Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi is very popular with business travelers but is also a great hotel for tourists and families. It has great wellness facilities (beautiful rooftop pool, integrated spa, gym), direct access to the Galleria Shopping Mall, lots of fine dining restaurants, and even a kids club!
The hotel offers meals for children and a kids club full of activities for the little ones with trained staff to keep them entertained while the adults enjoy time to themselves.
The service is excellent, the culinary options are great with two Michelin restaurants on site, and the location is within easy reach of the main attractions in Abu Dhabi. Surprisingly, the hotel is not as expensive as one would expect.
The rooms at Four Seasons are very comfortable, with comfortable Four Seasons signature beds and pillows, spacious bathrooms, and luxury toiletries. We stayed in the Executive King suite which had beautiful views of the city and waterways. The suite consists of one bedroom, one and a half bathrooms, sitting areas, ample closet, desk, TV in each room, minibar stocked with freebies, safe, iron and fan. It has everything one might need – even a power strip with a universal adapter. The stylish bathroom has a TV built into the mirror and also has two basins, a shower, a bathtub and a toilet with a bidet.
The Four Seasons Hotel makes great efforts towards sustainability; We’ve noticed it everywhere, from our reusable bottles to our disposable recycled toothbrushes. The architecture of the building and the means of transportation offered to the guests are aimed at energy saving as well as maintenance, which includes reducing the amount of food waste, using environmentally approved detergents, etc.
And all this without compromising on quality – quite an achievement!
Wellness for body and soul
When it comes to R&R, the facilities at the Four Seasons include a swimming pool, gym, and spa. The rooftop pool is located on the third floor and has stunning views of the city and the bay. The service at the pool, like everything here, is great. Petros, the pool attendant, set up a cabana with towels, a cooler with ice water, and gave us free sunscreen. While we were swimming he also gave us freebies like a small fruit salad. What a wonderful after-swim surprise!
The hotel gym is spacious and bright with a great view of the city. It features state-of-the-art equipment with LCD screens to track and provide feedback on your workouts, full sets of free weights, including dumbbells and barbells, and everything one could possibly wish for in a gym. There is also a separate, well-equipped gym for ladies only.
Whether you’re on a business trip or vacation like we were, a good workout is so good for body and soul, especially when there’s a full spa nearby to loosen up muscles afterwards.
THE PEARL SPA facilities have separate areas for men and women, each with a whirlpool bath, hammam (steam room), dry sauna, snow fountain, jet shower, and a heated resting area with a tea corner. The decor and facilities are the height of luxury, and each visitor is provided with a set of disposable toiletries.
The only requirement is to change into a silk bathrobe and decide what kind of massage you would like. The massage therapist asked me lots of questions before we started the session to ensure I had the most suitable massage, which resulted in an hour of relaxation and relaxation. Next we have a couples jacuzzi in a private romantic room. Who needs more than that for a full day?
Delicious dishes
The Four Seasons offers a variety of three restaurants and a lobby bar, two of which – Café Milano and Butcher & Stilare – are Michelin Guide-recommended. Breakfast is served at the Crust Restaurant, and is outstanding in terms of variety, food quality, and service. The hotel’s pastry chef serves an exquisite pastry buffet that rivals any French pastry shop. This, without a doubt, was the best breakfast I’ve ever had!
Al Meylas Restaurant in the lobby serves light meals and desserts prepared by the hotel’s talented pastry chef. The highlight is the afternoon tea, which is served on a three-tiered tray and contains handcrafted savory, savory and sweet treats. Each one is like a work of art in terms of look and taste. We savored every bite, enjoying its unique flavours.
The hotel also has a lounge bar called Zsa Zsa where snacks and fine cocktails are served and kosher meals can also be served upon request.
The main culinary attractions are obviously the Michelin restaurants on the premises.
Butcher & Steel
Butcher & Steel is a 1920s Chicago-style steakhouse recommended by the Michelin Guide as well as Gault Millau, where Chef Marshall Roth delivers exceptional food.
We started with two soups. A wonderful French onion soup served with brioche topped with melted Gruyere cheese, and the soup of the day – a wonderful asparagus soup poured into the bowl on the table in front of us. They were accompanied by fragrant truffle bread baked on the premises.
For our main course we chose boneless beef fillets, tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside – cooked to perfection! The sides and dessert were also great. Everything about this meal was just amazing – pure joy in every bite! Worth it if you can afford the price.
Milan Cafe
A quick hop to Italy in the Four Seasons building, Café Milano is also a Michelin-recommended restaurant. The atmosphere here is elegant. We ordered wine and nibbled on the complimentary grissini and spiced olives while we deliberated about what to eat. The menu is very diverse, which makes it difficult to choose what you want.
We started with Carpaccio with Quail Eggs, Panzanella Tuscany Salad, and Parmigiana di Melanzani – Hot Eggplant with Mozzarella. Everything was beautifully served and tasted great.
Next, we had the white mushroom truffle pizza, made with real Italian dough and lightly seared, thin in the middle and thick on the sides, and the heavenly beetroot ravioli. For dessert, on the waiter’s recommendation, we had a Tiramisu and a fluffy Pannacotta, both of which were amazing! First class restaurant!
Out
The Four Seasons Hotel is located on the edge of the Galleria Mall, and is connected via an elevator. The Galleria is a huge mall filled with luxury brands from Dior to Hermès, all within easy reach. It’s also packed with more casual international brands like Zara, H&M, Sephora, and more, as well as cafes and restaurants.
The hotel is also located a short distance from the main attractions in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is home to some must-visit attractions, including the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi we visited. In addition, Yas Island is an entertainment center with many family attractions, including Sea World and Ferrari World. Mangrove National Park, Etihad Towers, desert safaris and beautiful beaches can also be found here.
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world, with 82 domes and more than 1,000 columns made of white marble and decorated with precious stones, gold chandeliers and Swarovski, and the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world. The mosque can be seen from afar and is lit up at night with changing colored lights. Visiting the mosque is breathtaking, but please note that modest clothing must be worn when visiting, and women must cover their heads with a headscarf.
Qasr Al Watan is the royal palace – the official government building where foreign visitors and official functions are held (it is not a residence). This imposing marble building, most of which is plated in gold, is massive and shines brightly for all to see. Inside, there are a number of different spaces including an event hall, library and exhibitions such as The Royal Present Collection. A highlight is the “Power of Words” statue, in the form of a golden cage made up of letters intended to emphasize that wealth lies with people, not money or oil.
Finally, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a must-see attraction due to its unique architecture and artwork. The museum is an island surrounded by water covered with a cool mashrabiya dome. In general, the museum is not very big, so it can be covered in a short visit. The art collection is diverse and interesting. It’s worth taking the time to wander the museum’s exterior, snapping pictures of the green and blue waters contrasting with the building’s white and gray walls, and the dome reflecting the sun.
For more information, see https://www.fourseasons.com/
The writer was a guest at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi.