“Emirates Palace is more than a mere hotel; it is a living landmark. Unlike landmarks in other countries, it’s a landmark you can actually stay in and feel a part of history.” Holger Schroth
If you ask most people who live or have visited Abu Dhabi what defines this emirate the majority will mention the two iconic landmarks in their answer, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the majestic Emirates Palace.
It is without doubt a ginormous place but surprisingly there are only 394 rooms, including 92 suits and 22 residential suites (six rulers’ suites are exclusive to members of the Emirati royal family), spilt across the East and West wings. The vast central area of the hotel is home to the lobby, atrium, restaurants and cafes, bars and retail spaces. There’s also a ballroom, copious amounts of meeting rooms and a full size theatre on the lower ground floor.
We were met at reception by one of the palace’s lady-in-red ambassadors who escorted us along the ½ kilometre walk to our fourth floor seaview Khaleej suite in the East Wing. The huge comfortable space was decorated in traditional Arabic design with a large dining room, lounge and business area and a separate bedroom with king size bed and sumptuous furnishings and silk textiles, a dressing room and marble bathroom complete with jacuzzi bath.
Emirates Palace has fourteen dining options, we chose to start our evening at one of our favourite places, Hakkasan. Located in the lobby in the hotel’s East Wing, the restaurant offers contemporary Chinese cuisine and delicious cocktails. The modern establishment has a low-lit dramatic interior, a fire lit stunning outdoor terrace and an ambient blue slate lined trendy bar that’s well-stocked and dramatically lit (my favourite indoor bar in the capital). We sat and enjoyed the restaurant’s Hakkatini Nights promotion that includes two signature cocktails accompanied by three pieces of dim sum.
We had breakfast at the elegant all-day dining restaurant Le Vendome which was included in our stay. An extensive international buffet breakfast and cook to order eggs station is served as well as lunch and dinner seatings. Other dining options include seafood at Sayad, the romantic al fresco tented BBQ Al Qasr on the beach for grills and where the other half sampled his first camel burger in a previous visit. Mawal offers traditional Lebanese dishes and the popular Mezlai serves local Emirati cuisine. Afternoon tea is served daily at Le Café, a must-do experience for visitors which is also the home of gold topped coffees and camelccino, a unique camel milk cappuccino. Havana Club, a Cuban inspired cigar lounge is another favourite of ours especially its flavoured mojitos that is a must do on our Abu Dhabi visit itinerary.
The golden coloured palace, the exterior palette chosen to reflect the sands of its desert home, sits on a one million m2 plot in a prime position adjacent to the capital’s corniche. The vast grounds includes a stretch of pristine white beach and 85 hectares of picture perfect gardens with perfectly clipped lawns. Once the world’s most expensive hotel until 2011 (rumoured to cost 3 billion US dollars was trumped by the opening of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore), the Emirates Palace celebrates the wealth and lavishness of the emirate with its 22-carat gold leaf embellishments, use of mother of pearl and over a thousand Swarovski Strauss crystal chandeliers.
The atrium is decorated with thirteen different coloured marbles, gold, silver, and glass mosaics and two handmade hanging carpets, each weighing a tonne, immortalizing the palace in wool. There are an incredible 114 domes spread across the palace and a whopping 128 kitchens and pantries.
The luxurious Emirates Palace Spa has a certain kind of old world glamour, an elegant space that reflects its location within the iconic hotel. Winner of the 2016 World’s Best Hotel Spa award, the facility offers a full range of signature treatments for both men and women including the unique 24 Carat Gold-Inspired Treatment. There’s also a traditional Moroccan Hammam, two Jacuzzis, steam rooms and even an ice cave.
The Nitty Gritty
Emirates Palace, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi.
Telephone: 02 690 9000
E-mail: reservations.emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Website: www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/
Check-in: 3:00pm
Check-out: 12 noon
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The Good……..
Spacious and comfortable suite with butler service
Large pristine beach and stunning pools
Good selection of dining options
Free fast wifi throughout the resort
Emirates Palace Spa
The Not so Good…..
Unpleasant stale cigarette smell in suite
Summer at the Palace* – Enjoy up to 25% off the best available rates including a lavish buffet breakfast. All suite bookings are inclusive of an international buffet breakfast in Le Vendome Restaurant, access to the comfort of the Palace Lounge and BMW transfers from/to Abu Dhabi International Airport – Valid until 14 September 2017. Subject to availability. (*Rates are subject to 10% service charge, 6% tourism fee, 4% municipality fee and AED 15 municipality room fee per bedroom per night)
All views are my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2017. All rights reserved. Two additional photos used with courtesy of www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/
Read more about the palace in previous posts Brunch at the Palace | Las Brisas and Couples Treatment | Emirates Palace Spa