Whilst many head home for the holidays, searching for comfort and connection in the folds of the family, there are plenty who seek their own kind of respite and reward with a stay in a hotel. Because, let’s be honest, one of the greatest gifts is not having to lift a finger and letting a hotel – and its team – work hard to make to ensure you don’t have to.
This level of luxury is on tap at the wonderfully laid-back The Abu Dhabi Edition, a contemporary property where the service is so subtle yet so intuitive, you’ll next wish or whim will have been anticipated before it’s even uttered on your lips.
The modernist hotel casts a bold silhouette across the Al Bateen Marina skyline, slicing through the azure skies by day and casting a multi-coloured lateen-shaped shadow over the waterfront come night. Inside, the soft and muted colour palettes and vast five-storey atrium give rise to an instant air of relaxation – as if one lets out a subconscious sigh the moment you step over the threshold. There’s no reason to feel stressed here, with the soporific design negating any need to succumb to daily intrusions.
Venture through the lobby, under the watchful gaze of a large kinetic glass art installation that moves as if inhaling and exhaling life into the space below, past row upon row of plants and lanterns, to find a place to rest your head. There are 198 guest rooms to handpick your perfect sleep suite from, all wrapped in a sophisticated yet cosy embrace, from the grey oak timber herringbone flooring to the contrasting off-white marble bathrooms, the careful positioning of the wooden cream and oak wood furniture to the views that peer through the drapery-wrapped windows. So beautifully thought through is the design, that each room creates a feeling of a home-away-from-home, inviting one to kick off their shoes, sink into the experience and never feel like a stranger.
Your room or suite could well make a good argument to stay put and close the doors to the world for a while, but what waits beyond is worth investigating. Three beautiful restaurants promise to feed you with the very best ingredients, from imaginative, no-waste cuisine at Market at EDITION, and new-age steaks and grills at the English-inspired Oak Room, to the smooth Mediterranean aperitivos, small plates and pastas at Alba Terrace – each with menus created by Michelin-starred chef, Tom Aikens.
For daytime hangouts amidst a secluded cabana setting, the Pool Bar is one of the prettiest and most tranquil spots in the hotel, and perfect for al fresco sundowners come dusk. For quiet pre- or post-dinner drinks, Library Bar keeps the tempo on track with its refined design taking cues from its name, with dark furniture, artworks that draw upon the themes of the written word and a mixologist who creates magic behind the bar.
Then, when all is said and done, but the night is still young, there’s Annex. A multi-level social space with rooftop bar, social lounge and nightclub, featuring live, international and local DJ, it takes the hotel’s energy to new heights.
If all this sounds tempting, let The Abu Dhabi EDITION become your stomping ground for the holidays. Don your festive jumper and join the Christmas Eve Annex brunch with its light bites, nibbles and beats from 2pm to 5pm. Or put your glad rags on for a Christmas Eve Dinner Brunch at Oak Room, with a seated menu of signature British dishes. On Christmas Day, you’ll have to choose between the Oak Room Christmas Day Roast, the Christmas Day Spritz at Alba Terrace, or the Annex Christmas Day Sunset Session – each a riot in their own rights, swaying between refinement, Riviera vibes and revelry.
For New Year’s Eve, there’s more decisions coming your way. You can either see in the New Year with Oak Room’s Rock & Rolla dinner, with bubbles, canapés and a five-course menu; New Year’s Eve at Alba Terrace, with some Mediterranean-style celebrations with live entertainment and a six-plate sharing menu; or the Annex Countdown Glitter Party, with uninterrupted views of the Corniche fireworks, along with light bites, bubbles, DJ beats and more.
When you wake in 2023, you can trust The Abu Dhabi EDITION to look after you, with a Recovery Breakfast or Brunch at Market or a Recovery Roast at Oak Room. Or to really blow away the cobwebs, book a Royal Journey body and beauty blitz at EDITION Spa and Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa to make yourself feel human again.