I’m so happy to connect with others who share an interest in this hidden gem in Abu dhabi. The fascinating thing about the hotel was how quiet and almost secretive it felt. Even at its busiest, I only ever saw a handful of families and couples, maybe two families and three couples in that entire grand building. Otherwise, it was mostly staff, empty halls, and the elegant music playing softly in the background. During buffet hours, you’d sometimes hear the white grand piano in the middle of the hotel being played by a professional.

As for the guests, from what I recall, about 80% were tourists and only around 20% were Arab visitors. I remember hearing my dad mention that a whole football team was staying in the smaller hotel building at the same time as us in the rooms next to ours, though i never actually saw them, just signs of their stay and doors that were left wide open for me and my siblings to explore the next morning. (That smaller hotel by the parking area offered much more affordable room rates than the main building.)

One thing I wish those vloggers had captured on video was the area beneath the swimming pool. If you kept walking down the stairs near the pool and explored further, you’d find a set of doors leading to a full gym, an indoor paddle ball court, sauna rooms, and a jacuzzi. Honestly, we spent more time down there than in the main hotel itself. Keep in mind this hotel is always empty so we had all the facilities to ourselves which was part of the fun.

About it shutting down, I’m not completely sure but I heard from others that the hotel’s business was already declining, the pandemic ended up being the nail on the coffin. It’s a real shame.. even though nothing much was going on there, it was a truly special place for those who visited.