Continuing my UAE trip, I will be headed to Abu Dhabi for two nights. There are various Hilton properties over here. Most of them are over on Yas Island. I decided to go with the Conrad. It is supposedly the better one and one of the newest properties over here. This is a rebrand from being a Jumeirah and was recently added to the Hilton portfolio. I have fairly high standards and expectations for this property after hearing so much about it. I’ve heard amazing things about the breakfast. The property is on the pricey side. Known as the Etihad Towers, the hotel is in a mixed development with office buildings and residential apartments. The Conrad also included some long-term apartments. It sits on prime estate and is near the Presidential Palace and the Emirates Palace. This property also comes with a premium executive lounge that only Diamond Reserve members get access to, or by booking a premium room. The hotel does have its own entrance and driveway.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I will be staying here for 2 nights. We got two base-level rooms for the 4 of us. This should give me enough time to check out the various attractions in Abu Dhabi. I will be having a car which I will be driving around the city. Valet parking is included for hotel guests. I did not get any information before the stay, and the response from the property was also very slow when I wanted to get additional information. On the morning of the stay, I can see that I have been upgraded to their One Bedroom Apartment. It is on the residence side. This would have cost around 2000 AED a night. Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers has 377 guest rooms and suites across 11 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe | No | Yes |
| Grand Premier | No | Yes |
| Queen Superior | No | Yes |
| Club | No | Yes |
| Junior Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Deluxe Family Connecting | Yes | Yes |
| Premier Family | Yes | Yes |
| Etihad Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Sky Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Tower Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Royal Etihad Suite | Yes | Yes |
Checking In
We drove over from Dubai, which was easy enough, and the traffic was very smooth. It took us around 2 hours or so. We got to the hotel at around 4.20pm. The hotel was so busy and crowded at this hour. Even the driveway was packed. It took us some time before the bellboys and valets came to help us. I love the lobby area, which was so grand and impressive. It felt better after the crowd watered down. I was expecting something more polished and quaint over here. The lobby comes with an impressive view of the surroundings since we are slightly higher up. It is lovely. I also love the piano music in the background.
It was quite a wait before we were helped. They do have a staff going around to offer some drinks while guests wait. There are no priority lines for elite members, and with a lack of a proper executive lounge here, this issue might exist during periods of high occupancy. It is one of the rare times I wish we could be whisked to a lounge for a sit-down check-in experience. A friendly guy helped me and provided all the details and information for our stay. He also reconfirmed that we have been upgraded to one of their one-bedroom residential apartment for both of my rooms. This was pretty nice, although I am not very sure if I prefer a proper hotel room or a residential kind of room. They have very kindly extended breakfast for both rooms. Access to the diamond lounge will require an additional charge of 110 AED per person per night. That is quite worth it, given how expensive drinks and food are here. The main lobby is on level 3 with the restaurants and pool below.
One Bedroom Apartment
We were assigned two apartments in the other tower. We will have to do a lift change on level 3M, which makes things a little troublesome. The apartments are huge and will be handy for long-term stays, especially. They have a very low footprint per floor with only eight apartments. This consists of both one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences. The apartments range from 65 to 80 Sqm. Immediately upon entering, you have a very spacious and wide entrance way. It definitely feels more residential vibes here rather than a luxury hotel. It felt like a fancy condo.
It is well-maintained. The corridor then branches out towards the bedroom and the bathroom. Let me first cover the living room area. It is in a little triangle layout and configuration. I love the high ceilings here, which makes the place even more spacious. The living space comes with a gorgeous sofa set along with an armchair. This will sit 4 pax comfortably surrounding a coffee table in the middle. They left some fresh fruits and then later on they brought over a generous welcome amenity consisting of a personalised note, a bottle of wine, some macarons and a cake.
You can find a high-quality television here with a good number of both local and international cable TV channels. There is also a sound system installed for music and so on. I did feel like the size of the TV is slightly on the smaller side. It will be nicer if it is mounted on the wall.
