We stayed here as a family on 26 and 27 June 2026 — myself, my wife Laren, our daughter Sarah, and Jolly, who was travelling with us — and from the moment we arrived, the experience was outstanding.
First of all, the property itself is absolutely stunning. This does not feel like a standard Rotana; it feels much more in the league of a Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons. It is clearly Rotana’s flagship property, and no expense appears to have been spared. As you walk through the hotel, the public areas, the restaurants, the grounds and the facilities, the quality is obvious everywhere.
But as with all truly great hotels, it is the people who make the stay memorable — and the team here were exceptional.
A special thank you to Mr Bakr, the Rooms Division Manager, who arranged an upgrade for us and made sure we had connecting rooms. This was hugely convenient, but more importantly it immediately put our daughter Sarah at ease. Sarah has special needs, and being able to move easily between her room and ours meant she felt comfortable, secure and happy from the start.
At check-in, I mentioned that we had a few special breakfast requests for the following morning. I fancied a king crab omelette, my wife wanted eggs Benedict with goat’s cheese, and Sarah had her usual favourite hotel breakfast: lamb chops, smoked salmon with Marie Rose sauce, strawberry yoghurt, pancakes with syrup, and English breakfast tea with honey. It may not be everyone’s breakfast choice, but it is Sarah’s, and it makes her happy.
Mr Bakr immediately called Executive Chef Ilias and Chef Choukri, and they simply said, “Leave it with us.” The next morning, breakfast was superb. Not only did they deliver everything beautifully, they even added another omelette made with fresh Canadian lobster, which was absolutely delicious. We were looked after by Tharushi, a lovely, attentive waitress who made sure everything was perfect.
Chef Ilias and Chef Choukri also persuaded us to book dinner at their signature restaurant, Turtle Bay, on Saturday night — and what an excellent decision that was.
At Turtle Bay we were looked after by Shae, a wonderful hostess from South Africa. She is the epitome of hospitality: presentable, warm, funny, attentive and genuinely delightful. Her knowledge of the menu, the ingredients and the way the food was prepared was extremely impressive. Some people work in hospitality; Shae was born for it.
We enjoyed a selection of handmade sushi and sashimi of a quality rarely encountered outside Japan. It was truly exceptional and expertly served by Ashraf and Andrew. For the main course, Chef Choukri very generously sent out a handmade Beef Wellington, prepared in the Gordon Ramsay style — the Executive Chef worked with Gordon Ramsay for ten years — and it was magnificent. It was enormous, easily enough for eight or nine people, and beautifully executed. Unfortunately, we were too full to try the desserts, but that gives us another excellent reason to return soon.
One of the loveliest touches came when we were leaving on Sunday. I had mentioned how much I loved the Japanese king crab, and Chef Choukri presented me with a kilo of king crab to take home so I could enjoy crab omelettes again. That is hospitality on another level.
Another special mention must go to Dayana at reception, who looked after us throughout the weekend, together with her colleague Lyka. They presented Sarah with a lovely silver turtle keychain, which Sarah has now attached to the zipper of her favourite handbag. With Sarah, that means she really loves it.
The resort also has an excellent sports bar called Hamilton’s, which serves two of my favourite lagers, Asahi and Kirin. The bar is full of large TV screens and projectors, and it also has a great enclosed outdoor area with a huge screen. In my view, this is the best bar on Saadiyat Island to watch the World Cup.
The spa and unisex hairdresser also came highly recommended by Sarah and Jolly, who both visited and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
There are several other restaurants, bars and facilities that we simply did not have time to try on this visit. In fact, despite staying at a beach resort, we never even made it to the beach — but sometimes it is good to leave a few things to discover next time.
Overall, this was a truly outstanding stay. The property is beautiful, the food is exceptional, and the staff are what elevate it into something really special. For anyone looking for a beach holiday in Abu Dhabi, especially on Saadiyat Island, your search is over. Just book it — and you can thank me later.
