Romance, Weddings & Fine Dining At The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island

Awarded “Favourite Middle East Hotel or Resort for Romantic Getaway” by Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2015, The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas is a venue I am certainly not unfamiliar with. Having visited many times before, both for business and leisure (including my best friend’s wedding), it is indeed one of my favourite hotels in the Emirate.

The hubby and I were delighted to have been invited back to the hotel by the team at the venue to spend the night and to experience first-hand the hospitality we had already become accustomed to as visiting day guests. I had just found out that I was pregnant the week we stayed, so the occasion doubled up as a celebratory get away for us both and a belated anniversary for our legal May wedding.

Below, I talk you through our 24 hours at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, and end with details regarding the venue’s impressive wedding offerings. Enjoy!

Location

The hubby and I drove from Dubai to the hotel, which took approximately 60 minutes. The drive is straight forward and becomes quite scenic just over half way there. The hotel is strategically located on a pristine natural beach, surrounded by the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Check-In & lobby

Once we arrived, we were assisted with our bags by the bell staff and welcomed with a cool juice and lovely smiles. The staff at the hotel are always quick to greet guests and make them feel welcome. After a few minutes, we were all checked-in and ready to be shown to our villa.

Side note: I have visited on occasions when check-in can be very busy, it really depends on the time of day/week.

The lobby has check-in desks located to your right and concierge desks to your left, with lots of comfy seating areas for guests. Main features of the lobby include decorative fountains and art installations. The décor is beautiful, accompanied by an even more impressive view of the pool and ocean through the windows.

Private Villa with small plunge pool

Our accommodation for the evening was the Beach View Suite, a tastefully decorated, self-contained villa, featuring a private plunge pool, and small dining terrace overlooking part of the beach.

The charming living room within the suite, is large and perfect for business, entertaining the family, or simply for two loved up people looking for a touch of luxury. 

This suite is located within the stand-alone villas of the hotel and measures approximately 120 sq m (1,291 sq ft) featuring a separate bedroom, a living room and a large terrace with an optional private plunge pool, rain shower and sun loungers offering stunning views of Arabian Sea and Saadiyat Beach. The Beach View Suite’s living room is furnished with a cosy sofa bed, armchairs, writing desk with Internet access, mp3 player docking station, 42-inch LED TV and DVD player.

The rooms also feature an open-plan marble bathroom including dual vanity sinks, Hans Grohe walk-in rain shower and a deep soaking stand-alone Toto bathtub with soft bathrobes and Le Labo signature bath products complementing these relaxing retreats. Additional amenities include daily buffet breakfast and daily fruit, water and a newspaper. The room also has interconnecting options to guestrooms and suites.

During the suite our, Adam and I noticed a few welcome gifts, including non-alcoholic champagne for me, because I am pregnant, and real bubbles for the hubby…bonus points for thinking of me! Welcome amenities also included delicious nuts, chocolate, a fresh fruit bowl and a personalised letter from management. We were super impressed to say the least with how many treats we received upon our arrival.

The hubby wasted no time getting acquainted with our plunge pool, while I opted to catch up on some much needed sleepy time, common amongst pregnant ladies in their first trimester.

Dinner at the beach house

After settling into our villa, the hubby and I donned our glad rags and headed on down to the Beach House, which fortunately for us was mere steps away from our villa. As the weather was at its peak during summer, and because I was in the early stages of pregnancy, we opted to be seated indoors for our meal.

The Beach House is a Mediterranean restaurant, located next to the walkway to the beach with a great outside seating area offering gorgeous ocean views.

The interiors of the restaurant are fresh, bright and airy with lots of natural daylight. Wood features heavily throughout and it has a really cosy, comforting energy about it.

On the menu for us that evening, included:

• Fried calamari with lemon to share 
• Pan fried Chilean icefish cod, lemon, capers, parsley and mash potato for me 
• Rock lobster risotto with saffron and parsley for the hubby 

The food was delicious, but we were too full for dessert. However, much to our surprise, the hotel had arranged for a mini replica of our actual wedding cake to be created especially for the purpose of celebrating our anniversary. They found the image of our cake here on www.brideclubme.com. It was a total surprise and so, so thoughtful, a lovely gesture, especially for those celebrating their anniversary at the restaurant.

TIP: After dinner we recommend heading up to the rooftop bar to have some sun downers, if the weather permits.

