Luxury, shopping, dining & nightlife

Introduction

Abu Dhabi offers visitors a luxurious holiday that offers dining, nightlife and shopping options that rival any premium international destination.

Most of Abu Dhabi’s major hotels are self-contained resorts, offering guests a full range of on-the-spot facilities and services.

For shoppers there is everything from traditional souks to world famous brand name stores, ensuring visitors can enjoy a complete shopping experience.

Inside and outside of the hotels, the city boasts just about every major international cuisine and the nightlife ranges from sophisticated cocktail lounges, to “Shisha cafes”, to traditional British pubs.

From shopping to spas, from night clubs to kids clubs – Abu Dhabi offers visitors the spectrum of opportunities.

Hotel facilities

Most of the emirate’s major hotels are self-contained resorts, offering guests a comprehensive range of on-the-spot facilities and services.

Many of the hotels are either new or recently refurbished and offer spacious, well-equipped luxury rooms and public areas. The choice of food and beverage outlets is outstanding, with most hotels offering at least three or four (and often more) restaurants, bars and nightclubs, each with its own cuisine, theme and in many cases, live entertainment.

The top hotels typically have two or three swimming pools and superb sporting and recreational facilities, including tennis, squash and state-of-the-art health clubs.

Amenities for business travellers are equally impressive, with in-room internet connections, efficient business centres and meetings and conference facilities.

Abu Dhabi is a family-friendly destination. Children’s pools, well-equipped safe play areas, babysitting, children’s menus and other such facilities and services are widely available, though it is always best to check with the individual hotel when booking.

Most of the hotels in Abu Dhabi city are located around the northern end of the island near the Corniche and the journey from the airport takes roughly 40 minutes.

Al Ain has four main hotels, all of which offer deluxe standards in a distinctive and serene setting.

Dining

Abu Dhabi’s hotel restaurants cater not only for their own guests but also attract local residents, both UAE nationals and expatriates.

They offer remarkable variety, ranging from coffee shops to fine dining and speciality outlets. Just about every major international cuisine – French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian etc – is represented, including of course restaurants where visitors can experience the dishes of the Arab world and the ambience and traditions of local and regional dining.

But visitors should not hesitate to venture outside their hotels to sample the wide range of dining experiences the emirate offers. Indeed, eating out is a great way to discover different areas and meet the cosmopolitan residents of Abu Dhabi.

Most of the familiar international fast food chains are well represented however there are also many small, good value restaurants for a more authentic dining experience. These include outlets selling shawarma, a popular snack of grilled slices of lamb or chicken mixed with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arabic bread.

Visitors should note, however, that restaurants located outside the hotels are generally not permitted to serve alcohol (with a few exceptions such as private clubs e.g. golf clubs).

Tipping

There is usually a 15 – 16% service charge on top of the menu tariff in hotel restaurants. These taxes are incorporated into the customer’s bill but often indicated with a ‘++’ denoting an addition to the price. At some restaurants, these taxes may be included in the price but, even then, this information will be indicated somewhere on the menu. An additional 10% tip will be greatly appreciated by the very friendly staff.

Entertainment & Nightlife

Back in the hotels, the range of bars is almost as varied as the restaurant scene. From sophisticated cocktail lounges with soft music to traditional British pubs they cater to every taste.

Many hotels also have nightclubs, each with their own character, serving different age groups and musical preferences. These include western-style clubs playing up-to-the-minute music, or for a more traditional experience there are Arabic venues featuring Middle Eastern bands and the ever-popular belly dancers.

It is also worth looking out for concerts taking place during your visit. Abu Dhabi is becoming an increasingly popular venue for top name international entertainers on tour, including singers, dance groups, opera companies and stage troupes.

Shopping

Abu Dhabi is a shopper’s paradise and the range of products and prices are unbeatable. Whether you choose to flex your plastic in designer boutiques or haggle in the local souks, the emirate’s shopping options will not disappoint.

Popular souvenir purchases include carpets, rugs and textiles from the region, including Iran, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, gold, Arabian coffee pots (the symbol of hospitality), prayer beads, shisha pipes, antique silver jewellery, khanjars (curved daggers), inlaid jewellery boxes, miniature dhows, brass items and traditional wooden furniture.

Abu Dhabi offers the visitor an array of shopping options, from the comfort of air-conditioned shopping malls to the perhaps less familiar ambience of the souks.

The emirate’s malls, in both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, are spacious, modern and imaginatively designed. Besides their fine array of shops and boutiques, including many famous international retail names, they have a good selection of food outlets and children’s play areas. Sales and promotions run throughout the year and raffles are popular. The larger malls also house cinemas and offer plenty of free parking.

The two biggest shopping malls in the capital are Marina Mall on the Breakwater and Abu Dhabi Mall next to the Beach Rotana Hotel.

Other malls include Madinat Zayed Shopping & Gold Centre, Liwa Centre, Al Hana Shopping Centre, Al Muhairy Centre, Fatouh Al Khair, Hamdan Centre, Khalifa Centre, Rotana Mall, Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society and Lamcy Plaza.

Al Ain also has some excellent shopping facilities, notably Al Ain Mall and Al Jimi Mall.

“Souk”, the Arabic word for market is a place not only to buy and sell but also to socialise and meet friends. Abu Dhabi has several and they are a definite must-do for visitors, offering them the chance to soak up the atmosphere as well as purchase a few bargains.

Traditionally souks were a maze of shady alleyways and while they have now developed into a collection of small shops they retain the same buzz and atmosphere as before. The Iranian Souk is one of the most authentic in Abu Dhabi and well worth a visit, as is the Al Ain Souk, which has retained a charming, ramshackle appeal. Al Meena Souk is a must for visitors looking for carpets.

Bargaining is a time-honoured tradition throughout the souks of the Arab world and visitors can get prices almost halved with some serious haggling. The experience should be treated as fun and vendors appreciate a smile. However, once a price has been verbally agreed upon the customer is expected to buy. Vendors have even been known to chase people down the street to finally succumb to their offered price so walking away is a definite bargaining tool!

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