The last time I was in JA Hatta Fort Hotel – I didn’t have any kids. The husband was off mountain biking and I took my mum over for a stroll and a coffee. It was winter-time and it was lovely. Fast-forward 10 years later – we came back here with not one, but three kids. It was pretty exciting to be honest, to bring the kids here for the first time and experience the hotel from the perspective of a family. So you must be wondering – how was it? Take note that we stayed here, early May – the start of Summer.
Read on – and you can judge for yourself if JA Hatta Fort Hotel is for you, and the kids 🙂
Let’s start with the logistics.
Where is JA Hatta Fort Hotel?
For the longest time, I had in mind that Hatta was part of Oman. No no no – apparently (according to Wikipedia at least) – Hatta is an enclave in the emirate of Dubai, and yes – it was formerly an Omani territory before 1850.
The hotel itself is about an hour and 45 minutes drive from the Dubai Marina. You go along the Sharjah-Kalba road, passing by the beautiful red sand dunes of Mleiha. As you arrive – you’ll notice how green and well-kept the grounds are. I recommend doing the mini-hike to the top of the lookout point in front of the hotel for a good birds-eye view of the hotel and surroundings. It’s beautiful.
What Room Type would fit a Family of 5 in JA Hatta Fort Hotel?
We had the opportunity to review two room types – which I would suggest you look into if you like us, have three kids.
Deluxe Terra Cabins
The Deluxe Terra Cabins are super cute – and gives you a feel of what ‘glamping‘ is like.
In one space – they have a double bed in the middle, a single bed to the side, and to the other wall – a bunk bed. It comfortably sleeps 2 adults, and 3 young kids.
Take note that there is a walk-in rain shower and not a bathtub, so if you have a baby – I would recommend you bring a little bathtub or choose a different room-type. At the time of the stay – our kids were ages 5, 7 and 9 – so it was perfect as shower-time meant we could literally throw all three of them in at the same time, ha ha.
Three Bedroom Villa
If you are travelling with extended family or friends – and want something a little more lush with more space – have a look at the new Three-Bedroom Terra Villas. It’s literally a home away from home, minus a full-working kitchen.
One of the bedrooms has an ensuite with a walk-in shower, and there is another bathroom accessible to all along the hallway with a bathtub as well as a walk-in shower. This would be ideal for families with babies or younger kids who love a good bath!
Two of the bedrooms have these super giant king sized beds ( I’ve honestly never seen such big beds before ) – which could comfortably sleep 2 adults and a child. The third room has twin beds. Note that we only used two rooms amongst the 5 of us, when we were there.
See our reel, which gives a good walk-through of both the Deluxe Terra Cabins & Three Bedroom Villas
Things to note :
- The Terra Villas & Terra Cabins are located in the same area, which is about a 7 minute walk from the Main Hotel Building. A few tips to share :
- Bring the kids’ wheels ie bicycles, scooters, rollerblades. We brought our kids’ bicycles and they cycled everywhere on the property – which was lovely.
- Alternatively, you can call for the buggy, if you don’t want to walk.
- If you would prefer to be closer to the Main Hotel Building, there are lots of rooms to look into ie Deluxe Mountain View Family Room, Premium and Deluxe Mountain View Room, as well as a dog-friendly Deluxe Mountain View Room.
- Book Directly with JA Hatta Fort Hotel – Call +971 4 809 9333 or Email here.
See JA Hatta Fort’s Room Types and Current Prices
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Does JA Hatta Fort Hotel have a family pool? What is it like?
A short walk from the Terra Cabins & Villas, is the family pool which they call the ‘Rock Pool’. We spent both Saturday and Sunday afternoon here with the kids, as well as my brother’s family. The kids literally cycled over from the Terra Cabins in their swim-wear (and that’s why I highly recommend you bring the bicycles!)
Things to note :
- The toddler pool is shaded, at 0.5m depth
- The second pool section is not shaded, and varies around 0.9m to 1.15m in depth
- The third pool section is not shaded, and varies from 1.00m on one corner (left side, in the photo below), to 2.00m over the other end – so make sure you keep an eye on the kids if they are not strong swimmer.