Breakfast – The Café

Adjacent to the main pool you will find ‘The Café’, a large restaurant where morning breakfast is served. Lots of freshly baked pastries await guests, along with copious amounts of fresh fruit, cold meats, yoghurts, dried fruits and more. For those wanting a heartier, hot breakfast, all tastes are catered for. The hubby and I dined on freshly cooked scrambled eggs on toast as a hot option, with a much needed cappuccino (de-caf for me of course).

Note: It does get busy; early risers receive more attentive service from our experience.

Atarmia Spa & Salon

During our stay, the hubby was fortunate enough to be treated to a relaxing 60 minute ‘Lustrous’ Aromatherapy massage’ at the tranquil Atarmia Spa; a deep tissue massage, that left him feeling energized and light on his feet, with the added aromatherapy leaving him with content look of zen…of course, I wasn’t jealous at all!! (Note, I could not have a massage at the time being in early pregnancy).

While Adam was being sent into a blissful state of deep sleep during his massage, I was being pampered with a blow dry at the nearby in house salon.

The great thing about having both the spa and salon in-house is that couples can enjoy some much needed pampering after their wedding day and if needed, the salon can also attend to the brides hair on the day of the day of the wedding.

Pool & Beach

We were fortunate enough to have the resort’s pool and beach on our villa doorstep. As mentioned earlier, the stunning beach is probably one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, with powdery white sand, random tufts of beach grass and a beautiful turquoise ocean.

It was far too hot for me to personally enjoy the venue’s pools at the time, but one of the most impressive features of the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas is its main pool, which is one of the largest swimming pools in Abu Dhabi.

Surrounded by swaying palm trees and lush manicured gardens, the stunning pool is beautifully landscaped and offers a breath-taking view of Saadiyat Beach and the Arabian Sea.

Its design offers privacy and yet ensures you are a part of the action. You may choose to relax in the quiet outdoor whirlpool or enjoy your time at the water features. The children’s pool is one foot in depth and conveniently located next to the Camp Hyatt. I am sure the hubby and I will be using this pool with our toddler in a year or two.

Guests can bask in the sun while relaxing on comfortable lounge chairs on the sundeck. For added convenience, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access is also available.

The Poolside Bar offers a selection of refreshing beverages and an array of light snacks

Admission to the swimming pool is complimentary for all in-house guests.

TIP: Wake up early if you want to nab yourself one of the cabanas by the main pool, they go quickly.  

Wedding venue Tour

As with all our venue press trips and reviews, we were taken on a personal tour of the hotel, to see the venue through the eyes of a bride. The lovely Hariska Herwanto, Wedding Specialist at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, met with Adam and I at the lobby and proceeded to walk us through all the hotel’s wedding offerings.

If you are looking for a romantic, beachside wedding, then The Park Hyatt offers up one of the prettiest white sand beaches available in the Emirates. While you cannot hold the ceremony on the beach itself, since it is protected, you can hold a seated ceremony for up to 120 people on Beach Lawn, a green grass area looking directly out onto the beach and ocean.

Once the ceremony is complete, an option would be to host a cocktail reception on the rooftop at sunset, followed by a magnificent dinner dance reception in the Alyazya Ballroom or just outside adjacent to the ballroom.

All the various locations to hold wedding events at the Park Hyatt are tastefully decorated and neutral, which offers couples the chance to put their stamp on their wedding with décor and themes.

Following our tour of the main wedding locations, we were then treated to a tour of one some of the hotel’s popular bridal/honeymoon suites. The Park Terrace Suite, located on the top floor has an extended Terrace Area which compliments the suite with magnificent view across the resort exterior and the Saadiyat Beach. 

If you’re a bride to be who is getting married at this hotel, you can be sure that throughout the whole process, every detail – from superb cuisine, brilliant floral arrangements and fabulous live entertainment to the occasional, gentle reminder to stop and savour the moment – will be taken care of by the expert wedding planners at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, who will help you to create the wedding day you have always imagined, and a bespoke experience is guaranteed.

In-Short

Not only does the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotels & Villas make a picture perfect option for a beachside wedding, it is also the ideal venue for a romantic staycation, whatever the occasion. If you are looking for a picturesque restaurant to take your loved one to, then we highly recommend the Beach House. Watch out for their lobster risotto, which is to die for.

To enquire about booking your wedding at The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, visit the resort’s weddings & events page here for more information. Interested in celebrating your anniversary or honeymoon at the resort? Click here to reserve a booking.

Looking for more of our reviews? Click here.