Located in one of Abu Dhabi’s trendiest areas, Maryah Island, Rosewood Hotel is one of the most sophisticated and elegant hotels in the city. This was my first time to go into a Rosewood property, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but soon came to know just how modern and luxurious it is.

We pulled into the valet parking and after being helped with our luggage, I made my way into the hotel’s reception area. While the exterior of the hotel is a silver glass tower, the interior has comforting brown and gold tones. The design is grand without being boastful– everything is tastefully decorated.

As I walked up to the reception counter, one of the staff greeted me by name! How they knew who I am is beyond me, but that was incredibly impressive. Perhaps it was because we had previously said that that we’d be checking in at a specific time, and we’d be bringing out baby– nonetheless, still very impressive.

After a quick check-in process at the front desk, we were escorted up to our room, which actually turned out to be a full-on suite! Our Junior Suite was completely decked out with  absolutely everything we could possibly need for our 3-day stay.

The set-up is like a 1-bedroom apartment, with the living area separated from the bedroom. There’s even a guest bathroom attached to the living area, which makes it a perfect option for families with 1-2 kids.

The decor of the entire suite is an understated elegance, very chic. The entrance opens up to a hallway, and on one side of the hallway is a large counter space with a (much appreciated) Nespresso machine. By the way, there are even iPads in the room! On the other side of the hall is the guest bathroom.

The living room has comfortable couches on one side, a huge TV on the other, and a large work desk and chair on the side. The entire room gets great natural light from the floor to ceiling windows. On the coffee table, they laid out a spread of treats for us, and by us, I really just mean Khalifa. He had a ball with all of the jelly beans and gummy bears!

The bedroom also has floor to ceiling windows, but it has great black out curtains that allow you to sleep in for as long as you like. The bed is incredibly comfortable with its white fluffy sheets and pillows! They even set up a baby crib for our little Khalifa. One entire wall of the bedroom has built-in closets and a built-in vanity table– perfect for doing make up and getting ready!

From the bedroom, there is an entrance to the master bathroom, and oh what a bathroom it is! There are 2 separate sinks, a boat-like tub, a separate stand-alone shower and another private room for the toilet. It also has a 180 degree view that you can enjoy while taking nice bath. The bath products are all Roberto Cavalli and they smell wonderful.

After getting acquainted with our room, we decided to stay in the room and rest for a bit before going out to the mall. One of Abu Dhabi’s most luxurious malls, The Galleria, is actually attached to the Rosewood. It’s the perfect excuse for shopping!

We walked around the mall for a bit and then headed to dinner at one of Rosewood’s restaurants Dai Pai Dong. This Chinese restaurant is located on the way back to the hotel from the mall. It had delicious Chinese food, and even my husband who’s not the biggest fan of Chinese really enjoyed our meal there. The dessert of a Oolong Tea Creme Brulee was especially memorable and a must-try for anyone visiting the restaurant. Read the full review here: Dai Pai Dong [Restaurant Review].

After dinner, we headed back up to our room and enjoyed a great nights sleep on a cloud of sheets!

Day 2

We got especially lucky on our second day of the stay because it was raining the entire day! If you live in the UAE, you know how rare this is. We headed down to the breakfast buffet and enjoyed our view of a lovely, rainy Abu Dhabi while devouring the delicious treats of the breakfast spread.

We went back up to relax for a bit and couldn’t help but fall asleep again in that rainy weather. By the time we got up, it was nearly time for brunch! Hard life, isn’t it? Eat, sleep, eat again.

We got up, got dressed and headed down to Sambousek, which is Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s Lebanese restaurant. On Fridays they have their brunch and its quite different from other brunches in the city. All of the appetizers are brought directly to the table, while the mains and desserts are laid out in a buffet. I honestly filled up on appetizers and didn’t save much room for mains. The desserts, however, were too good to skip on and I had to try some of their cakes. Read the full review here: Brunch at Sambousek, Rosewood Abu Dhabi.

We definitely had to walk off the heavy brunch feast, so we headed over to the mall to stroll around. Most of the retail brands at the mall are luxury and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, salons and even a kids play area to keep you and the family busy.

After the mall, we headed back upstairs and while my little Khalifa napped, I took a bubble bath in that glorious tub! We were planning on going to the pool later, but instead, preferred to hang out in the suite for the rest of the evening.

Day 3

Breakfast was once again held at the buffet downstairs, but even before going down I made use of the Nespresso machine. Luckily the staff provide a variety of different pods to use, so whether you like your coffee strong or decaffeinated, its all there at the comfort of your own suite. We got to the breakfast a bit late, but the spread was just as great as it was the day before.

After breakfast, we had a few errands to run in the city. The hotel is located on Maryah Island, which is directly attached by a short bridge to the main city of Abu Dhabi. The location is super convenient and very easily accessible (within minutes) if you have things to do in the city.

We were running a bit late for the 12pm checkout time, so I called the hotel to request a late check out and they said they could go beyond a regular 2pm check out and stretch it out to 5pm! I’ve stayed in A LOT of hotels and this is the first one to ever tell us that we could check out that late. I was super impressed by that, and it really shows how considerate they are of their guests. We were able to take our time doing the things that we needed to get done, and then headed back to the hotel.

When we got back, we went straight through the lobby and to their lounge area where we booked an Afternoon Tea. The cafe is gorgeous– high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful furniture, and the best part was the staff. They were so incredibly friendly and playful with Khalifa, and they even walked with him around the hotel’s lobby and kept him busy while we enjoyed our afternoon tea and mini-lunch. Now that’s what I call great service!

Speaking of service, the Rosewood Abu Dhabi has some of the best service that I’ve ever experienced at any hotel. The staff go above and beyond what you expect of them, and they do it genuinely with a smile. Because of that, I would not only recommend Rosewood Abu Dhabi, but any Rosewood hotel! I’ll definitely be looking into other Rosewood properties for when we travel abroad, but for now I would be more than happy to return to Rosewood Abu Dhabi for whenever we are in need of a lovely staycation.

The price for one night in the room we stayed in (the Junior Suite) is around 1,700 Dhs (March 2016). 

Ratings (0-5): 

• Location: 4
• Hotel Ambience: 5
• Staff (Friendliness and Helpfulness): 5
• Room: 5
• Room/Bath Products Provided: 4.5
• In-Room WiFi: 5 (Not chargeable) 
• Amenities: 4.5
• Housekeeping: 5
• Value for money: 5

Overall Rating: 4.78

To book at Rosewood Abu Dhabi, call +971 (0)2 813 5550.