Like the UAE capital itself, there’s a quiet grandeur to The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal. It’s not ostentatious, although the property does have chandeliers that gleam with 21,000 crystals and pillars of Italian marble. Nor is it loud, even though, with a sprawling 1,600-metre swimming pool and rows of landscaped gardens, it could be. Instead, the sophistication speaks for itself, offering up private olive gardens and Bedouin spas with the elegance of a timeless brand. There lies the true splendour of this striking property.
I arrive at dusk on a Monday evening. Semi-circular, with its winding road tucked behind a gated entrance, The Ritz-Carlton knows how to make an entrance. Behind me, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque fills the horizon. Ahead, marble and fountains frame the reception area and I’m surrounded by an impressive 57 acres. It’s hard to know where to look.
“It’s a unique resort where culture is honoured,” explains marketing communications assistant manager Maria Quintero when I ask how she would describe the venue. There’s Arabic hospitality, Italian luxury and food from all over the world.
At reception, I’m offered dates and tea. A woman in a gold-and-white gown approaches me, gently asking for my ID for check-in. Then I’m chauffeured up a private elevator to the seventh floor and led into a lounge lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, I’m told, is where certain suite guests can check in. Despite having 447 rooms and 85 private villas, it already feels intimate, quiet, sophisticated.
Only it’s not small. As I sit in the club lounge, a friendly staff member spends time detailing the hotel’s many attractions — something fairly normal when it comes to an urban resort, but unique in the sheer variety of offerings. As the world’s largest beachfront Ritz-Carlton resort, the property offers up eight distinct restaurants, a separate men’s and women’s spa, a kid’s club, the massive pool, an adult’s only pool and an impressive gym.
Yet still, the rhythm feels calmer than what I’m used to. Out of the wrap-around windows, I watch kids playing in the swimming pool below and others sunbathing on the private beach. Later I learn that some of the paving stones in the hotel’s courtyard are from Petra, Jordan and that anti-heat absorbent ‘solhofen’ stone tiles have been used around the edge of the vast pool.
I head to Li Jiang, one of the hotel’s numerous restaurants, for an early dinner. Done in deep crimsons and dark woods, this decadent spot sprawls outside during the cooler months. Tables stretch through The Ritz-Carlton’s olive garden, with incredible views of the Grand Mosque. In the summer, the glass terrace doors are shut but curtains remain open. “It’s better when you can sit outdoors,” laments one of the waiters. No, I assure them as the sun drops red and orange behind the mosque and the sky first turns grey, then pink, then a bruised purple. The view is still a marvel.
The name Li Jiang means ‘beautiful river’, and food here plays with all things Southeast Asian. There are rich soups with oily umami flavours that linger on the tongue; innovative spring rolls with crisp shells and plump insides; bowls of eggplant curry heaving with spices; wasabi-coated prawns; dumplings stuffed with beef and meats; and much, much more.
“We have a new menu coming out next month,” says executive chef Alessandro Montedoro. It will be Japanese, playing with sushi and all things fresh. “Not classic sushi — more of a fine dining focus. It’s not street food, it’s elevated.”
There are seven other restaurants, including traditional Lebanese, a spot for afternoon tea, pool bars and more. Chef Montedoro, a well-known name in the industry and author of The Curative Cuisine, has been brought in as executive chef overseeing them all, tasked with revamping the food across the entire restaurant portfolio.
By the end of the multiple-course meal at Li Jiang, I have to beg off dessert. But my guest, a notoriously picky eater, nods his head in satisfied approval. “There aren’t many resorts in the UAE I would actually visit for their food,” he says. “But this one…” I understand.
ARABIAN DAWN
Sunrise in Abu Dhabi is a magnificent thing. Like the city, there is calm in it. That morning I stay in bed, lounging in the feather mattress topped by 400-thread-count linen and indulging in the blackout blinds. My suite comes with a marble bathroom and separate tub. Slowly, reluctantly, I get up and step into the rain shower, surrounded by marble omnipresent in the space. Asprey products add a dash of indulgence and the bath, with its large stand-alone shape, invites soaking.
It’s a striking room. With 10 buildings placed in a semi-circular shape, The Ritz-Carlton was designed by Otak International, with interiors from Spa Design. There are subtle nods to both Venice and the local culture throughout. In the lobby, as in the guest rooms, mosaic tiles echo the design used within the neighboring Grand Mosque; lighting throughout does the same.
My suite comes with a separate bedroom and living space, plus floor-to-ceiling windows on one side that open up into an expansive balcony. I roll back the curtains and stare out, enjoying the quiet of the moment. Quintero later puts the experience beautifully: “Sunrises over Al Maqta Creek and sunsets that illuminate Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque ensure every moment reawakens the senses.”
For larger families, the property has a Royal Suite spanning 2,691 sq ft that sleeps six comfortably. Like my room, it has marble and rain showers, Club Lounge access and feather beds, but with the added bonus of floor security and a secured room. A similarly spacious two-bedroom villa comes with its own plunge pool and dedicated butler service.
After making a coffee in my room and wandering a few times between the suite’s many parts, I head to the hotel’s expansive gym. Unlike many hotel gyms, this one is sizable, with rows of treadmills and cardio machines joined by free weights, a Smith machine, and a separate yoga/TRX space. Infused water is offered at reception, with small signs encouraging guests to reuse plastic bottles if they can. There’s even a paved jogging path around the entire hotel.
I don’t need to jog; walking between spaces at The Ritz-Carlton gets me plenty of steps. I pass numerous families throughout my stay, and it’s easy to see why. The property offers a kid’s club every day, available for children four to 12. Parents can choose between half- or full-day programs, including optional meals.
Later, I have a spa treatment. I’m slightly late, distracted by wandering around the Venetian Village, exploring the scenic stairways and pretty side streets. The resort has six fountains and 18 water features, and in the early afternoon, it feels like a slice of Italy — and the spa a welcome, cool retreat. I step inside and a host offers up a chilled towel. Spanning 21,500 sq ft and 16 treatment rooms, the spa has separate areas for men and women, hammam areas, steam rooms, plunge pools, and plenty of amber-lit lanterns to light the way. Everything has slight Bedouin touches, with private gardens and pretty waterfalls dotted between swaying overhead lights.
I have booked the signature inner calm massage. For the next hour, the therapist works all the magic you’d expect of a five-star venue. There are warm neck and eye pillows, aromatherapy, and even the use of a rose quartz crystal on my scalp. It’s indulgent and luxurious; perfect for the serenity of the day. Afterwards I’m led to a ladies-only relaxation area and gently wrapped in a towel before being handed tea and cookies.
If I wanted to, I could go out — there are numerous visitor-friendly spots nearby, including Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. But I do none of them. Cocooned in the Italian marble, white-on-cream, fragrant but subtle decadence of the The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, I feel a world apart from everything else. And part of me wishes the trip could extend just a bit longer — if only to see the neighbouring sunset over Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque one more time.