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10 minutes from your room to the lobby,” suggested a friend of mine who lives at Emirates Palace. “It’s huge. Everything is dripping gold. “
I’m heading to Abu Dhabi for MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2023 – it’s my first time in the UAE – I’m going to call one of the most expensive hotels ever built in the world – In over $3 billion! – my home.
The direct nine-hour flight from Manila to the UAE capital with Etihad Airways departs shortly after midnight and arrives at 6am local time – the perfect way to start a day. (I’m happy to report that they serve a delicious vegetarian Arabic breakfast of grilled aubergines stuffed with feta and fetay cheese, served with cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes for an all-day meal, delicious!) And Since it was so early to check in, I went to the Etihad Arrivals Lounge at the airport to get some work done before heading to the city.
When Googling “sights in Abu Dhabi”, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Museum, Ferrari World and Emirates Palace top the list. The recently renamed Mandarin Oriental boasts over 6,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf (larger than Buckingham Palace), more than 1,000 Swarovski chandeliers and 114 intricate domes, including the world’s largest The dome is taller than St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The Deluxe Sea View Rooms at Emirates Palace offer stunning views of the bay.
When driving up to the hotel, the instinct is to whip out your phone camera and capture its majesty on video, especially at night when the lights are on and the fountains are running. (One photo can’t do it justice because of its size.)
Security here is very tight. Every vehicle is inspected before entering the driveway and there is security throughout the property. For hotel guests, there are guards in the East and West Wings, although access to the isolated room areas requires scanning of key cards.
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Although Abu Dhabi is one of the safest cities in the world, I felt absolutely safe. They genuinely care about their guests, which of course include heads of state, dignitaries and celebrities. It does take 10 minutes to walk to the room but the views along the way are breathtaking. architecture. dome. gold.
“Please take more pictures of your room!” was my friend’s resounding instruction. I think one would expect the 390 rooms and suites to be over the top due to the incredible opulence of the public spaces at the Emirates Palace. It’s really more of a quiet, elegant luxury, and brand new (they did a renovation in time to rebrand).
I had a deluxe ocean view room which had a super comfy king bed, a comfy sofa, a dining table/work station, fresh flowers, a shower and bath (Diptyque Philosykos shower), and a balcony overlooking the ocean A pristine blue bay offering some of the most stunning sunrises and sunsets. It’s a time in my life where I want to go home early so I can cocoon in my room and get up early to stroll their private beach.
In the morning enjoy breakfast at the Vendome, where the buffet station offers everything from continental to Japanese and Chinese delights. The Arabic station is my favourite, I come back for a variety of labneh, hummus, muhamarra, mutabal, fatayer, falafel, manakish and zaatar to name a few.
Only three restaurants in the whole of Abu Dhabi have been awarded Michelin stars, two-thirds of which are in the Emirates Palace Hotel: Hakkasan (also ranked 49th on the MENA 50 Best Restaurants list) and Antonio’s Talea Quetta . (Guida’s Seta at the Mandarin Oriental in Milan is adorned with two Michelin stars).
I had lunch at Talea during my stay and it was one of my favorite dining experiences in all of Abu Dhabi as it stands out for its food and hospitality. Led by Chef Luigi Stinga, winner of the 2023 Michelin Young Chef Award (who previously worked at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur), dishes were instant crowd favorites, notably pasta with Canadian lobster and orecchiete con pomodorini with Stracciatella cheese and tiramisu, ready at the table.
The property currently has a total of 10 restaurants, including BBQ Al Qasr, known as one of the most romantic restaurants in the city, and beach club restaurant Las Brisas, which will host Toyo Eatery’s Jordy Navarra event in late 2022 to showcase our Filipino cuisine .
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For more information, visit the Emirates Palace website https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/abu-dhabi/emirates-palace/
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