It’s been so long since we ventured out on a staycation in Abu Dhabi. Since the pandemic started, I was on a full lockdown mode for a good three months. Now that the hotels and restaurants have opened up we booked ourselves a well-deserved treat away from home. Going outside once in a while to places I’m comfortable with has also eased my mind and reduced my stress.
Since tourism has not picked up yet, there are loads of deals on hotel staycations this summer in Abu Dhabi! Many of them offering half or even full-board during the stay. We opted for dinner and breakfast to be included in our room.
Upon check-in there were many safety precautions in place. First off, they have removed valet parking at all the hotels we have visited. We quickly found the self-parking (although more signs to the front entrance from the parking would be uber helpful). At the check-in desk there were large clear walls up between the staff and the customers. Masks and gloves are also offered at the property.
We were grateful we were upgraded from our King Room to a Premium Suite – it was fitted with a dining area, living area, separate bedroom and a very large balcony wrapping around the unit. The amenities provided were quite nice – Baumain shampoos/conditioners, 6-8 water bottles and basket of fruits.
Luckily on the day of our stay, it was also their first day of their pool re-opening. We had a refreshing time at their infinity pool. My husband ordered some beers and commented he had great service from Elano.
For dinner, the only restaurant opened at that time was Verso. We have gone to Verso a few times now and I already knew exactly what we wanted to order. On this occasion though, there were not enough tables due to the social distancing rules. I saw a few groups get turned away due to the wait times. We luckily got a small table because we made a reservation with our booking. 🙂 The pizza and pasta is usually what I order from Verso. My husband decided to try their grilled chicken which was quite tasty too.
The next day, we went to Verso again for their breakfast. Again, it was so busy and there is a small wait time for the tables. The staff was amazing at turning over the tables as soon as possible. The breakfast is served a la carte, they give you a sheet of paper to select the dishes you want. It is unlimited so we did over-order a little. I wanted to try many many things. The dishes came quickly and the meal was really satisfying. The smoothie was fantastic, the hashbrowns were perfect and the shashouka was a nice offering.
We had a really nice staycation at Grand Hyatt. The room was really spacious, they have beautiful views. Location is fantastic too for tourists as its right across from the presidential palace and emirates palace. As mentioned there are really good deals happening in Abu Dhabi for tons of hotels, a staycation can really make a difference to your mood since we are cooped up for so long.
