Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island

If you’re looking for a hotel to explore the theme parks from then this is it. Access is free and there is a shuttle bus. Although I would recommend just using cabs as it’s very cheap and there is always a mad rush for the bus with a lot of people not queuing and pushing. The hotel really ought to have a bigger bus and police this better. The rooms are spacious. We stayed on half board and the food was fantastic. Although there are loads of restaurants on the waterfront right behind the hotel. Read less

Just back from another lovely stay at the Hilton Yas Bay. The staff at this hotel are amazing. I would just like to name a few that made our stay so special & keep us coming back. Ill start with Capila were we spent most of our time. Sachin & his team (Watson, Apollo to name just a few, but you are all fantastic, chef too!) are credit to the hotel. Nothing is too much trouble but we all love the way they take the time to have a chat to you. Richard around the pool looked after us too! Osmo bar in the lobby Azik, Sap & the rest of the team, we loved having our evening drinks with you! All the staff in Graphos too many to name. Even though they are so busy they still take the time to talk to you. Hopefully be back soon! Read less

Set adjacent to the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, this new-build Hilton property opened in early 2021 and is only a 10-minute drive from the airport and a 20-minute drive to the city centre. Stylishly modern throughout, the hotel avoids being both too bland or too ostentatious. The expansive and attractive lobby is home to Osmo lounge and bar to the left as you enter, with counters spread across a traditional bar and café/patisserie section. Live piano is played here on selected evenings, with a wraparound balcony offering views over the pool. The opposite side of the lobby is home to reception, with additional lounge seating here too. Check-in was efficient, although the included benefit of complimentary access to any one of Yas Island’s four theme parks on each day of my stay was not explained. Perhaps this was because I was fairly obviously staying for business reasons, but the cynic in me says it’s a benefit that’s intentionally not as well advertised as it could be. My Deluxe Room with Bay View on the 4th of 10 floors was a spacious 39 square metres, and included a smart desk / sofa setup, whereby the desk moves along the wall to allow the area to be configured as the guest pleases, although the moveability was not particularly obvious initially and the wall power sockets were positioned too far towards the sofa to be of much use when the table was further away. Fresh flowers were placed on the desk / table – these are an increasing rarity in hotel rooms (particularly non-suites), so it was great to see their inclusion here. The rest of the room was pretty standard, although I appreciated the rug surrounding the bed (all too often missed when rooms have hard floors) and the ample built-in space for a suitcase and other storage adjacent to the minibar, in which plenty of complimentary bottled water was provided. Biodegradable alternatives to Nespresso capsules were offered (despite the coffee machine itself being Nespresso branded), and tea was by Ronnefeldt. The fridge was unstocked. The tea and coffee wasn’t replenished on one day, but I’m sure more would’ve been provided had I asked. In an effort to be smart, the room’s light switches were all touch-controlled, which were sometimes difficult to use. One of the power sockets adjacent to the bed was noticeably dirty but cleaned up quickly enough with a wet wipe. The air conditioning controller wouldn’t seem to dim, so I had to get creative in covering it at night with the ironing board. A walk-in wardrobe could be found off the hall, home amongst other things to robes and slippers. My slippers were disposed of (and not replaced) by housekeeping after one use which was quite irritating; the replacement pair that I requested was much smaller in size. The bathroom was generous in size, with a large walk-in shower and separate bath set below a panel allowing natural light in from the room. The usual Hilton Crabtree and Evelyn amenities were provided, in small bottles. This was despite wall mounts being present for large (and more sustainable) bottles. A separate room across the hall housed the toilet and a second basin – both this room and the main bathroom were quite dimly lit, an all-too-common curse in hotels. Towels seemed to come in two thicknesses – I suspect as a result of a mix of newer and older towels being used interchangeably. My room was blessed with a larger-than-average balcony overlooking the hotel’s pool, Beach Club and the Al Raha Creek beyond. This is one of only four rooms on each floor to feature a balcony of this size if the evacuation plan is anything to go by. A couple of chairs and a table were placed here, but otherwise the space was devoid of character and wasn’t particularly welcoming. A fitness centre is available on the first floor of the hotel, with the eforea spa and Beautyspot salon on the ground floor. The changing rooms in the spa feature separate male and female whirlpools, saunas and steam rooms. The main swimming pool is also located on the ground floor, laid out in an upside down capital Y shape, with the base of the Y closest to the Beach Club. Plenty of sun loungers surround the pool, and there’s a separate pool for children at the Kid’s Club. The Capila Pool Bar and Grill is located in the left-hand corner of the pool area. The Beach Club, incorporating Café del Mar, has a faux beach, additional swimming pool, plenty more sun loungers and cabanas with their own plunge pools. I’m not sure whether access to the Club is included for every guest (and if it is, the cabanas are almost certainly at additional cost), but nobody stopped me walking around when I waved my room key at the entrance. I’m not sure the Club offers much more than the main swimming pool area of the hotel – it all felt a little false and not particularly luxurious. A business centre with lounge area is located towards the hotel’s expansive conference and banqueting facilities; there are a couple of PCs for use here, along with a printer. Breakfast was taken in Graphos Social Kitchen each morning, the property’s main buffet restaurant. This is a large space, with a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, numerous separate buffet stations and eggs made to order on request of the waiting team. The restaurant tended to get busy for breakfast later in the morning (only noticeable for me on the last day of my stay due to earlier starts the other mornings), but service remained prompt and there was always a variety of tables to choose from. If I’m being harsh, the restaurant’s interior design and general busyness did feel a little 4-star, but it’s hard to cater for so many guests any other way. Food quality was very decent, and an outdoor table in the shade was a great (and often quieter) way to start the day than initial impressions would suggest. As well as those establishments mentioned earlier, the hotel is also home to McCafferty’s Yas Island Irish pub and the Korean Nuri Grill and Bar. I didn’t get to try either on this stay, but it’s good to know there are multiple options when it comes to dining. There was only a short wait at reception to check out, and I was offered help with my bags to the car. Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island is undoubtedly at the premium end of the Hilton main brand scale. Modern, stylish and with spacious rooms (many with a view), this is a good spot for a short stay in the city close to the airport. Read less