Hotel Review: St. Regis Abu Dhabi

As some of you might know, I turned 30 earlier this year. As I didn’t feel like throwing a big party, A and I decided to skip the cold weather and waving goodbye to my twenties while spending a long weekend in Abu Dhabi. We chose to stay at the luxurious St. Regis Abu Dhabi and enjoyed some beautiful and sunny days in the capital of the UAE.

A warm welcome and our personal butler

The hotel is located inside Abu Dhabi’s Nation Towers directly on the famous Corniche Road. We travelled to Dubai and were picked up by Emirates Chauffeur Service which brought us to the hotel in the very early morning of my birthday. The welcome at the hotel was warm and friendly and the check-in was quick and smooth – exactly what we hoped for after an overnight flight.

We were escorted to a Superior Seaview Room on a higher floor and met our super nice butler. All St. Regis properties offer a Butler Service but we found the one in Abu Dhabi to be particularly great. The butler even surprised me with a delicious chocolate birthday cake first thing after we met. Other perks of the butler service are the complimentary coffee service and daily pressing, which I happily used as my dresses usually need a fresh-up after unpacking my suitcase.

Beautiful room with a view

The room was luxurious and plush but still felt very new and spacious thanks to the light colours and high-class materials. Beds at every St. Regis property are extremely comfy and I love that they offer a pillow menu and nightly turn down service. Also, I liked the big bathroom and the spacious rain shower. The best thing about the room though was definitely the view of Abu Dhabi Corniche and the hotels private beach. As you know, I just love a great view!

A paradise for foodies

I travel to the UAE quite often and know that Abu Dhabi per se is already a great destination for foodies but the St. Regis Abu Dhabi exceeded our expectations. Let’s start with my favourite meal of the day: Breakfast. A and I both loved the daily breakfast buffet which offered a mixture of arabic and western choices and a great a la carte menu for eggs and omelets. I especially loved the ever fresh fruit selection as well.

As we had travelled to Abu Dhabi before and didn’t feel like doing too much sightseeing this time, we spent a lot of time at the hotels private Nation Riviera Beach Club. We tried a wide range of their pool food and drinks and their fresh and tasty lobster ceviche was definitely my favourite. I particularly liked that they offered a lot of healthy options – usually not a granted thing when it comes to lunch by the pool.

Breakfast is served at the Terrace on the Corniche, a modern restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. What I really liked apart from the numerous food stations that you would expect with a 5 star property were the healthy specials. Breads with salmon and avocado, goat cheese and melon-feta, fresh juices and smoothies like blended orange&carrot or the amazing quinoa joghurts set the breakfast aside from the usual eggs & croissants.

For dinner we tried out several restaurants in the area but also had dinner at the hotel’s italian restaurant Villa Toscana and at the beachfront seafood restaurant Catch, both of which were delicious and offered great service.

Last but not least turning 30 is more fun with a good cocktail in hand, so of course we visited the bar. Funny enough, it feels very dark and more like an old english property, not something I’d expected for a hotel near the beach. But the most attentive service and delicious drinks made up for the missing views and we really liked the place to have a cocktail before heading to dinner.

Pool days and beach vibes

As mentioned before, the main purpose of our trip was to spend some happy days in the sun. The hotel’s Nation Riviera Beachclub definitely did the trick. Never crowded, with a nice pool, a swim-up bar and comfortable sunbeds. Although the beach doesn’t offer the same beautiful views as the one in front of the nearby Emirates Palace, it is spacious and clean with beautiful white sands.

Additionally to the Nation Riviera Beach Club we also tried out the hotel’s Remède Spa. A and I booked a couple’s massage and both ranked the experience as one of our top five treatments we tried out so far.

A special birthday surprise

For my birthday A had organized a private breakfast up in the sky, in the hotels unique master suite. It is the highest suite in the world, spanning between the Nation Towers and located on the 48th and 49th floor of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi. We enjoyed a delicious a la carte breakfast and were then allowed to tour the suite. This was a great experience which made my birthday even more special. The hotel now also offers a monthly brunch event in the master suite, if you like to experience something similar and take in the stunning views.

Passport & Palmtree conclusion

I loved our stay at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi and can definitely recommend this hotel if you would like to stay in the heart of the city while having great beach and food options within reach. I loved the outstanding service and the great food, so this hotel will be definitely my first choice when coming back to Abu Dhabi.

Also, learn more about our flight to the UAE by reading my Emirates Business Class Review.