Recently I had to spend few days in Abu Dhabi, which is my favourite city of all the UAE. One of the many reasons why I love this city is the fact that their five-star hotels are so much cheaper plus they have some nice beaches.
I am not a Dubai fan so Abu Dhabi is the second best for me.
On this trip, I decided to check out the new Marriott Downtown which opened in the past few months. Actually, Marriott opened I think three new properties in the city in the past year.
After arriving in Abu Dhabi immigration was a breeze and within 10minutes I was waiting for a taxi to my hotel. Sadly Uber doesn’t work in Abu Dhabi anymore so the only option is the airport taxi. Taxi to the hotel which is in the city centre of Abu Dhabi costs 80AED.
The hotel is split between residences with a separate entrance and the hotel.
Upon arrival, I was greeted with a smile and checked into my room.
As a Gold member, I also got upgraded to a better room and had lounge access which is always welcome.
My room was huuuuuuuge and it had lovely big windows with city view, although not the one I wanted it was still good.
You can see that the room is new as the furniture and textures and fittings are definitely new and to my style.
Sorry for the low res photo, but trust me the next day it didn’t look like this with all my stuff on.
I really liked this room and I wish prices and quality were the same in Doha, ok mostly prices!
The bathroom was spacious, with separate bathtub and shower. The tub looked super inviting for a bubble bath but sadly I didn’t have time.
One thing with the shower was that it didn’t have protective glass so the floor would get wet and that is dangerous.
Executive Lounge
The lounge was on the 20th floor facing part of the city. It is not too big but it’s a good size and it wasn’t busy during the day, mostly like with every lounge it got busier for evening canapes and drinks.
The staff in the lounge and especially Memory were lovely. Always welcoming and always happy to help. I forgot the charger for my laptop and they did call several people to try and find one for me.
With regards to food in the lounge, I had read some reviews online that there was not much food and I was really apprehensive. However, I found that all three days the food was great and plentiful. They had lamb chops, salads, pasta, fish, and so much more. Literally, you can make a meal out of it as it’s not just snacks.
Breakfast also was decent and it had variety. You can order eggs, omelets as well as pancakes and waffles.
One thing that disappointed me slightly was that my egg benedict on both days that I ordered them were more like boiled eggs than poached.
Spa
Since it was my relaxing girly holiday there is not a holiday without a spa. There are separate spas for women and men which is awesome!
I booked myself into a massage and as a Gold member, I did receive 20% discount which made it a good value.
Potentially I could find one on Groupon but add taxi and hassle it would have worked the same price.
My spa specialist called Emy was lovely and she really did her best to remove those knots in my back. Bless her.
After my massage, I was told to relax, enjoy the view and my tea and stay as long as I want in the area. This was definitely a nice touch since I hate when I have to dress quickly and leave after my massage. The whole point of booking a spa is to relax and make it an experience.
I definitely enjoyed this and will happily go there again for a spa. The area is not big but small and cozy with sauna and steam room for you to enjoy as well as shower and changing facilities.
Check out
I was allowed to stay until 4 pm as check out and even when I didn’t know if I had to extend my stay until later afternoon they were flexible, polite and accommodating.
Overall the hotel is lovely, the location is just next to the Mall and close to the Corniche, I enjoyed my stay and will happily stay there again.
Price wise I found it to also be great. I think it was about £80 per night without the taxes, summer time the hotel seems to go for about £50 a night. To check out other reviews and best price go to TripAdvisor here.
Vienna City & Vienna Free Walking Tour Review
Salzburg Muslim Friendly City Guide Review; Places to See, Eat and Relax
Visiting Venice & Looking for Halal? Don’t miss this Muslim Friendly Guide for Venice
10 European Cities with Easy to Find Halal Food for Great Muslim Holidays