WasKnown

Looks like STR Saadiyat doesn’t have its own thread?

FYI, The St. Regis Saadiyat no longer has branded bears. I should have gotten one the last time I was here. Big regret…

Anyway, this hotel is so generous with upgrades and the breakfast is insane. The beaches are also suspiciously incredible given the fact that Abu Dhabi is the oil emirate lol.

Recommend the Abd El Wahab restaurant (INSANELY good food) and Caramel club (very cool bar with a good selection of Japanese whiskey).

pazza2000

Agreed, the beach there is under rated! Much prefer it to any beach Dubai has to offer.

WasKnown

It’s a bit suspicious though, no? Regardless, as controversial as it may be, Saadiyat Island is probably my favorite part of the UAE. The next door Park Hyatt is superior tbh but for Bonvoy the STR Saadiyat is still an amazing option! Happy EID everyone!

Blumie

The Thai restaurant at the St. Regis, Sontaya, is superb, one of my favorite restaurants in Abu Dhabi. They also opened a Greek restaurant about 18 months ago that I’m anxious to try.

Abd El Wahab has another Abu Dhabi location in the Between the Bridges area (as well as locations in London, Dubai, and elsewhere in the Middle East). The other location is not terribly convenient to Saadiyat Island (though I think that will change when the new bridge under construction is completed), but it’s in a beautiful setting on the water, a great option when the weather permits outdoor dining.

I’m not sure I’d call it underrated. Saadiyat Beach is known as perhaps the best beach in Abu Dhabi.

pazza2000

Understated in the sense many aren’t aware of it, and some seem to want to keep it that way.

Blumie

There's nothing Abu Dhabi wants more than to increase the level of tourism in the Emirate, and Saadiyat Island is actively being promoted as an arts and leisure destination, centered around the Louvre, which opened in 2017. But I agree with you that most tourists flock to Dubai, which is perfect for people who want intense crowds, intense drinking, and intense nightlife (not that that's all Dubai has to offer). But for people and families who want a more peaceful setting (albeit with many attractions easily within reach), I agree that Saadiyat is hard to beat.

WasKnown

For anyone interested:
St. Regis Saadiyat Astor Suite. This was an upgrade that was given proactively on check-in.

Arghmeinaugen

What is the best Marriott in Abu Dhabi for a business stay of 5 days. Looking for 1) Lounge that serves a decent happy hour dinner spread that can serve as a meal and 2) Meeting rooms


Thanks,

jaejaez

Marriott Downtown.
Le Royal Meridien.

Duck1981

Hi

I just completed a ten night stay so I thought I write down a few words.

In summary, an excellent stay. Booked a garden view room and got an upgrade to a partial sea view room which had in my opinion almost full sea view. The room was spacious and well maintained. Got 9am check in and asked for an 8pm check out which was granted.

Staff was extremely friendly to our baby and us. Breakfast selection was great and generally the F&B offering is of high standard. Did room service several times and food was delivered promptly without tray charge and was in good quality.

Pools are also large and well maintained. Again great and friendly staff there. The hotel is a whole looks good, clean, and in great order.

The beach is by far the best in the UAE in terms of water quality - we had crystal clear waters and fine sand, close to what you can find in the Maldives.

Butler service was used via WhatsApp and worked perfectly. I asked for a birthday surprise for my wife and a bottle of red and a cake was provided by the butlers and they've decorated the bed nicely.

Icing on the cake was that the hotel was the official hotel for the NBA Abu Dhabi games so we have the Bucks and Hawks in the hotel (and Shaq Attack came as well).

If I really need to critisize something then that the hotel needs a family friendly and more relaxed bar (like a beach bar) where someone could have drinks and dinner - the restaurants are as someone might expect more upscale and Buddha Bar permits kids only until 8pm. Food and service is also great there though.

I can only recommend the hotel and will come back. I have so far about 630 Marriott stays and the hotel is definitely in my Top 3.

Any questions pls let me know!

D

mynameisdmoon

Flying IAD-AUH and decided to spend the night in Abu Dhabi instead of just trekking to Dubai upon arrival (and doesn’t seem like Etihad gives complimentary shuttle if you book via partner award, even though I booked F on AP).

Any recommendations for non status holders? Trying to make best use of my partner’s 35k cert + points top off. She’s only a silver status unfortunately.

So far just booked the RC for time being because a large village room was available for 42k but looks like the location is pretty terrible as I wouldn’t not want to pay the exorbitant price they charge for dining.

Also looking at the Marriott Downtown, and the W.

I guess we should be prioritizing location since we won’t be getting any free breakfast/lounge access. Attraction wise just going to the Louvre in the morning before taking taxi down to Dubai.

ElevatorEnthusiast

Out of these three Abu Dhabi, which would you pick from a hotel overall quality perspective:

• Le Royal Meridien for 614 AED
• Le Meridien for 607 AED
• Sheraton for 641 AED

I could also get a car to take me to Dubai so I could spend a night at Grosvenor House for 1200 AED - lol, not really, but maybe I should?

In Abu Dhabi, I'll also have nights at the Marriott Al Forsan, Ritz Grand Canal, St. Regis, STR Saadiyat, EDITION, W Yas Island, and Marriott Downtown.

Blumie

It really is not a big deal to go straight to Dubai, especially when you consider that any Abu Dhabi hotel is going to take you in the wrong direction. That said, I’m a fan of the Marriott Al Forsan. It’s not in the heart of downtown Abu Dhabi, but you can get anywhere from there by car or taxi, and it’s closer to Dubai. And it’s a very good hotel. If you have lounge access, the free food they serve in the evening is sufficient to make a meal out of. I also like the breakfast buffet a lot.

Why are you going to all of these properties? I haven’t stayed at any of the three you’re asking about, but I’d pick any of the others on your list over them. By the way, make sure you know which St. Regis you’re staying at, the one on the Corniche or the Saadiyat one.

mynameisdmoon

I decided to make a cash booking at W... for a whopping 483 AED which seems very cheap all things considered. I'm a low-key F1 can so it'll be a nice treat. It doesn't seem to be too out of the way either. Will take the opportunity to check out either the Louvre or Ferrari F1 World in the morning before heading over to Dubai.

ElevatorEnthusiast

On all of my trips, I spend each night in a different hotel in order to maximize the number of hotels I get to experience. Are there any other AD properties you would recommend besides those I listed as my other recommendations?