The welcome
From the coastal road that runs most of the length of Sharjah city, it’s not difficult to spot the new Sheraton, which dominates the skyline. Access to valet parking is up a quite narrow, steep driveway. The valets whisk luggage to the room while check-in is completed. I’m then pointed in the direction of one of two main sets of lifts.
The neighbourhood
About as far east as you can travel in Sharjah before crossing into Ajman, the immediate area is mostly residential, apart from the neighbouring four-star Coral Beach Resort. Road links are as convenient as they get in Sharjah, although avoid arrival or departure during rush hours, when traffic snarls up through city-centre exit routes. Luckily, you won’t need to leave during your stay, with beach, pool, restaurants and spa all self-contained within the resort.
The room
My seventh-floor premier deluxe sea-view room is at a perfect height to enjoy views of the pool, beach and Arabian Gulf. Everything conforms to Sheraton’s colour palette of browns, beiges and creams, just skimming on the classy side of bland. There’s a matching two-berth sofa and armchair, a sitting chair with footstool and a work desk with chair and TV, as well as built-in wardrobes with copious storage. Lighting includes nifty fold-out bedside reading spotlights, although a master switch near the bed would be a smart addition. There’s an alarm clock/iPod dock next to the enveloping king bed, embellished by a towering headboard with a dome-shaped mashrabiya section. The bathroom is spacious, with a bath, plus separate cubicles for the shower and the toilet/bidet.
The service
Excellent, if a little overzealous at times in efforts to impress.
The scene
You start to see the same faces throughout a weekend here, which lends a reassuring familiarity. The Sheraton is popular with families, although perhaps unexpectedly for a dry hotel, the piped music in the hotel corridors is distinctly party-ish – I hear everything from funky dance tunes to Kanye West. It lightens the mood and seems to catalyse friendly interactions between passing guests. The games room, with foosball, pool and table tennis, proves a popular social hub, too. A free electric shoe-shining machine near the lift is a handy all-hours touch.
The food
Dinner on the first evening is at the Middle Eastern outlet Arjwan, which wields a real flair for updated Arabian dishes, most notably Bedouin spiced camel (Dh50) – accompanying green dill rice, pomegranate and pine nuts complete a hearty main in UAE national colours. Breakfast (Dh75) at all-day-dining spot Gusti offers most standard options, from pancakes to omelettes and fresh juices, while the dinner buffet (Dh150) at the same venue isn’t a huge spread, but throws in more unusual Indian desserts, including seviyan and watalappam. My favourite, though, is Al Qubtan, a sea-view restaurant that majors on oceanic delights such as crab cakes with curry aioli (Dh60).
Loved
The room, Al Qubtan, the pool and a 60-minute Balinese massage (Dh350) at Shine Spa.
Hated
Some stale bread in Arjwan.
The verdict
A family-friendly five-star with tip-top, value-for-money rooms.
The bottom line
Double rooms at the Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa (www.sheratonsharjah.com; 06 563 0000) cost from Dh420 per night, including Wi-Fi and taxes, but excluding breakfast.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.
aworkman@thenational.ae
RESULT
Fifth ODI, at Headingley
England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20Profile
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Inside%20Out%202
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ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