- Lots of sunbeds under the main shade area, plus you can sit closer to the pool and the staff will move the umbrellas to suit.
- Bring your own pool toys ie balls, floats, etc.
- There is an air-conditioned Entertainment Room next to the pool area if you want to get out of the sun and have some chill-time. They have billiards, foosball, TV and a bathroom with a walk-in shower.
- Family Pool is open from 8am to 7pm Daily.
What about an Adults-only Pool?
Don’t worry – they do have an adults-only pool as well located by the main building! You can jump in for a swim while waiting for your lunch at Cafe Gazebo as it’s right by the restaurant itself (which is exactly what I did…. haha)
Are there any family restaurants?
JA Hatta Fort Hotel has two main restaurants in the hotel itself – that’s Cafe Gazebo and Jeema. They do have Roumoul Cocktail Bar next to Jeema, for light bites and drinks, and a casual foodtruck alfresco spot Hikaya – located by the padel tennis, playground and animal enclosure area.
Cafe Gazebo
Cafe Gazebo is located in the main hotel building, above the adults-only pool. This is where you’ll be having your buffet breakfast in the morning with the kids – which starts from 7am to 11am. They have a live egg station for your omelettes, scrambled eggs and anything you feel like. Guess what? Cafe Gazebo also serves pork – which was a nice surprise! Nothing extensive – but it was still good to have some pork sausages and pork bacon in the morning.
Jeema
Jeema is located one level above their lobby area – and is another option for dinner while you are there with the kids. They have an Ala Carte menu with International options like Pan Seared Sea Bass, Slow Roasted Chicken as well as lots of Indian options like Mutton Biryani, and Kadai Paneer.
During the weekends and subjected to occupancy, they might opt to set out a buffet spread – which was what we did on Saturday evening. Do check with the hotel prior to heading over on what is available.
Does JA Hatta Fort Hotel have a kids’ club?
Unfortunately, JA Hatta Fort Hotel does not have a Kids’ Club where you can drop off the little ones – BUT, it has SO MUCH to do with the kids. Let me get into that……….
What activities and experiences can you do with kids at JA Hatta Fort Hotel?
You can literally spend the entire time on property as there’s lots of activities – free, and paid, to do.
Animal Encounters & Pony Rides
Near the entrance of the hotel, you will find their animal enclosures where you can come up close and personal with tortoises, rabbits, goats and deers. Over the summer season – the feeding times are 8am-10am and 3pm-4pm. We took the kids both mornings after breakfast and thankfully the enclosures are shaded, and you get a lot of breeze so it wasn’t as hot as we had anticipated. It was really fun to do this with the kids – especially the fact that we could actually go inside the enclosure. Do check current feeding times with the hotel.
Note that the Animal Encounter experience is free. You can also do Pony Rides – which is a paid experience.
Archery & Airgun Shooting
If you’re up for it, you could also give it a go with archery and airgun shooting at JA Hatta Fort Hotel.
This was a really cool activity to do with the husband. The instructor was patient and went through the steps. We loved that they use a wooden bow here, in comparison with other places that we have done.
Things to note :
- Minimum Age for both activities is 11 years old.
- The archery and airgun shooting area is directly opposite the Family Pool – so the kids can’t do it, one of the parents could take them to the pool while the other does the experience.
- As of May 2025, these are the prices
- Archery – 50 AED for 30 minutes
- Air Rifle – 25 AED for 25 shots
- All guests get 20% off as part of the Hatta is Calling Summer Offer.
Mini Golf, Garden Chess, Padel Tennis and Tennis
Other than that (yes, there’s more!) – you could also shoot some golf balls at the Mini Golf Area (right behind the animal enclosure), and next to it is the classic hotel standard – giant Garden Chess.
In that same area you’ll fine a padel tennis court – though to highlight that it is not shaded so I would suggest to look into it for the early evenings. There is also a tennis court near the Terra Cabins & Villa area.
General Hiking & Exploring
This is just common sense but I had to put it in here because that’s just one of the things that we really enjoyed about this property. The fact that it’s huge – and that we could walk and cycle everywhere. I know you’re on holiday – but don’t get lazy, ha ha!
