gbs1112

Can anyone who has taken up this offer say what type of accommodation is allocated, eg, basic standard, club, executive etc. Also if the offer covers things like breakfast, wifi etc.
Any comments about individual hotels used for the option would be interesting too. There are eight to choose from.

akalra1187

The hotels offered are:

Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa
Intercontinental Abu Dhabi
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers
Rosewood
Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri
The Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Yas Viceroy

They used to offer Bonnington Dubai. You get 2 nights in 1st class, 1 night in Business class. It is the most basic double room. All include breakfast, the two I've stayed in include wifi but can't confirm all do.

I have stayed at Etihad Towers and St. Regis Abu Dhabi, and I've visited Yas Viceroy, Shangri La and Rosewood.

The St. Regis is a good hotel, and there's quite a bit to do nearby, the attached mall has a good range of restaurants, the beach club owned by the hotel has nice bars and is good in the evening.

Etihad Towers is nice, the Japanese restaurant is excellent and the attached shopping mall has all the designer shopping one could need if you enjoy shopping.

Both are well located.

Yas Viceroy is on Yas Island and a pretty useless location in my opinion unless you have kids who want to go to Ferrari world or want to visit a mid range mall (Yas Mall), it looked like a good hotel though in the ultra modern style.

Rosewood looks very dated, but the attached mall Galleria is the best in Abu Dhabi. The restaurants around are also very good, the Chinese that's part of the Rosewood is excellent and Almaz by Momo is also very nice.

Shangri-La is again a bit out of the way for anything other than the Grand Mosque, but it has its own attached 'souq' which is a modern replica souq like Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai if you know that. Its nice but I just visited it one night for dinner. I can imagine staying there is inconvenient and will get boring. Location wise, St Regis & Etihad Towers are much better. Can't comment on the rooms, but Abd El Wahab in the Souq is good for fresh fish and Shisha.

I'd pick Etihad Towers if you haven't stayed in a Jumeriah hotel before. Otherwise St. Regis.

Hope this helps.

NoY

My take:

Intercontinental: really quite dated but plenty of F&B options - close-ish to beach.

Jumeirah - excellent - modern/slick & plenty of high quality F&B options - mall is (ridiculously) high-end! V. close to beach & Emirates Palace.

Rosewood - luxury (classic, not at all dated IME) - v. close to FS & very high end Galleria Mall.

St Regis - luxury - good F&B v close to beach & Emirates Palace. Nation Towers Mall is really small & only high end & has just a few outlets/cafes.

Yes Viceroy - great for Yas Waterworld/Yas Mall & Was Marina Circuit/Ferrari World. Otherwise, pointless.

Shangri-La - really quite dated hotel but good range of F&B within hotel & souk attached.

Ritz C. - no idea really - poor location apart from Grand Mosque!

akalra1187

Jumeriah at Etihad Towers as you say is very nice, the rooms could be a bit more plush, but given the quality of the restaurants and bars, I'd say the rooms are acceptable. I wouldn't say the mall is 'ridiculously' high end, its not Goyard, Baccarat, St. Louis, and Bijan... Its just 'normal' designers like Cavalli, Versace and Lanvin...

Gallaria mall (Rosewood) is great but even the lifts I saw at Rosewood were not up to 'UAE standards' hence my date comment. I'd still give a recommendation for their Chinese restaurant.

St Regis's attached mall (Nation Towers) has a Michelin stared Indian restaurant, a top Lebanese restaurant (Wafi) and a very good burger restaurant, and the beach club has Asia de Cuba along with some other bars and restaurants. Yes, shopping is just a few, but as far as having everything on your door step goes this is the best. Galleria (attached to Rosewood) is only ten minutes cab or so from the St. Regis and your in the middle of Galleria and Marina mall which is the second best mall in Abu Dhabi (again around ten mins cab). Avenue at Etihad Towers is also walking distance from the St. Regis.

For the rest, agreed, the other hotels are in a stupid location (unless you have children who want to go to Ferrari/Yas Waterworld (Yas Viceroy) or want to be near the Grand Mosque (Ritz/Shangri-La))

NoY

akalra1187

Yes, I find Etihad Towers rooms decidedly 'Chinese' in quality but its a damn good hotel.

I'd say Galleria is a better mall than Etihad Towers?

Perhaps you're right maybe Rosewood's rooms are much better than the lifts seem? I don't disagree here.

I'd say the quality of Nation Towers is very good even if the size isn't, that's just my opinion you're free to disagree of course.

NoY

We are both just giving opinions, thats the beauty of FT ^

I am very well placed to comment on Etihad Towers - I live there That places me perfectly to be a regular at their mall, Avenues, Nation Towers, St Regis, The Corniche, Marina Mall etc. etc.

Nation Towers Mall & Galleria have VERY little to interest me. YMMV.

gembowcup

Just to add a bit--

St. Regis Abu Dhabi has all the good points everyone has mentioned, but it also has a swim up pool bar at the beach club. Extra bonus!

Rosewood's rooms are incredibly plush (or were as of three years ago). The attached Galleria Mall has the Four Seasons hotel on the other side of it, which has excellent bars and restaurants.

The lobby at Jumeirah Etihad Towers is stunning, particularly during the day. Worth a visit just for tea if you're not staying in the hotel.

Ma Ga

Residence fare comes with 2 nights free in an 1100sq' suite at Emirates Palace in AUH (retail $1,700).