“A New Beat for Al Ain.” Aloft Hotels
The fresh and funky Aloft Al Ain, which opened in March this year, is part of the large mixed-use new development that’s been constructed around Al Ain’s multi-purpose sporting arena, the architecturally stunning Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. Vibrant colours, innovative design and cutting edge technology are at the forefront of this affordable mid-level hotel.
Featuring a contemporary design, the Aloft Al Ain, is a boutique style hotel with 172 guest rooms, including numerous different sized suites. The rooms are all furnished with Aloft signature plush platform beds, large bathrooms with walk-in rainfall showers and complimentary Bliss products. The hotel is in the centre of the modern development that includes office space, apartments, shops, cafes and restaurants. Our second floor room was stylish and sizable with high ceilings and large windows, comfortable and airy with multicoloured touches and textiles that complimented both the hotel’s interior and exterior rainbow palette.
While the majority of the hotel is decorated with quirky bold colours, the ground floor all-day dining restaurant, Olive Tree is a more subtle pastel coloured affair, with modern-day furnishings. As the hotel’s main restaurant it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from its open kitchen. Breakfast is served buffet style with the added bonus of eggs made to order. The international lunch menu offers a good choice of dishes with the halloumi paired with fresh figs and the range of beautifully presented desserts being my top picks.
We enjoyed dinner and drinks at the rooftop, notable dishes were the tasty parmigiana pizza and the more unusual sweet and sour chicken liver popcorn, it may sound off-putting but was the other half’s favourite dish by far. The brand’s signature WXYZ Bar is located on the ground floor, a casual place to mingle it offers drinks and snacks and has an outdoor terrace area. The ‘grab and go’ re:fuel eatery in the lobby is the self-serve cafe area that’s open 24 hours a day for drinks and snacks.
The hotel’s piece de resistance is the outdoor rooftop splash pool. It may only be on the fourth floor of this low rise hotel but its elevated position affords guests views across the city and the Jabal Ḥafeeṫ mountain in the distance. The long pool is flanked on either end by two bars and surrounded by different seating options.
Perfect day or night, it’s a great place to relax in the sun or grab a sundowner and enjoy some bar bites. More energetic guests can workout at re:charge, the 24-hour fully equipped fitness centre also located on the top floor, those who enjoy a game of pool can play at the table in the recreation area adjacent to the lobby.
Visitors to Al Ain, known as the Garden City due to its lush greenery, can use the hotel as an ideal base to visit nearby tourist attractions such as Al Ain Zoo and Aquarium, Al Ain Oasis, the Palace Museum and the man-made Wadi Adventure for some outdoor pursuits including white water rafting. Al Ain International Airport is also only a mere 10 km from the hotel.
If you are looking for a hip and trendy place to relax and lay your head in Al Ain this is the hotel for you. Modern amenities, an attractive pool area and bars along with high speed internet make this hotel ideal for couples and business travellers alike.
The Nitty Gritty
Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium Development, Al Towayya, P.O. Box 1320, Al Ain
Telephone: 03 713 8888
Website: www.aloftalain.com
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Check-in: 3:00pm
Check-out: 12 noon
The Good……..
Rooftop Pool and bars
Fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the property
Warm and friendly staff
Affordable rates
The Not so Good…..
Limited dining options for longer stays
I was invited to review Aloft Al Ain. All views are my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2017. All rights reserved.