remymartin

Depends what you mean by "we". St Regis is more classy (but still lacks polish ime), whereas LRM has more venues inhouse.

LennartH

My girlfriend and I.

Lounge could be a plus for the LRM, I guess.

remymartin

Then I'd probably go for StR, if similarly priced. Did you look at the other StR?

LennartH

I did. Way too expensive.

StR and LRM seem to be the only options, and the aloft is also reasonably priced.

khabah

Looked at Abu Dhabi options for this month and have found the hotels to be hilariously priced - something along the lines of 319 AED/night [just under 87 USD] for the Le Royal Méridien on a December weekend. Unusual to see such high-quality products marketed as so low a price when a Four Points in Dubai will set you back for more [granted, not much more] for the same time period. The only one with consistently high rates seems to be The St Regis Saadiyat Island; the city branch was always more reasonable although I've yet to try either.

khabah

3rdworldresident

Planning to visit abu dhabi in late jan 2017 (winter season?)

which spg hotel is the most suitable for a first time visitor (to do the tourist things)?

JK

Considering how cheap cabs are there (and Uber availability), I'd always recommend St Regis Saadiyat Island! It's starting to slip every-so-slightly, but still remains one of my favourite hotels in the world.

Safe travels,
JK

Thunderroad

My wife and I will be passing through Abu Dhabi in late October next year, arriving at 11:30 am on a Wednesday from the USA and departing the next day at 8:45 am for Nairobi. (FWIW, traveling premium cabins with just carry-on luggage, so any airport delays/hassles should not be too bad.) Despite the great advice I received a couple of years ago re the LM, we ended up staying at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi, which we loved. (I can't recall why we opted for the St. R, beyond deciding to splurge).

For this return visit, having seen the Grand Mosque and wanting a pretty restful time, we're thinking of returning to the St. R AD, but the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort also sounds very appealing, though I understand there is construction going on nearby. (True?) Any recommendations of one over the other? We'd likely be hanging out at the hotel/beach. (We didn't get to check out the St. R beach last time through.) It would be a C+P stay, with the Saadiyat Island Resort more expensive, but that's just a marginal consideration.

So...any recommendations re one versus the other, including Platinum treatment? I assume that our flight is too early for comparisons of breakfasts to be relevant, but if I assume incorrectly please let me know.

And if anyone has other hotels we should consider, be they other Starwoods or Marriott properties, I'd welcome the advice.

Thanks for any help with this.

SanDiego1K

We stayed there this week. While there is construction on the main road on the island I saw nothing visible at the resort.

I encourage you to add the Abu Dhabi Louvre to your schedule. It opened within the last month. We bought tickets in advance which proved unnecessary. I thought that the collection was superbly curated and it was a real treat to visit. Also, if you haven't already visited, I highly recommend a trip to the Falcon Hospital. Fascinating. This must be booked in advance.

One feature that I liked very much at the St Regis Saadiyat is easy access to The Collection, the restaurants and shops immediately out the front door and across the interior road. I'm a fan of Avasa, an Indian restaurant there.

We were upgraded to an Astor suite as a platinum member. I had a rate that included breakfast. It was extensive. However, I agree with you that your flight schedule will not permit you to eat it.

Thunderroad

Thanks very much, SD1K! Unless we're really bushed, we'll check out the Louvre. And the Falcon Hospital sounds fascinating. Any recollection of how far it is from either of these St. Regis's?

SanDiego1K

The Louvre is on Saadiyat Island and was the primary reason I chose the St Regis. There is no Uber; we needed cash for the taxi. The taxi ride was roughly $5. I'll leave you to look up the Falcon Hospital as that was a different trip.

Thunderroad

Ok. Thanks!

frenchft

Sheraton is not amazing but it's kind of cheap and good option (especially for smokers) and they are very consistant in upgrade. It's old school but with good maintenance. Pool and beach are very average but Le Meridien is far above and it's one of my worst experience with SPG hotels... it's really a crappy place.

frenchft

Uber does not work anymore since last year in Abu Dhabi but the taxi app is ok (need a local number). Careem is not really an option in Abu Dhabi because of the high prices they charge (3 times more than dubai prices). Abu Dhabi taxi and official app are the way to go (in case of problem they are very responsive, they even call you when taxi is late, etc).

Dubh

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere else, but what was the Yas Viceroy is now within the Marriott Group. It seems to be currently unbranded as, simply, The Yas Hotel, but I was told it was going to become a W. Who knows, its Abu Dhabi, pinch of salt etc.