GTHQ Jaunt Journal – Hotel: St Regis Saadiyat Island – Abu Dhabi, UAE

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GTHQ Jaunt Journal – Hotel: St Regis Saadiyat Island – Abu Dhabi, UAE

Location: Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi – 20 minutes from the airport

Entrance (Copy)

During a stopover in Abu Dhabi last May, we briefly stayed in the St. Regis Corniche. We enjoyed the experience (butler service!) but it was really short lived as we had to catch an early morning flight. During a recent trip in October, we routed through Abu Dhabi as I wanted to try Etihad’s A380 First Apartments (review coming soon) on our return leg. Having a 30 hour stopover meant that we had some time to kill and we opted to stay at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort as it had one of the nicest beaches in the area.

Beach view (Copy)

From the 24 hour butler service and complimentary valet parking for guests to the entire beachfront resort property with 3 outdoor pools, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

The Room

We booked a Superior room which had a city view and is about 60 square meters. Although the room layout itself has a small foyer and a bedroom/living room with couch combination and balcony, we really enjoyed the bathroom layout.

Bedroom tv (Copy) couch (Copy)

One end held the bathtub and a sink while the other side held a separate closed toilet bidet area and second sink. In between both sections there was a see thru glass shower which could be entered from either side. There are Laboratoire Remede toiletries.

bathroom (Copy) bathroom 2 (Copy)

The bedding was firm and we find that the linen and pillows are fantastic and extremely comfortable. We would seriously consider purchasing the bed set and components.

Bedroom length (Copy)

The Property

The hotel itself is spread out over a massive property and in typical UAE fashion, blingged out.

entrance foyer (Copy)

This property has won multiple awards for multiple years including Abu Dhabi’s Leading Beach Resort and is located on Saadiyat Island. There are multiple pools including a child friendly pool a stone’s throw from the private beach. There are sports activities and entertainment on the beach including volleyball and football and the staff is extremely courteous and helpful.

sontaya entrance (Copy)

There are 7 restaurants and eateries with various types of cuisines ranging from Mediterranean, a Steakhouse and Asian cuisine. Breakfast is served at Olea and while there is a good spread, the $40 per person price tag is quite steep. We also tried Sontaya’s Asian cuisine which was fantastic and included some nice exotic mixed drinks (we even got a recipe for one of them!). The food was cooked to perfection and well presented. However, the price tag matches the food.

Sontaya plate (Copy) Sontaya Appetizer (Copy) sontaya mixed drink (Copy)

For those who want to look for a less costly alternative there is a shopping center a 30 second walk directly in front of the hotel entrance with many choices.

shopping center (Copy) Shopping center night (Copy)

The gym is located in a building behind the shopping center and is quite large. It is located on the second floor and has a good variety of equipment. The pool is located on the first floor which was empty with only the lifeguard pacing around.

Pool (Copy)

The locker rooms are well maintained and stocked with all types of toiletries but are freezing cold.

gym locker rooms (Copy)

The Experience                                                                                                      

We had a long wait between check out time and our 8 PM Etihad pickup service. Unfortunately as there was an event going on, our request for a late checkout was not possible. However, a nice benefit from this SPG property is that you can continue to use all the facilities (beach, gym, pools, restaurants, showers, locker rooms, etc.) until you leave.

Beach Access (Copy)

You are assigned a temporary account number and can settle the bill when you’d like before leaving. There is a lounge you can use as well while you wait for your taxi or pickup service.

Waiting Lounge (Copy)

The butler service is helpful and they are available 24 hours a day. We took advantage of this service by getting clothes laundered and using their shoe shine service. They strive to fulfill any requests made. Overall, the close access to the private beach and the constant attention to customers make this property well worth visiting.

city view (Copy)

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