To the right is the kitchen area. It is fully equipped with all sorts of appliances that you might need for a long-term stay here. There is a washing machine with a dryer function and an oven. microwave, cooking hob, coffee machine, kettle, bread maker. Inside the cabinets are also a full set of kitchenware. Drinking water, coffee, tea, capsules, and sugar can also be found. This is paired with a full-size fridge over here.
In the middle is an island with the wet kitchen sink and plenty of space for you to do any preparations, cooking and et cetera. The island also comes with some high-top seating for a cosy meal and all. This is so handy for a gathering or just a little night when staying here.
Despite only being on the second floor, it does come with a pretty nice sweeping view of the surrounding area. With how well the location is, the views will definitely be much better. If you’re on one of the higher floors, you will get an even better view. I did appreciate that the blinds and sheers over here are automatically controlled. The second part of the living room comes with a dining space. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of this area. It definitely feels very underutilised. I barely set foot in this area during my stay. There is a full-size circular dining table with space for four. Along the wall, you can find a working area. It does feel kind of claustrophobic with the layout and how it is being shielded from the rest of the living space. The working area is very spacious and comes with a chair that offers decent back support for a short period of working. It will be nice to have a proper ergonomic office chair. The premium Wi-Fi works really well and is easy to connect to.
Moving back to the entrance way, the bathroom is located here. It is on the smaller side and comes with only a single sink. There is some counter space, and a full set of amenities is also provided. As per the usual with Conrad, Byredo amenities are provided. The space comes with a bathtub as well as a standing shower. The standing shower is fully enclosed with a glass screen. The showering space is on the smaller side. It comes with both a handheld shower head and a rain shower. Water pressure can be improved.
The bedroom comes with a plush king-size bed. I love that the mattress is so comfortable with high-quality sheets and finishing. We got plenty of pillows, and I really love that the bedding is on the firmer side. It provides excellent back support for a short period of working. I slept so well over here. Flanking both sides of the beds, you can find nightstands with controls for the lighting and the curtains. Outlets are also located here. I just felt a little weird with the height of the nightstands.
In the bedroom area, you can also find another television mounted on the wall. Even though it is located at an angle, it can be pivoted to face the bed. This makes for a great movie night with its size.
Similarly, the bedroom comes with an excellent view of the surrounding area and in fact I very much prefer the view here as compared to the living room.
The closet comes with plenty of space and everything that you might require for your stay. There is an ironing kit, a safe and plenty of curtains. Portable luggage racks are also available.
Turndown service is automatically provided with the room refreshed and some sweets left bedside. This apartment will be great for long-term guests. It will certainly be something that I am keen on for a residential king og living, but having the ability to earn points and enjoy daily housekeeping.
Swimming Pool
This is one of my favourite parts of the property. It can be said to be the centrepiece of the entire hotel and the grounds. It felt like a waterfront area and added a lot of flair to the place. The pool area is huge. There are two giant pools here. One of them even comes with a swim-up bar. The place is so gorgeous. There are plenty of sunbeds by the side of the pool, which will be perfect for soaking in the Arabian sun. The bigger one is nearer to the restaurant area, and then you have another one in front of the beach area. This place will be amazing and so welcoming. Towels and water are provided. The water is way too chilly to enjoy now, especially on a cloudy day. The facility was well maintained, with the staff going around to tidy things and make sure everything was in tip-top condition. They will even rake the sand and brush off any sand on the sunbeds. You can order food and drinks by the pool. What a gorgeous piece of facilities they have over here.
The hotel also comes with its own private beach, which is right in front of the pool area. This is such a nice amenity to have. You will really enjoy it. It is a little too chilly now, but I can imagine this being a hit when you visit at the right time of the year. The beach is open from 9am to sunset. There are plenty of sunbeds here. I love the concept of the area. It is more of an artificial beach at one of the inlets of the waterway.
Fitness Centre
The gym is two levels up and open 24 hours every day. It is on level P3, and you can simply follow the signs on the walkway. It is over in the other building. The facility is very nice and well-maintained. IT comes with towels and water. The facility offers a good view over the surrounding area with multiple sets of various equipment. It is a nice space for a workout anytime you fancy. The place is manned by the staff and well taken care of. There is even a table tennis table here.
