We’ve spent an incredible weekend on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. If you’re looking for a luxury holiday or staycation, look no further than the stretch of hotels alongside Saadiyat’s coastline. Saadiyat Island is home to the best beaches in the world, delectable restaurants and an enlightening cultural hub. We drove past beautiful hotels like St.Regis Saadiyat, Saadiyat Rotana, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island Jumeirah before arriving at our weekend’s staycation destination, at Rixos Premium Saadiyat. It is Abu Dhabi’s first all inclusive resort. Read on further for our weekend’s activities at Rixos Premium & a must-visit attraction in Abu Dhabi, to the Louvre Museum. #SaadiyatIsland
Where to Stay
The lobby to Rixos Premium is so grand and majestic. With Turkish roots, the colours and furnishings of the hotel is beautifully decorated down to the smallest embellishments. Check-in process at the hotel was seamless from the time you arrive at the hotel. Their staff readily available to answer any questions we had and tried their best to give us an overview of the extensive amenities on offer by their hotel. They provided us with a map of the resort, and boy, it was much needed as we had gotten lost a few times while trying to locate our room. Their accommodation options vary from Garden Rooms to Sea View Rooms, to Villas with private pool access, Ground Floor Terrace rooms and more!
Our Garden View room also had the same beautiful interiors as the rest of the hotel – teals, golds and blues which reminded us of the beach nearby. I loved their washroom their most which boasted a large bathtub and marbled interiors. The room was fitted with a King Size beds with a balcony that had views to the garden and even the beach. Ample space in the closet and the best part – stocked mini bar which was part of their inclusive package.
All Inclusive
This is one of the few hotels we’ve ever been in that offers any mini-bar consumption to be included with the room. From beer, to juices, to a few snacks, it was all included. Did you know, Rixos Premium is the first all-inclusive hotel in Abu Dhabi. Being all-inclusive made it feel like a vacation. Apart from having their Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Midnight Buffet and Friday Brunch fully covered they offered free entertainment, fitness classes, and open bar at any of their 6 lounges throughout the property.
Mainly we ate at Turquoise Restaurant which is their all-day dining restaurant. At any meal, they offer a wide buffet spread. My favourite would be their breakfasts – they had so many types of eggs available, so many types of jams, any breakfast food imaginable (ie waffles, crepes, eggs benedicts, you name it!). My second favorite meal I had there was their Friday Brunch – we sat outside in the beautiful terrace, they had live music, specialty drink stations, and food stations (like my fav oysters!)
Entertainment & Fitness
It is also a great place to go with kids as they have the Rixy Kids Club, a Wave Pool and kid friendly activities too! We took advantage of their free fitness classes where they hold at least 10 free quality classes each day. Be sure to bring athletic clothes and sport shoes as there were so many activities I wanted to try. They have anti-gravity yoga, paddling, cycling, kangoo, jumping fit, aqua cycle and much more! My husband and I went to a morning yoga class one morning and the cycling tour the next morning.
What to Do
Beaches & Pool
The beaches in Saadiyat are really the best. We spoke with some of the staff and they mentioned they see dolphins time to time. The waters are so clear and sand is truly perfect.
After visiting the beach, we went to their pool where there were lots more people enjoying drinks and chatting. I bet many people have stayed in the pool area for the whole day, the ambience was amazing. Lovely drinks by the pool bar, live saxophonist was also really impressive and entertaining.
The Louvre Museum
A visit to Saadiyat should also include the Louvre Museum. They have many artworks and special exhibitions on throughout the year so even thought I’ve visited a couple of times before, I was able to learn about and see new artifacts. Heir collection consists of 12 museum galleries and 4 temporary exhibitions each year. There is also activities and workshops at the Children’s Museum. The main and most iconic feature of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is not only their fine art on display, but also their architecture of their building roof – the patterned roof is in a dome shape of 8 layers which allow some parts of the building to have sunlight peek through like a ‘rain of light’.
There is no doubt that Saadiyat Island has the most beautiful beaches. We didn’t get a chance to catch the glimpse of dolphins this time, but definitely we will be back! Thanks for reading, if you are looking for more things to do on Saadiyat Island, do check out Saadiyat Island’s IG at https://www.instagram.com/saadiyatae/
Cheers,
Dot
