During the first weekend in October we had an extra two days off work and we jumped at the chance to get out of Dubai and head for some 5-star treatment at the St Regis, Abu Dhabi. While making our plans for the long weekend we were quite reluctant to go to Abu Dhabi, considering it’s just over an hour up the road and felt like we could go anytime but eventually we decided it was the best option given that flights to other places we wanted to go were sold out or twice as expensive as any other time during the year. We settled on the St Regis at the Corniche in Abu Dhabi and this is without doubt the greatest hotel I have ever stayed in! Look at what greets you as soon as you walk into the hotel:

We arrived on a Friday morning around 11am and were able to check in early and head up to our suite. When we arrived to our suite we went straight to the windows in the living room area to take in the view from 46 floors up. We could see a bit of the sea but mostly the view was out over Abu Dhabi itself.

Once we entered the bedroom it wasn’t hard to spot the towel swans on the bed and a rose, then we also noticed rose petals in the bathroom, a special touch for our mini-moon! When we arrived back to the room later in the evening we also had cake, cookies and champagne waiting for us with a little note of congratulations.

The St Regis at Abu Dhabi Corniche has multiple bars and a champagne lounge (we’ll stick to the free bottle 😉 ), however we were disappointed to find out that Gary Rhodes’ restaurant had closed just a few weeks before our visit. This still left us with an Italian restaurant, the beach cafe and another restaurant in the hotel but this was the same place we had breakfast on the 3 mornings so we didn’t want to have dinner there as well. The breakfast choices were great with cooked breakfasts, cereals, breads & croissants, fruits, pancakes, yoghurts and many juices. When staying at the St Regis you also have your own butler who you can call on 24/7, they will even come and run a bath for you!

On Sunday we spent about 6 hours at the swimming pool and it was brilliant. We headed down early, right after breakfast around 9:30am and were able to take our pick of the loungers. Then we spent all day reading, relaxing, chilling out in the pool and enjoying some drinks at the swim up bar… the cocktails were probably my favourite bit. From the pool area you can also access the St Regis’ private beach. There’s a second pool on the third floor of the hotel which is next to a spa, perfect for some pampering.

A marble tunnel to take you to the beach.

The private beach

We really splashed out on this weekend and the hotel was luxury at its finest, also my first 5-star stay! On our final morning we did not want to leave and I would highly recommend it for a relaxing, special weekend away.

Tips:

• Ask for a sea view room
• If it’s a special occasion make the most of it and tell the staff 😉
• Book the breakfast when you check in, it’s cheaper than on the day and there isn’t a lot nearby to choose from
• Check booking.com vs the hotel website, we saved about AED1500 by using booking.com
• Try the cocktails at the St Regis bar, my choice: the Furlong Fizz