The St Regis Abu Dhabi
The St Regis Abu Dhabi's Grand Deluxe Suites overlook sweeping views of Abu Dhabi’s Corniche within moments of the city’s most-loved sights.
Hello there! This Substack grows every time someone reads, likes, comments, shares, or subscribes. I clock in 1000s of reads and this account has grown 20% since June because you are engaging and sharing. If you’ve ever found these helpful, interesting, or just entertaining, please like, subscribe, or better yet, share with someone else who may enjoy it. Thank you!
Overall
Pros. St Regis Abu Dhabi offers a lot for guests to enjoy, including its “rituals” like afternoon teas, champagne sabering, proximity to the beach (including an underground air-conditioned tunnel to get there—super smart) and much more. The Grand Deluxe Suites are spacious, with sweeping views of the Corniche and a generous bathroom and oversized tub. Its proximity to some of the city’s most well-known and best-loved sights, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the whole Cultural District area and Qasr Al Watan, also dials up the staycation proposition. Out-of-town guests will be impressed with the luxury proposal of the hotel and the staff’s “nothing is too much” attitude.
Cons. The St Regis Abu Dhabi feels dated, and this is a direct comment about its styling. Dark woods, busy carpet patterns and grand staircase entrance speak to a time-gone-by styling that may not resonate with those who enjoy a more refreshing and modern decor. It’s a luxury beach resort that, at times, feels more business convention. Lastly, the F&B is patchy. Beyond the two restaurants named below, I would recommend exploring the city.
Stay at the right hotel
First, there are two St Regis properties in Abu Dhabi. The latter is on Saadiyat Island (and named as such). This St Regis Abu Dhabi is on the Corniche, and I recommend that a slight name change alleviate confusion. Anyone I spoke to at the hotel in advance of our stay sought to clarify and confirm whether I was actually staying here or the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort.
Location and nearby attractions
The hotel enjoys a prime location on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, offering memorable views of the Arabian Gulf. Its central location means it is very easy to get to via the city’s labyrinth of tunnels. Both business travellers and tourist guests like staycationers and out-of-towners will find it easy to explore the city’s attractions or get into the capital for meetings.
Popular Saadiyat Island and the Cultural District are only 20 minutes away by car, which puts some of the city’s most-loved sights within easy reach. Watch this space within Abu Dhabi as there is a lot more to come, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi to complement the already popular Louvre Abu Dhabi. The restaurants along Mamsha Al Saadiyat are some of the most popular in the city.
The Grand Deluxe Suite
Overall. The St Regis Abu Dhabi offers 10 different room specifications alternating between sea and city views. You’ll want the sea views. Our Grand Deluxe Suite was spacious at 65 sq metres and offers ample room for singles, couples or small families with a child in a cot (like us). The Grand Deluxe Suites are divided into the enormous bathroom and then open plan between areas, which is also partitioned by a pillar into a living room.
Bedroom. The main bedroom boasts a king-sized bed, two flat-panel televisions, a consolidated light panel, a large minibar, and a desk. Nespresso and tea are available with a kettle for guests. The living room area works well if you have visitors stopping by or just want a separate living space, giving the impression of staying in an apartment rather than a studio. Therefore, there is plenty of space for a baby cot, and the hotel will provide one upon request.
Bathroom. The pale marble bathroom also overlooks the ocean and the bathtub that demands to be filled with bubbles. A hot rain shower, his and hers sinks, and a separate WC area complete the room. It does come with soft robes (not those abrasive waffle ones) and toiletries.
Other bits. The Butler service is handy, but we did not use it as much as we should. Elvis was our butler, and I cannot recommend him more. The Wi-Fi is fast and reliable. The rooms were quiet; there was no noise from the other floors or neighbours. In theory, you can wirelessly connect to one of the TVs from an iPhone or iPad.
Cons. There’s little to grumble about. The room was one of the highlights of the stay. We could not connect our iPhones to the TV despite the Apple TV connectivity, but that’s hardly an issue.
Dining
This is much more of a mixed picture, but I concede now that most people will not care as much as I do about F&B options in hotels. Let’s start with the best stuff.
Breakfast. This single moment is one of the most important in any hotel stay, especially in an era where you can opt in or out of breakfast at a surcharge. St Regis Abu Dhabi sports plenty on offer, from baked goods to Western, Indian and Asian hot food options. There is also a chilled fruit and salad area (who is eating salad at breakfast, by the way?). Juices, coffees and more are available on request. There is a special menu dropped on each table where I recommend the dosas and the curiously-titled omelette options.
Catch at St Regis Abu Dhabi. A seafood restaurant with a character that suits both day and evening dining well. It’s modern inside (a stark contrast to the hotel) with partial sea views, enormous dining rooms and a large screen with the inside of a fish tank on a loop (it’s nicer than it sounds). The food is modern and progressive without being particularly loyal to one cuisine. Stand-out courses included the salmon carpaccio, jumbo crab salad and the Patagonian toothfish with coconut sushi rice. Catch at St Regis Abu Dhabi is in the Michelin Guide Abu Dhabi as Selected at the time of publishing.
Azura Panoramic Lounge. Although Azura Panoramic Lounge was closed at the time of my stay, given the oppressive summer sun, I still know it from other stays at the property. It is well worth visiting for sundowners or post-brunch shenanigans. Keep an eye out for when it reopens in more forgiving climes.
Villa Toscana. Order a pizza, poke around the risotto ‘nduja, and order the wine. That’s it. There’s much more potential to this place, and keen observers will note that none of those dishes are, in fact, Tuscan.
This is where I would encourage guests to leave the hotel and explore Abu Dhabi’s many restaurants, such as NIRI or Marmellata, to see what interests them. Overall, many hotels outsource their F&B to third-party providers, and I could make the case here. A steakhouse, perhaps.
Other reasons to stay
Champagne sabering. The St Regis chain prides itself on a series of “rituals,” including champagne sabering, which, I am told, takes place at 6 pm sharp every day in each of its global locations. It is worth checking out if you’ve never seen someone sabre champagne before. You also learn a lot about the tradition and its origins. Did I mention there’s a glass of champagne at the end?
Beach access. The beach is accessible through an air-conditioned tunnel that runs under the main road. Hurray for this feature that not only offers safe passage between the two locations, but that refreshing blast of air con could not come sooner.
Outdoor pool. Check for those who are Team Pool over Team Beach.
Afternoon tea. This is not my thing, but Mrs EatGoSee enjoys afternoon tea, and this one went down a storm. There were lots of sweet options, in particular.
Gym and spa. The gym is a good size and well-equipped for someone looking to get in a few workouts over a relatively short stay. Free weights are available, plus the usual cardio machines. What is a luxury resort without a spa? The Spa at St Regis Abu Dhabi offers a roster of scrubs, rubs and treatments, including facial, steam room and scalp treatments, would you believe?
Conclusion
The St Regis Abu Dhabi is a comfortable hotel that capably ticks many boxes that would impress visitors, especially those who opt for the Grand Deluxe Suite (recommended). The rituals add character, and the location is ideal, especially for short visits. Guests looking for that modern city aesthetic may feel underwhelmed as the decor styling is “oldy worldly”, where even the staircase is a homage to the one on the Titanic as–true story–the founder of St Regis New York died on the Titanic. Some may like this.
The St Regis Abu Dhabi is located at Nation Towers, Corniche St, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. For more information, visit The St Regis Abu Dhabi’s website or call +971 2 694 4444.
Written by Liam Collens // Read more reviews here. Follow Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
Curious - which champagne do they use for sabering?
That’s fair.