Right in front of the hotel, is a mini hiking spot where you get glorious views of the hotel and surroundings. I went up by myself on the first morning, and again with my 9 year old the next day. It’s a lovely hike and it really is just a small walk up a hill – you gotta do it.
Do they have a playground?
At this point you must be thinking – there’s MORE things to do here?
So yes – JA Hatta Fort Hotel does have a shaded playground right next to the Animal Enclosure called Hatta Rangers Park. There’s slides, swings, climbing apparatus and all the usual kids playground fun. Again, thankfully – to emphasize, this area is shaded.
What other activities is there to do in Hatta with Kids?
There is SO MUCH to do in Hatta – that initially we had all these amazing excursions planned but only managed to do one – which was a visit to Go Gravity. Go Gravity is about a 5 minutes drive from the hotel – which again was fabulous for us. Less time commuting, more time doing.
We started with the tube sliding – which was a very quick and thrilling slide down the mountain with the kids. A lot of giggles and shouting – just pure fun. The zorbing was another fabulous one which I had done once in New Zealand (where the Zorb was founded). Remember to bring a change of clothes (or come in your swimwear) as you are literally rolling down a hill in a ball with water!
Our favourite experience had to be the guided rover tour. It was such a perfect way to end the evening, watching the Hatta terrain on a rover – while the kids sat at the child seat behind.
See our video of our experience at Go Gravity
Note :
- As guests of JA Hatta Fort Hotel, and as part of the Hatta is Calling offer – all guests get 20% discount at Go Gravity (except Rover rides)
- Go Gravity is open throughout the Summer Season, from 3pm-8pm on Weekdays and 9am-8pm on Weekends
- For more details and pricing – check gogravityhatta.com/activities
And now – the big question on everyone’s minds.
Is it too hot to go to Hatta in the Summer?
We were in Hatta for 3 days, 2 nights at the beginning of May. Yes – it was what you’ll call ‘Summer Weather’ with mid afternoons reaching 40 degrees. However, it was still bearable for us because the humidity was low, and the wind was still cool. We just had to plan our days to suit.
Things to note, and tips to share :
- Head to the Animal Enclosure for the feeding in the morning (8-10am). It’s all shaded and there is a cool breeze.
- As everything is quite spread out – you will obviously get hot trying to walk in the sun. Bring the kids’ wheels where possible, or make use of the buggy available.
- The family pool is not shaded so you will get a lot of sun there. Brings lots of sunscreen and water, and take breaks. Use the indoor Entertainment Room for some air-conditioned down-time from the outdoors.
- For external activities – suggest to head over in the late afternoon. We went to Go Gravity around 4pm for the tube sliding, and zorb. We did the Rover Tour around 5:30pm which went on until 6:15pm and to be honest it was perfect weather.
Of course – the weather will only get hotter come June, July, August – as will the prices for the rooms in JA Hatta Fort Hotel. That’s why we have summer offers – right? 🙂
Overall Thoughts
Did we have a good time at JA Hatta Fort Hotel? Absolutely.
We will definitely come back – as there’s so much much more that we haven’t done and seen – like the kite flying at the hotel grounds, mini golf, padel tennis, pony riding. And I haven’t even started on the other external activities that yes, you also get 20% discount as part of the Hatta is Calling campaign. This includes Hatta Outdoor, Hubber Bikes and Hatta Flow. We’ll see you soon – JA Hatta Fort Hotel! 🙂
- JA Hatta Fort Hotel
- For bookings – please contact JA Hatta Fort Hotel directly :
- Call +971 4 809 9333
- Email reservations.hfh@jaresorts.com
- More details on jaresortshotels.com
For Eid Al Adha 2025 – JA Hatta Fort Hotel is offering 30% off stays with a GHA DISCOVERY membership. See ‘Eid Al Adha Offer‘
Until 30th September 2025 – JA Hatta Fort Hotel has a summer offer with 20% off Best Available Rates, F&B and Experiences. See ‘Hatta is Calling‘
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