If there’s a way to incorporate a little fitness, spa and suite dreams into a city staycation, we’re all in. And while we’re certainly advocates for using January as an excellent opportunity to kickstart a new year filled with intention, the truth is... We’re in it for the long-haul. So it’s even more important to find a hotel that has a holistic approach to both wellness and weekends away.
Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers knows a thing or two about the art of exclusivity and escapism, creatively using its city-central beach setting to whisk guests away from urban interruptions. While it’s accessible and perfectly located to make the most of Abu Dhabi’s spoils, it’s also luxurious enough to make you forget anything outside its lofty walls.
The grand lobby – with its 12 metre-high ceilings, ocean-inspired water feature and 12 crystal ball chandeliers – allows guests to drink in beautiful views of the city from the comfort of their private setting, a voyeuristic touch that also shows first impressions really do count.
The hotel is home to 376 guest rooms, 54 suites, and 199 fully-serviced apartments, and its within these beautifully appointed spaces that your sanctuary lies. The suites range from 60 square metres to 972 square metres, the latter of which you’ll find in the rather epic Royal Etihad Suite. Each is decked out in Minotti furniture from Italy, B&B furniture from Italy, and Baker furniture brought in from New York. Artworks unique to the Gulf region decorate the walls, custom-crystal chandeliers light the spaces and stone hand-selected from Italian quarries decks out the walls and floors, chosen for both their richness and their rareness.
For something comfortable and contemporary, the 241-square-metre Sky Suite is the perfect option. Sleeping four, it spreads itself out over two bedrooms, a lounge, dining room and two marble bathrooms. Or slip into the two-bedroom Tower Suite, which combines beautiful styling with state-of-the-art amenities, all in calming, creamy tones with colourful injections in artworks and light fixtures.
Now, if you’re keen for something a little out of the ordinary, make your bed and lie in it in a Royal Etihad Suite. The epitome of refinement, privacy and tranquillity, it takes over a whole floor, and sleeps eight. A vision of marble, dark woods and unique décor, it has four bedrooms, four stylish bathrooms, two with whirlpool baths, two living rooms, a pantry, a dining area and butler facilities. And, of course the floor-to-ceiling views so synonymous with the hotel.
Once you’ve made yourself at home, it’s time to seek out the spa to embark on your path of self-discovery. The Conrad Spa has been designed to induce calmness, with the interiors of each suite chosen for their nurturing effects, including a balanced harmony of elements, including wood, marble, water and fire. The finest oils are used, Himalayan Salt has been procured, and carefully selected oils sourced and infused with Arabic elements help incorporate a sense of place.
Equipped to the max, the Conrad Spa’s 1,465 square metres features a relaxation area, wet area, sauna, steam room, steam showers, water features, salt room and a free-standing African rosewood plunge baths. There’s also a Rasul suite in which one can enjoy the traditional Middle Eastern method of cleansing and detoxifying using mud, herb-scented steam and an oil-infused warm shower, and a Hammam suite, with a traditional heated marble goebektas bed, as well as a private steam and sauna room.
Once you’ve emerged from your cocoon of calm, you can continue in the same mindset with a day spent by one of three pools, on the hotel’s private strip of beach, or indulging in some good-for-the-soul food at Nahaam, Li Beirut, Vakava, or Tori No Su. For something that little bit special, take afternoon tea in the lobby lounge with a backdrop of ‘those’ views, or brave the heights of the 74th floor with dinner or a drink at the Observation Deck. Then it’s time to retire to your suite, sink between the sheets and enjoy the best sleep of the year. Ahh...