fransknorge

Introduction I spend an extended week-end in Abu Dhabi for my birthday with the idea to relax, see a bit of culture and generally take some sun. I choose the Sofitel due to the nice reviews on Flyertalk, plus a fairly generous deal of 40% off on room and breakfast.I liked the hotel although I would not be as positive as orbitmc. It was a good stay overall but not overwhelming. I found service to be the highlights while food was a let down. The hotel itself is a bit dated and much smaller than it appears from the outside; only one of the four towers is actually the Sofitel, and there are 10 rooms per floor only. The result is that it is rather quiet, which is a clear advantage. Check In Check-in went well (at 2:15 AM !) I was upgraded from a King room with City View to a Luxury King Room with Sea View. I think the extra of the room are the higher floor and the view, plus slippers and bathrobe. Otherwise no difference I can see based on the description. An attendant went with me to the room to handle my small luggage and show me the room amenities and light control. Room The room was as good as expected: spacious, with all amenities you could expect from a Sofitel, the famous MyBed. The bathroom had a shower cubicle and a bath tube. The room was in good condition mostly but some wear and tear was visible, specially on the sliding doors between the bedroom and the bathroom. The desk was not really good, there was no space to put your feet and honestly I had a hard time spending more than 30 minutes on it. Two bottles of water were given every day by the housekeeping staff, plus one extra during the turndown service. There was enoug coffee capsule as well as tea bags. Bathroom amenities were Hermes. Service Service was really good: all the staff were polite, helpful and really trying to solve the issues. I had no problem getting a late check-out at 5 PM or help about local bus services from the front desk. Breakfast staff was also very active bringing tea, refilling orange juices.On Sunday, my birthday, they brought a cake: Then on Monday, a welcome gift was brought as well as another cake (on purpose, this was not a mistake) ! Dining The food was not as good as expected. I had dinner there once and it was a buffet, they do not do a La Carte in the hotel restaurant. There was various other restaurants in the building but externally managed, some of them with a cover charge !The breakfast in particular was disapointing by the quality of the products, specially the bread. Cold cuts were ok, good egg station but lacking choices of topping for the omelette/scrambled eggs. Good choice of arabic specialties though which was well appreciated. Gym The gym is located near the swimming pool. Good choices of strengthening machines (there was even a Smith machine !), aerobic equipment and cardio equipment. The space is large enough that it does not appear crowded. Location Location is on the corniche, not exactly by the walk (one needs to cross the road via two underpass to get there). The bus station terminus for line A2 from/to the airport is just behind the hotel, which is very convenient. Bus stations for the Louvre, Grand Mosque, Marina Mall are all nearby.