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“Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi is the city’s most exciting waterfront location.” Four Seasons

Located in the heart of the Abu Dhabi, the Four Seasons hotel stands tall at one end of Al Maryah island offering its guests panoramic views across the Arabian Gulf and the city skyline beyond. Everything about this hotel is first class, the facilities, the dining options, the spa and every single member of staff that we encountered during our stay who displayed a consummate level of service as you might expect from a hotel of this calibre.

The main lobby area is a statement in itself, bright and flooded with natural light and a striking and modern display of colourful fresh flowers that greets you as you enter. As the hub of the hotel it’s a bustling space that leads to many of the property’s dining destinations and is home to the popular open plan lounge, Al Meylas also nicknamed ‘the living room of Abu Dhabi’.

The hotel has an excellent location for both business and leisure guests with two hundred rooms, including thirty-eight suites, that are both stylish yet comfortable. We stayed in spacious deluxe waterfront view room on the eighth floor that had a vista of the pool and an expanse of waterfront below. The generous sized room was dominated by a huge and extremely comfortable signature Four Seasons bed, a sofa and desk that could also be used for in-room dining. Double sliding doors revealed a large white marble bathroom complete with free standing bath, his and her sinks, a separate walk in shower and toilet.

The decor is classy yet contemporary; a palate of stylish greys complimented by a patterned carpet, crisp white bed linen and pops of colour provided by vases of fresh flowers dotted around the room. Amenities include a large TV, Nespresso coffee maker, tea making facilities, well-stocked mini bar and plenty of storage. Wifi is free throughout the hotel but it was intermittent and required signing back in frequently during our stay.

The award winning Dahlia Spa located on the third floor has eight spacious spa treatment suites including one exclusive couples’ suite where we had a chance to relax and enjoy massages (read more about that HERE). The spa menu offers signature treatments for both men and women from the three different brands Biologique Recherche, Sodashi and Swiss Perfection.

There are also specialist Dahlia Journeys for that extra indulgent experience, the unique Quartz Sand Escape based on the ancient Greek concept of hot sand therapy (psammo therapy). The seperate male and female therapeutic relaxation areas offer guests a large heated hydro pool, sauna, ice fountain, heated lounge chairs with waterfront views and a Moroccan hammam. There’s also a woman’s hair and nail salon and a men’s barbershop.

The third floor is also home to the large well-equipped Fitness centre located between the spa and the outdoor pool area, if you like to work out with a view this is the place for you. Personal training, group fitness classes and yoga sessions are all available. The rooftop swimming pool, like most of the hotel, enjoys panoramic cityscape and water views with plenty of loungers and double cabana style seating.

It’s also the setting for Eclipse Terrace Lounge where sun worshippers can order drinks and ocean-inspired bites to your lounger. As day turns into night it’s a happy hour (daily 4pm – 7pm apart from in Ramadan) so it’s a great spot for a sundowner, who can resist sipping on a cocktail served in a gold pineapple while watching the sunset.

The hotel has a variety of restaurants that offer a wide spectrum of styles and cuisines from casual to fine dining. Grab a coffee or tea and a bite to eat at Meylas cafe, enjoy sundowners at the poolside Eclipse Terrace Lounge or peruse the international cuisine at Crust, the hotel’s all-day dining venue that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Zsa Zsa is the place for cocktails and post dinner drinks, a glamorous bar inspired by a bygone era and home to expert mixologists.

Café Milano offers Italian fine-dining served in a light-filled modern setting that has stunning waterfront views from the alfresco terrace. It’s the sister restaurant to the original Washington location and like its American counterpart the menu is filled with traditional dishes such as handmade pasta, seafood and salads along with daily specials. On this occasion we dined at the 1920’s inspired Chicago steakhouse Butcher & Still, a lively venue that’s so completely immersed in it‘s theme we felt that we had been transported to another city and age, it would have been no surprise to see Al Capone and his cronies huddled in a corner.

Take a seat in one of the tan leather banquets while you marvel at the authentic decor, it took us a while to order as we took in our surroundings, the theme may be strong but it doesn’t overshadow the food. The menu is definitely meat heavy as you would expect from a restaurant of this nature, the steaks are specially flown in from America, it’s carnivore heaven for those who enjoy a special steak experience. Alongside all the meaty options there’s also a choice of sides, salads and some vegetarian options.

Sample the homemade bread and save room for dessert as the legendary thirty-four layer Chicago ‘Tribune Tower’ Chocolate cake is divine and rather filling. I must just take a minute to mention our server, Katarina, who went above and beyond to make our celebratory dinner extra memorable.

The Four Seasons locale right in the heart of Al Maryah Island makes it a great choice for travellers, business guests are within walking distance of Abu Dhabi Global Markets and a short car ride away from downtown. Leisure guests meanwhile are spoilt for choice with access to a luxury brand shopping mall with more dining options from within the hotel, the Corniche beach and Louvre Abu Dhabi are also nearby as well as all the onsite spa and pool. I would highly recommend a stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi whether you are visiting from out of town or a resident looking for an indulgent staycation.

The Nitty Gritty

Location: Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi

Telephone: 02 333 2222

Website: www.fourseasons.com/abudhabi/

Check-in: 3:00pm

Check-out: 12 noon

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The Good……..

Luxury accommodation with the signature Four Seasons beds

Butcher & Still and all the dining outlets

Dahlia Spa

Unprecedented level of service

Happy hour at Eclipse Terrace Lounge

Waterfront views

The Not so Good…..

Intermittent wifi

Read more about the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island in previous posts Biologique Recherche Booster Facial | Dahlia Spa, Four Seasons Abu Dhabi and Couples Massage | Dahlia Spa, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi

The views in this post are all my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2018. All rights reserved. Additional photos used with courtesy of www.fourseasons.com/abudhabi/