There's something magical about Abu Dhabi's Park Hyatt Saadiyat Hotel. From the moment we arrive at the hotel lobby, we are greeted by a view of the vast and stunning pool area.
Nearby, an elegant lounge area offers guests the opportunity to enjoy in some award-winning high tea. It's the perfect place to enjoy a game of chess or read a book.
This 5-star hotel sits on a 9 km stretch of private beach on Saadiyat Island. This immaculate beach is relatively shallow and home to tons of endemic marine biology, including the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle.
Arabella Willing, the hotel's marine biologist (I mean, how many hotels have marine biologists for crying out loud!), talked us through some of the marine life that calls the Arabian gulf home.
We took a walk along the coastline as Willing picked up several shells and explained their origin. There’s a coral reef 5kms off Saadiyat beach.
The hotel also has a spa area, a free gym for guests and, of course, free WiFi. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and mine had a lovely balcony area.
For those looking for a culinary experience, the hotel has three in-house restaurants, each with a unique and wide-ranging selection of international cuisine. We enjoyed a hearty platter at the Beach House Restaurant, which has a panoramic view of Saadiyat Beach, before a meaty dinner at the steakhouse.
As our itinerary noted, the "Park Hyatt presents the best of both worlds, an uncommon journey of lounging around the most pristine shores of Saadiyat, to adventures on the majestic sands of the Arabian desert."