After four days in Dubai, we headed to Abu Dhabi for the last full day of our epic France and UAE trip. We decided to stay at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi, our first St. Regis stay to date! With its beautiful decor, full-service beach club, and amazing views, we were happy with our choice. Here’s my review of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi.
Booking the St. Regis Abu Dhabi with Points
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi can be booked with Marriott Bonvoy points. As a Category 6 property, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi costs 50,000 points per night for standard nights, 40,000 for off-peak, and 60,000 for peak. At the time of our trip, the St. Regis Abu Dhabi was a Category 5 property. We used a free night certificate from the old Chase Marriott Business which could be used at properties worth 35,000 points or less. With that said, the cash rate isn’t all that expensive either so you may choose to pay rather than use points. During our stay, the rate was about $250 per night.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Location
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is located on the Corniche, a several mile-long stretch along the beach. Aside from visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, we stuck to this area and found it somewhat walkable. We were able to walk to the beach club at the hotel, dinner at Emirates Palace, and drinks at Ray’s Bar in Etihad Towers. While we didn’t use our car much in Abu Dhabi, parking at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi is free. As an aside, we found renting a car in the UAE to be extremely affordable at $200 for five days. This made it easy to get between Al Maha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi and back to the airport.
Dining and Amenities
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi has several dining options outlined below:
- Terrace on the Corniche: Indoor and outdoor dining open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations required.
- Villa Toscana: An Italian restaurant open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations required.
- Azura Panoramic Lounge: A lounge open in the evenings with great views of the water. Reservations required.
- The St. Regis Bar: The hotel’s main bar open daily from 4:00 pm to midnight.
- Crystal Lounge: A bar offering fine champagnes located at the top of the lobby’s Grand Staircase. Strangely, they open at 7:00 am! Semi-formal dress required.
- Cabana Beach Bar & Grill: A casual beach restaurant offering drinks, lunch, and dinner.
Other amenities include a full-service spa and fitness room. The hotel has two pools, one at the hotel itself and at the Nation Riviera Beach Club.
The Nation Riviera Beach Club is located across the street from the hotel, accessible through an underground walkway.
The beach club provides access to the private beach with lounge chairs, cabanas, a pool, and a fitness facility.
Here’s an aerial view of the Nation Riviera Beach Club.
The beach is a great place to catch the sunset. You can see Emirates Palace in the distance.
Lobby
The lobby of the St. Regis Abu Dhabi was nothing short of grand. The first thing you notice upon entering is the Grand Staircase.
At the top of the staircase was a balcony with seating that wraps around the lobby.
Upon entering, we were quickly greeted and escorted to a side room off the lobby for check-in.
The check-in process was quick and efficient. Prior to check-in, you have the opportunity to text your butler with any requests. We requested a sea view and were happy they were able to accommodate this request. We enjoyed complimentary Arabic coffee and dates in the lobby. At night, a piano player was set up on the staircase.
St. Regis Abu Dhabi Superior Sea View Room
The walk to our room was just as fancy as the lobby. Here’s what the elevator bay looked like.
And here’s a shot of the hallway.
Upon entering the room, the bathroom was to the right. There were two large armoires on the left separated by a vanity.
This is a great place to do hair and makeup without tying up the bathroom.
Inside the armoire were some hangers, shelves, a safe, bathrobes, and slippers.
The main room wasn’t huge, but it didn’t feel overcrowded despite the large amount of furniture.
The king size bed was super comfortable.
There were switches next to the bed for different lighting modes such as “relax” and “night”.
To the left of the bed was a seating area with a sofa and coffee table.
While we were at the beach, our butler delivered a fruit platter and his business card.
The room also had a writing desk and chair.
Lastly, there was a TV and a valet stand at the foot of the bed.
Inside the TV chest was a mini fridge and an electric kettle for tea and coffee.
As previously mentioned, we requested a sea view room before checking in. The view was amazing! The hotel is comprised of two high-rise towers so all rooms have a good view of either the water or city.
Besides the view, the bathroom was my favorite part of the room.
The vanity feature dual sinks which is always a plus.
While I didn’t have time for a bath, this tub looked so inviting.
There was a separate shower stall with an equally beautiful design.
The toilet and bidet were located in a separate smaller room inside the bathroom.
The bathroom had toiletries everywhere. A bulk of the toiletries were locate by the sinks.
The bathtub and shower had their own sets of Remède soaps and a loofah.
Last but not least, the bathroom mirror doubled as a TV!
While we were out for dinner, the hotel staff decorated our room with rose petals and balloons for our anniversary. There was also a small cake and a card with a nice note.
The next morning, we took advantage of the beverage service which is standard at all St. Regis hotels. Having fresh coffee delivered to your room is such a nice perk!
Final Thoughts
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi was certainly one of the fanciest hotels I’ve ever stayed at. We tend to stay at Ritz-Carltons when given the opportunity. While the Ritz is nice, the St. Regis felt like a whole other level! Our favorite parts of staying at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi were the beautiful decor in the rooms, the amazing sea view, and access to the beach club. There isn’t a ton to see along the Corniche but we felt like the St. Regis Abu Dhabi had a good location due to its proximity to the beach and restaurants.
Another great review, you two sure know how to do it!👍🏻
Thank you!!