I was lucky enough to have a guided tour of this hotel last year, it really is amazing.

I doubt you would feel over dressed, it depends what your smart casual look is. I would respect the dress code as many 'guests' in the hotel are Arab. No short skirt or strappy tops. A nice pair of trousers or long skirt with a top would be acceptable or go for the nice dress. I would strongly suggest a top that covers shoulders just to be respectful or wear a nice shrug. The air con can be very chilly so another good reason to cover shoulders. Not sure about a jacket for your husband, I do not think it is required from memory.

Hopefully someone who has eaten here can help you further. Also I hope I did not sound patronising re the dress code but whilst in Dubai last year I was alarmed at how many westerners walked around in short skirts and vest tops. Tourists have to respect the culture or stay away. I wore a top that came to my elbows and long skirt or 3/4 pants when we left our hotel.

Not sure how long you are staying but I highly recommend dune bashing, we used Arabian Adventures and booked a private car. That way the driver will drive according to your liking. We wanted to really push the car to it's limits as we 'off road' here in the UK. We were told problems start when 2 families share and want different experiences. If you want a mild drive they will accomodate you. Out of 50 cars our driver did the most aggressive driving as they are highly skilled. Many other peple took photos of what we were experiencing. If you can cope with it my advice is ask your driver to 'go for it' apparently the drivers love this request. It is safe, they would not risk the cars tipping but sometimes even I shut my eyes and screamed. Our little boy was 7, he said his dads driving will never be that exciting.

Enjoy your trip

let me know if you need any more info re your trip

Hi
The dress code isn't so strict for women as it is for men - as always! As long as you're reasonably smart you'll be fine (no jeans, trainers, etc but that goes without saying.
In the restaurant you're visiting men must wear a jacket and tie and no open toed shoes.

Thanks, didn't think about strappy tops but will take a small shrug or pashmina to cover shoulders.

I usually wear a skirt between knees and ankles or trousers or Capri pants I'm not really a short skirt person but I have bought a few vest style tops and strappy silk scarf style tops to wear over trousers thinking it will be really hot even in the evenings (Egypt seemed hotter at night!!) Will this be a problem as I don't really want to be wearing long sleeved tops in restaurants in the evenings?

Not sure about 'Dune bashing' sounds rather scary. I'm still plucking up the courage to go on the big water slide at the Wild Wadi!!

Did the tour of the Burg cost you anything as I would love to have a guided tour? We were going to have afternoon tea there but decided on the evening meal instead.

Also, is it worth paying extra for a car to take you to the hotel from the airport or are the mini-buses air conditioned and not too full? I don't fancy sitting around in that heat waiting for Joe Bloggs and his kids and stopping at every hotel along the route?

Thanks