Kids Club
There is also a kids’ club which is located near the pool area. The facility is open daily from 9am to 8pm. It will be great for the little ones while the adults are enjoying themselves by the pool and beach area. The club is staffed.
Observatory Deck at 300
Part of the hotel is the Observation Deck at 300, which offers an amazing view over the surrounding area. It is part of the hotel in the same tower. The observatory deck offers an experience for a visit, and some even with a high tea experience. It is located on the 74th floor. You will have to access it via an express elevator by the side of the lobby. A visit usually ranges from 95 AED to 275 AED. It is nice that in-house guests get complimentary access. The observatory is open from 10am to 8pm daily. You can visit it unlimited times. Simply present your room number to the reception. Don’t miss out on this. You should check it out at least once a day and at night.
Executive / Diamond Lounge
Known as The Hub at Nahaam. The lounge is exclusive for the use of Diamond members. There are no executive rooms for sale here, so the only way to access this is with your status. The Hub is part of the Nahaam restaurant. They have cordoned off an area to use as the facility. It is open daily from 11am to 11pm with a Happy Hour offered from 5pm to 7pm. The spot offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor area opens up towards the pool and the surrounding area. I love the vibes. The proper premium executive lounge is called Level 45 and is only available for certain room types and Diamond Reserve members.
I briefly checked it out on the first evening. The happy hour started shortly after I arrived. You can check out the menu over here. It is quite impressive, and the value is unbeatable even when paying for it. Access costs 110 AED, and a glass of wine is already 58 AED. Things are really costly in Abu Dhabi. For info, this is the menu of the restaurant. Furthermore, you can always pop by for more juices, tea, and coffee throughout the day.
The cocktails are solid, too. I really love their Pina Colada and Mojito. It is made from the same bar as the restaurant. The red wine was very good too. We easily racked up the bill and would have cost a bomb if we had to pay.
With regards to the food, it’s quite a pretty good selection. They have some salads, cold cuts, cheese, breads, chips, fresh fruits and desserts. For hot food, they have two different dishes every night. On the first evening, they had some huge tempura prawns, as well as chicken souvlaki. It was delicious! I appreciate that they are going for quality more than quantity. They also constantly replenished it to keep it fresh and hot. This could be a dinner replacement.
Only the hot food changes from day to day. The rest remains the same. On my second night, they had some chicken croquettes and a squid beef item. It pales in comparison to the night prior. Don’t miss out on the place if you have access to it. It can be quite worthwhile.
Breakfast at Rosewood Restaurant
Rosewater restaurant is the venue for breakfast. It is located one level down in the main lobby. Breakfast is offered from 6.30am to 11am daily. I appreciate the long hours. We were down at 9am. It certainly gets busier later on. This is their signature restaurant. The restaurant is bright and comes with tons of natural light. It offers a great view over the surrounding area. We were shown to a table over at the exclusive Diamond area, which is much more private and quieter than the rest of the restaurant. I love this aspect, which makes it slightly elevated.
You also get access to an exclusive à la carte menu to complement the buffet breakfast.
These were lovely, and over our stay, we tried various dishes. Drinks orders were taken by the staff and served at the table.
The general breakfast buffet spread is pretty good, too. Let me give you a brief introduction to the area. You have a salad station, juice bar with freshly squeezed juice concoction, pastries, bakes, cheese, cold cuts, Dosa station, egg station, Western selections, Arabic mezze, Asian station, Japanese bar, congee, and dim sum. It is as good as it is. It was a huge spread and one of the best ones that I have seen. I also love their freshly cut fruits. This was a feast. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking.
Conclusion
The quality is certainly there. I have high expectations after the rebrand from Jumeirah. This is certainly the best Hilton property in Abu Dhabi. I enjoyed my stay, especially with the property and the lounge. The lounge is also another highlight. I did wish that I had a longer stay here to enjoy more of the facilities. Besides the arrival process, everything else was top-notch. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of the residential apartments as they were a little bare. The next time, I would just go for the normal rooms in the main tower to make things easier. I would also prefer having a view. I appreciate them being generous with the observatory, too. The bedding was fantastic. I am looking forward to being back and perhaps trying out the Level 45 facilities.
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