquil and ethereal for early risers), an Emirati coffee immersion and sunset sound healing.

The sound healing was the moment of the stay. Held on the resort’s helipad, the 45-minute session began at dusk and ended under a sky full of stars, with nothing but the mountains, the warm breeze and the sound of the bowls. It was busy – a sign of how engaged the guests are – and it was grounding in a way that made the drive worthwhile on its own. Beyond the camp, the dam’s kayaking and paddleboarding and the area’s hiking and biking trails are all close by.

Is Caravan Hatta worth the price?

Yes, if you know what you are booking. This is not camping and it is not priced like camping: rates sit closer to a city five-star than a weekend under canvas. But what you get is the comfort of a very good hotel in a setting no Dubai hotel can offer, with excellent food and drinks, a lovely spa, a social programme that genuinely adds to the stay and a brand that knows exactly what its guests want. Book a newer Peak Caravan for the space, arrive early for the pool and outdoor tables, and don’t miss the sound healing. It is a triumph for Hatta, and the best reason yet to stay the night.

Caravan Hatta by Our Habitas, Hatta Resorts, Hatta, Dubai. ourhabitas.com/caravan-hatta | @habitascaravanhatta. Upcoming rates from approx. AED 1,860 per night, including breakfast.

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