The Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Hotel Review – who needs a beach hotel in a busy downtown?

Book the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Hotel here.

I originally booked a 'hotel price mistake' that we highlighted in July, for the Hilton Abu Dhabi. This was through amoma.com. To its credit, amoma chose to honor the booking and not just cancel unilaterally.

However, a couple of weeks later, my booking was changed to the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi - I could have gotten a refund, but the Hilton was not an option anymore. Oh well I thought, you really get what the $77 are worth in Abu Dhabi (as that's what I'd paid for my dates).



The Beach Rotana Hotel is quite a landmark in Abu Dhabi and located just next door to the downtown Abu Dhabi Mall. Due to all the construction there, it's not easy to drive up, though.

Check-in was friendly and the agent actually spoke in sentences (I discovered that most hotel staff would just use 'keyword English'). I was required to print out the voucher and hadn't had a chance to do that yet. I'm not sure why some 'deals' make you do that, but clearly it is a way to make it harder for no reason. The PDF wasn't good enough. The agent was nice, though, and offered to have it printed in the business center, so it worked out eventually.

Since I booked a mistake rate (for a different hotel actually) I was hoping that this hotel would honor it all the way and they did. I got my room keys after some strong anticipation.

The WiFi is free in the lobby, but really slow, and the guest room WiFi is $25, which I did not try.

The hotel has a beach (but it's as 'industrial' as it gets). It has a long, grassy, private area along the beach which is actually very nice. There are also pools and play areas for children as well as tennis courts. There is also a huge gym - one of the best-equipped hotel gyms I have ever seen.





























Although the location suggests a business hotel, most guests seemed to be tourists from Europe. The beach area was really busy.

My room was smallish and rather dark and the biggest issue was that it was located right next to the construction site. The construction was very audible until well after midnight. Earplugs let me sleep, but it isn't something you want to experience for several days.

















The biggest surprise was the breakfast. It was almost on Park Hyatt level! Tons of high quality items - sweet, savory, juices, coffee, breads, pastries, cheese, smoked salmon - you name it, it was there. The staff were VERY attentive and although my coffee order was mixed up twice, they fixed it with a smile.





























So I have mixed feelings about this hotel. The hard product is a bit old and the construction just makes sleeping uncomfortable. But the outdoor recreation options and the amazing breakfast made me cheer. For $77, this was a great stay!

Book the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Hotel here.



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