How I booked everything
American Airlines Flagship Dining Room DFW
Etihad First & Business Class Lounge LHR
Etihad A380 First Class Apartments LHR-AUH (Video)
St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge DOH (Video)
Qatar A380 First Class DOH-BKK
Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge (Video)
Cathay Pacific 777-300ER First Class HKG-LAX

I arrived at AUH from my incredible flight on Etihad’s A380 in their First Class Apartments in a mental fog of jetlag, having not slept too much on either of my flights so far.  During the Etihad flight I used the inflight internet to make a booking at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi, as I found the cash rate to be very reasonable for such a nice property (220 USD).  How did I pick the St. Regis?  Well, I had heard their hotels were nice.  That was my thought process.  So how about a St. Regis Abu Dhabi review?

Due to the way I booked my ticket I technically had a layover in Abu Dhabi so I wasn’t eligible for Etihad’s chauffeur service, a huge bummer.  I made my way into the warm Middle East night and hopped in a cab, which made its way down the empty roads towards the St. Regis.  (a note: there are two St. Regis properties in Abu Dhabi, this is not the one on Saadiyat Island, rather the one on the Corniche)  We pulled up to an immense entryway and I walked into the most amazing foyer I have ever seen.

WHOA

The columns buttressing the staircases had to be three or four stories tall.  Everything in the foyer was enormous and incredibly regal.  It had the “let’s make it even bigger and better” element common to the UAE but everything was incredibly tasteful.  You’ll also notice there’s a lot of symmetry (with the exception of the chandeliers), common in Islamic architecture.

I was escorted over to the beautiful check-in area, also adorned in marble and decadent furnishings.

Check-in area

I was quickly checked in and informed that they were happy to be able to upgrade me to a suite!  I love taking pictures of great hotel rooms and had a feeling the suite here would not disappoint.

I was correct.

The Suite

I was in room 3808, a Grand Deluxe Suite.  I opened the door, walked in, and my jaw dropped.

Grand Deluxe Suite

The view was perfect and the room was wonderful.  It felt bigger than its 700 square feet.  I kept looking around.

Grand Deluxe Suite

The view from the sitting area looking back at the Corniche was absolutely amazing.  I kept looking around but knew instantly that I’d want to set up my camera for a timelapse as the sun rose the next morning.

Grand Deluxe Suite

The welcome gift from SPG was a bowl of fruit and some chocolates.

Welcome gift

It was then I noticed the impressive and elegant chandelier over my bed.

Chandelier

The restroom was of equal opulence and I was sure to get a picture of the standalone tub with the view of Breakwater Island the next morning before I left.

Grand Deluxe Suite restroom

I thought about getting some sleep but wasn’t tired so I went back down to the lobby area to get some more pictures of the incredible space.

The Property

Even walking to the elevator was beautiful!

Hallway

The elevator landing area was gorgeous as well, gorgeous enough even to make up for the weird looks I got from a couple who were kinda creeped out that I had a tripod set up to take a picture of an elevator landing area 🙂

Elevator landing area

I went back down to the main foyer area to try and better capture the enormity of the space.

Grand staircase

Floral design

Piano and mural

Walking up the stairs to the terrace gave me an even grander sense for how large the space truly was.

Overlooking the foyer

Chandeliers

I went back downstairs and found a side room off the main foyer.  Even the side room was one of the most amazing spaces I’ve seen!

Side room

I want to go back

I didn’t stay at the hotel for very long, in fact I could’ve just slept for a bit at the airport.  But sleeping in a beautiful bed at a beautiful property was worth the hassle of taking a taxi into town.  I want to come back to Abu Dhabi to visit the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque and revisit this amazing place.  If you’re in the area, at least stop by just to see the foyer!