Located on Yas Island where you’ll find several holiday experiences is Crowne Plaza Yas Island hotel. It is a perfect place for a staycation or weekend getaway. It is half an hour away from the city center of Abu Dhabi and less than 15 minutes away from the Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). From the moment you step foot in the hotel, you’re greeted by their staff to help with any bags followed by a warm welcome from their front desk representatives.
Check In
We checked into our seaview room with ease and the view from our balcony was amazing. The hotel has a total of 8 floors and while we were on the 7th floor, our view overlooked the hotel pools and the Yas Links golf course.
The room has all the amenities for a comfortable night.
- Minibar
- Ironing board and iron
- Bath robes & slippers
- Safe
- Hairdryer
- Shampoo, condition, body wash
- LED TV
- Kettle with coffee & tea
- Turndown service
There’s also free wi-fi for all guests for all those who want to stay connected. After dropping off our bags in the room, we explored the hotel and wandered aimlessly. The outdoor pools were busy. The gym had all the equipment you need for a good workout (free weights, treadmills, circuit training, mats, etc.). They also have a squash court and a jogging track.
If you’re like us and into lounging (which in our opinion, is basically just sitting in a very comfortable place), I’d recommend opting in to stay in one of their club rooms (7th and 8th floors) for an extra 100-150 AED, depending on the capacity of the rooms. Staying in one of their club rooms gives you access to their club lounge on the 8th floor. You can enjoy their complimentary afternoon tea sets (mini pastries, desserts, etc.) and happy hour (includes hot foods and alcoholic beverages). There is no limit on how long you want to stay in the lounge and you can eat and drink as much as you like. You also get a great view of the property from their highest floor.
Restaurants
Our staycation included half-board so we were fortunate to dine at their Lebanese restaurant – Barouk. Aside from Barouk, the property also has an all-day dining restaurant called Jing Asia, Views café, a poolside bar called Sundowner, and a resto-bar called Stills.
We opted for outdoor seating (for the ambience) but it was quite chilly during our visit in early February. Luckily, they turned on the portable heaters. If it’s not enough, you can also ask for blankets to keep you nice and cozy while you enjoy the delicious Lebanese cuisine. Our dinner consisted of three four courses and in quite large portions too!
Cold Appetizers
All Arabic cuisines normally started with some cold appetizers consisting of some dips with Arabic bread. Barouk served us 3 different kinds of dips – traditional hummus with olive oil, baba ghanoush (eggplant mixed with olive oil and finely chopped vegetables), and moutabel (a differentmix of smoked eggplant, tahini, garlic, sesame puree). All this was served with a crispy Fattoush salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, mint leaves, and parsley leaves with dressing).
Hot Appetizers
Just when you thought the main courses were coming, they bring a second set of starters! It was a family-style plate of garlic prawns with garlic butter, hot savory pastries (kibbeh, spinach fatayer, cheese rolls), batata harra (sautéed potatoes with coriander and red chilies). By the end of this, we were trying to stop ourselves from finishing but the food was too good to pass up.
Main Courses
As we finished the last of the hot starters, they serve a beautiful plate of their famous Barouk Mix Grill platter – a mix of different grilled meats including lamb, kebabs, chicken, and beef. The beef cubes were my favourite based of sheer tenderness; however, all of the other meats were absolutely mouth-watering.
Desserts
Last but not least, we arrived at the desserts. Between the two of us, we shared the rice pudding and the Halawet el Jibin (cheese dough filled with cream and rosewater). They were the perfect finish to the meal and we were both laughing at the amount of food we just ate.
Spa
With dinner over, we took the elevator down one floor (yes, one floor) to the lower level where the fitness center and the Senses Spa is located. Without any hesitation, we went with the latter and opted for the 60-minute couples’ massage.
The Senses Spa is one of the few locations that offers a couple’s massage and we were led into the room shortly after providing our information. The room is very spacious and has more than ample space for 2 massage beds. You can find their full massage offerings here. The room also has a massive shower room with 2 showers, along with robes and towels. Even though we chose the couples massage, we can still choose our own types of massages. Dot chose aromatherapy and I went with the deep-tissue sports massage. We were both quite happy with our choices. After the massage, they provide water or tea to hydrate.
Check Out
The next morning, we had in-room breakfast brought to our room at 9:30 AM. Ordering was done the night before on a menu in the room. We filled out what we wanted and left it outside our hotel door. The room service was on time and it was one of the most relaxing breakfasts we had in a long time. We ate on the balcony; enjoying the great view while sipping on our café lattes.
We thoroughly enjoyed our staycation at Crowne Plaza Yas Island and it was the perfect getaway we needed after a long week to relax and rejuvenate. The property is fitting for both business travelers and families.
