Abu Dhabi makes a perfect weekend break for the family, and while all the UAE capital’s hotels claim to be ‘kid-friendly’, these three stand out as the crème de la crème. They are not so large that you are in danger of losing the little ones and all provide quality babysitting services. Moreover, they all have highly-experienced general managers who either have children
of their own and/or beloved pets.
Hilton Abu Dhabi, run by Wolfgang Maier, belies its 40 years. It may be surrounded by 21st-century style and gloss, but this 11-floor veteran stands strong against its competitors — in fact, one in five guests is a repeat visitor. A big attraction here is its private Hiltonia Beach Club, easily reached by an underground tunnel. You will be joined, either on the sandy beach or around one of the three pools, by some of the 2,500 local club members.
There is a seasonal children’s camp to keep young guests busy in the cooler months, while parents work out in the gym or borrow Scott bicycles to ride along the Corniche. Of the 327 rooms, choose one with a view of Marina Mall and Heritage Village, preferably one with access to the 10th-floor club lounge. The 630 members of staff who make this hotel work are so attentive, you’ll wish you could take them home with you.
Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri is located between the Al Maqta Bridge and the Mussafah Bridge on the east bank of the Grand Canal, 30 minutes closer to Dubai than the Corniche, where many of the city’s hotels are located. The 214-room hotel, run by general manager Arbind Shrestha, shares a kilometre of sandy beach and swimming pools with a Traders Hotel and serviced apartments. Stay here for a true taste of Arabia, with heavy wood decorations and lots of arabesque designs, as well as an uninterrupted view across to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
For real pizzazz, think about one of the Shangri-La’s six private villas, such as the four-bedroom Das Island villa, which has a circular jacuzzi in one of its bedrooms (a previous guest was a party-loving minor European royal). Shop in the Souk or escape to the spa and gym, which has an adults-only pool. At night, kids love chilling out in the all-white lounge at Pearls & Caviar — a bestseller is its pistachio crème brûlée under a chocolate disc.
Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, which opened in 2012, is ideal for parents and children in their early teens. Led by a Scottish leisure manager, the kayaking team embark on fascinating experiential trips through 12 kilometres of Avicennia marina (grey mangrove) forest. There are over 200 species of fish and more than 50 bird types in the area, although you will probably be so busy twirling your two-ended paddle that you wont see at a thing.
After such exertions, adults may well choose an Elemis massage in the spa or a drink in the two-floor Kasara Lounge — make sure you book into a Kasara room to access this. There are 222 rooms in the hotel (run by general manager Moritz Klein), the highlight of which is the Royal Mangroves Residence, a 1,355-square-metre space that includes a 50-square-metre private infinity pool and three bedrooms. You can also add up to seven connected rooms, creating an ideal setting for big celebratory getaways with family or friends.
