Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi
· private beach
1 / 8
10 minto the Louvre
25 minfrom the airport
15:00 / 12:00check-in and check-out
Private beachon site
In short
Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas is a family resort on its own stretch of Saadiyat beach, 3 km from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It has 327 rooms and suites, plus 13 beach villas with one or two bedrooms that open straight onto the sand, each with a plunge pool and a terrace. Life centers on one large lagoon-style pool, and the kids' club, at Aladdin's Cave, takes children from six months old.
What sets it apart is choice: meal packages run from half board to all-inclusive, and there is plenty of sport on site: tennis, padel, mini golf and water sports. The trade-off is room size: standard rooms are smaller than at Park Hyatt, where every room is at least 50 m².
This is the Rotana on Saadiyat Island. Beach Rotana is a different hotel in the city, and Bloom Arjaan by Rotana is a new apartment hotel inland, near NYU Abu Dhabi.
Pros
- Its own beach, and 13 beach villas with direct access to the sand, a plunge pool and a terrace
- A large lagoon-style pool with a swim-up bar
- Explorers Kids Club at Aladdin's Cave, for ages 6 months to 11+, with a lazy river, a water slide and a cinema room
- Family Connected Rooms of 80 m² for families of four
- Zen the Spa: 10 treatment rooms, with Turkish and Moroccan hammams
- Tennis, padel, mini golf and water sports
- Early check-in from 9:00 when rooms are available
Cons
- One main pool, shared by adults and children
- Standard rooms are smaller than at Park Hyatt, where every room is at least 50 m²
- All-inclusive packages work from a set menu rather than the full restaurant menus
- Airport transfers booked through the resort cost extra
Rooms
- 40 m²Guest roomview: resort, garden or sea
- 80 m²Family Connected Roomsview: resort
- 90 m²Beach villa, 1 or 2 bedroomsview: beach
The resort has 327 rooms and suites and 13 beach villas. Rooms face the resort, the garden or the sea, and each has a balcony or terrace.
- Guest room: a king or twin room with a balcony or terrace. Sea-view rooms cost more, and some include Club Rotana Lounge access.
- Family Connected Rooms: a king room and a twin room joined together, for up to four people. This is the resort's family room.
- Beach villa: steps from the water, with its own plunge pool and terrace.
Beach & pools
The resort has its own natural beach of soft white sand on Saadiyat's 9 km shoreline, and the beach villas open directly onto it. The sea gets deep gradually.
The main pool is a large lagoon with a swim-up bar, and adults and children share it. Children also have a splash pool at the kids' club, and each villa has its own plunge pool. The beach club offers water sports.
Day passes: the resort sells "Day Pass Experiences" to visitors who are not staying. It doesn't publish the price, so ask the resort for the current offer.
Dining
The resort describes "seven distinct dining venues" and lists these eight names:
- Si Ristorante Italiano & Bar: Italian; it has won Time Out Abu Dhabi awards
- Turtle Bay Bar & Grill: steaks and seafood
- The Roof Bar @ Turtle Bay
- Hamilton's Gastropub: British and American pub food
- Sim Sim: the all-day restaurant, with a breakfast buffet and themed dinners
- Nasma Beachfront Bar: cocktails and sushi
- Sama Lobby Lounge: coffee and light meals
- The Pool Avenue
Meal plans: the resort sells "Dine Around" packages. Half board covers breakfast plus lunch or dinner at the Sim Sim buffet or from set menus at the other restaurants, with soft drinks during meals. All-inclusive comes in two versions, with or without alcohol. Check exactly what your rate includes before you book.
Brunch: The Market Brunch, a family brunch with live cooking stations, takes place at Sim Sim on Saturday afternoons.
Zen the Spa has 10 treatment rooms with Turkish and Moroccan hammams.
For kids
Explorers Kids Club at Aladdin's Cave takes children from 6 months to 11+. Facilities include:
- a splash pool
- a water slide
- a lazy river
- a climbing wall
- a cinema room, a gaming zone and a teen zone
On the beach, the water gets deep slowly. Family Connected Rooms and the beach villas give families more space than a standard room.
Amenities
Private beach
Pool
Spa
Kids' club
Gym
Restaurants
Wi-Fi
Parking
Getting there
From Abu Dhabi airport (AUH)
About 25 min by taxi, at roughly AED 85 (≈ $23). The resort can also book a private car for a fee, and Uber and Careem work in Abu Dhabi.
From Dubai
About 130 km, or 1 hr 15 min by car, and a taxi costs about AED 350 (≈ $95). On a budget, take bus E100 or E101 to Abu Dhabi for AED 25 (≈ $7) or Etihad Rail from AED 39 (≈ $11), then a taxi to the island.
Around the island
The resort sits between the St. Regis and Rixos on the beach strip. The Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena are each 3 km away, 10 min by taxi. Yas Waterworld on Yas Island is 18 km away.
