Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel

The Hilton Abu Dhabi is said to have the best beach in Abu Dhabi and could, by itself be a good reason to stay here if relaxation is your #1 goal while in the UAE. I found it inconvenient to have to exit the hotel and walk the 300 meters under a below-road tunnel to get to the far side of the street where the beach, pool gym and 2 of the hotel restaurants were located. However, the beach and pool area is very large and scenic. I enjoyed some lazy afternoons in the powerful Arabic sun while overlooking the Persian Gulf while people watching or reading a good book. The gym was OK at best although cardio equipment was plentiful and the Corniche (or boardwalk) was literally out the front door and provided for a good seaside running path. There is a VERY large mall within a 1/2 mile walk and contains every store known to man; American, European and Asian. The hotel contained a few restaurants: 2 cafe style, one of which was on the beach and served club sandwiches, burgers etc... Great for poolside dining. The other, located inside the hotel building, had a great breakfast buffet. There was also an Arabic place (I did not eat there but heard it was pretty good), an Asian place that could be compared to PF Chang’s for those that are familiar with their fusion style Asian food (highly recommended), 2 Italian restaurants (both pretty decent) and a Southwestern American place with good food but lousy service called Hemmingway’s. Overall I found the hotel service to be average and the building itself to be average due to its age although the restaurants, beach and pool mitigate this to a certain extent. With the exorbitant price of hotel rooms in Abu Dhabi, I will most likely return here on my next trip, not to mention the high payoff for HHonors points!!