A wonderful relaxing week-end at the Saadiyat Rotana

Saadiyat Rotana is the perfect family resort in Abu Dhabi. Located on the beautiful island of Saadiyat, 5 minutes drive from the Louvre Museum and standing on a white sandy beach with turqoise waters – the hotel offers everything one needs for a relaxing and fun holiday, for both parents and kids.

When arriving at Saadiyat Rotana, we were warmly greeted by the bellboys who took care of our luggage while we checked in and were showed to the room. First impression was of “wow”, as the grand lobby has floor to ceiling windows with a wide view of the beach and ocean in front of the hotel. Hence, after freshening up in the room we went straight to the Nassima beach bar to have a mint lemonade and a tuna salad while taking in the views of our new resort.

The rooms are spacious, comfortable and functional, all with balconies facing the beach. The room service is offered twice a day, making sure there is always enough complimentary water, coffee and tea. The design of the rooms is modern and light, using a lot of wood colors and parquet floors. This is the design of the entire hotel, which we enjoyed a lot, using sand colors and notes of turqoise – fitting in the natural surroundings perfectly. We stayed in the standard room, which had everything we needed, but for bigger families would recommend the villas which all face the beach and have private plunge pools. Nevertheless, Saadiyat Rotana offers plenty of connecting options on standard or higher room categories.

The room service menu includes options for kids and is open 24 hours a day, although we did not make use of it because the hotel provides many and various restaurant options. One evening we dined in the Italian restaurant, which is also open for lunch and makes delicious authentic dishes. Two evenings in a row (because it was so good) we dined in Turtle Bay, the seafood restaurant facing the pool, which has a beautiful terrace and attentive staff. Breakfast is served in the all-day dining restaurant which is designed as a marketplace and offers everything from freshly made smoothies to various types of pastries or breakfast-traditions from all corners of the world.

Our days were spent lounging on the beach, which is quiet, very clean and serene. What we noticed, walking along the Saadiyat beach (which includes some other hotels) is that the beach stretch of Saadiyat Rotana was the cleanest (soft entrance into the sea, without rocks or shells). There were days where the water at the entrance of the sea was staying at very low level and calm, making it great for kids to play in. There is service at the beach, offering  towels and complimentary water, as well as beach activities such as volleyball or rackets. Ice cream can be bought at the beach hut.

One of the highlights of the hotel is the kids club, called Alladin’s Cave. It is a small children’s hotel within the hotel, offering everything from a lazy river to mini golf or board games. There is a daily program (going every hour from 10 A.M to 8 P.M) for kids of all ages and the staff is always there, attending to children’s needs and hosting these activities.

Saadiyat Island is very close to Yas Island (15 min drive), for parents who wish to take their children to Yas Waterwold – a great aquapark well worth spending a day, or Ferrari World – to take a ride together on the world’s fastest rollercoaster. A good tip is that Yas Mall, one of the biggest malls in the UAE with many shopping and restaurant options, is right next to Ferrari World (with direct entrance) and is much less busy than the malls in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi city is a 15 minutes drive from Saadiyat Rotana and we recommend going to see the Sheikh’s Palace or the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. A desert safari through the Liwa desert, which has some of the highest red-sand dunes in the Sub-Saharian desert, is always a good idea during a trip to Abu Dhabi.

We enjoyed our time at Saadiyat Rotana a lot. There is a nice mix of clientele, plenty of space and activities to entertain every age group, attentive staff, a perfect beach and good food. Plus, it is very close to the Louvre Museum, which we visited during our stay and can totally recommend it.

Have a good trip !

Sonia