Review: Fairmont Bab al Bahr

The Canadian Chain’s second UAE offering in Abu Dhabi is quite surprising – in a good way. Like its Dubai sister, it has the smooth and streamlined luxury touch but, equally, it’s strikingly contemporary.

At a loss for a generic description, the best way to describe the hotel is ‘art-deco modern’ with a boutique feel. The huge central lobby is punctuated by sky-lights, silver pillars, rope chairs and a sweeping central staircase.

The hotel is mainly aimed at business travellers but the rooms and facilities would easily keep leisure guests entertained too.

Fairmont Bab al Bahr is host to two celebrity restaurants: Frankie’s from legendary italian jockey Frankie Dettori; and Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse and Grill – this eatery is the celeb chef’s first outside of the UK and is also home to one of the largest selections of wine in the city.

Fairmont Bab al Bahr literally means ‘gateway to the sea’ and the well-sized guest rooms are true to its word: the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows offer an excellent vantage point to take in views of the city’s creek, as well as the hotel’s sprawling outdoor swimming pool.

In fact, with the size of the pool and the hotel’s stretch of sandy beach, it’s hard to believe this hotel is in the centre of Abu Dhabi at all.

The complex has 369 rooms and around 27,000 square feet of conference space. The guest rooms are the most pleasing part of the hotel. Their organic-designed themes have a fluid feel and the use of walnut wood, bamboo and marble make guests feel immediately at home.

There’s also clever use of space as each room hosts a massive bed, bath, a sofa, and a top-notch surround-sound entertainment system.

Fancy a rain shower in a glass bathroom to the sounds of Mozart or MTV? Well, you can here. There’s also a desk with a full selection
of stationery if you manage to get some work done amid the distraction of the room’s gadgets. Wireless comes as standard.

The staff service, like the rooms, is slick and polished but homely. Fairmont Bab al Bahr is a welcome addition to the emirate’s growing selection of hotels.