Twilight of the gods in Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Bernd
Dec 12, 2024
9 min read

Emiraes Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi

This trip is part of a longer tour: It starts in Vienna/Austria, takes me to Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, to Miri/Malaysia, then on to Jakarta/Indonesia, Karawang/Indonesia, Manila/Philippines, Tagbilaran/Philippines. Via Kuala Lumpur I go to Abu Dhabi for a few days and finally back to Germany.

The magnificent café in the lobby impresses with marble, glass, metal and gold. — In the Hotel lobby you will find the Episodes 1 - 4

Travel Infos, Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi

All information to Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi is non-binding and without guarantee. I do not receive any commissions or discounts for any of my reviews on my travels. They are non-binding and without guarantee.

Entry/Visa

German passport and vaccination certificate.

Germans do not need a visa for tourist entry for up to 90 days. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry.

Money

The Dirham (AED) is the national currency in the UAE. You can exchange money practically everywhere at ATMs or exchange offices. Payments with credit cards are usually possible without any problems.

Mobile

I usually use an electronic SIM card on my travels. I have had good experiences with Holafly. In the Emirates you cannot make calls or send messages with WhatsApp.

Taxi

Using taxis is relatively straightforward compared to other countries. From Abu Dhabi airport I take a taxi, which takes me about 30 minutes to my extraordinary hotel:

Emirates Palace

My rating: *****

Adress: West Corniche Road - Al Ras Al Akhdar - Abu Dhabi - Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

Operator: until 2019 Kempinski, from 2020 Mandarin Oriental

A large, wide staircase leads to the hotel. In the middle is a stepped water feature. — Main building

The hotel is huge even without the outbuildings. There are security cameras installed everywhere. Dozens of security guards observe the daily parade of the rich and beautiful and those who think they are so.

The lady at the reception greets me in German. Around 1500 people from 50 countries work here. After the formalities, David, an employee in a smart suit, takes me to my room, which is around 700 metres away. Just to get to the room and back to the reception I travel over a kilometer.

West wing of the Emirates Palace with its skylights.

David explains to me that the Emirates Palace has 302 rooms, over 90 suites, 17 shops and 12 restaurants. We have to get past several security guards before we reach the room.

I can unlock the luxurious double-door portals with my room card. It is remarkably quiet here. The hotel is so discreetly huge that it almost seems deserted to me. Expensive pictures hang on the walls and in the niches and there are sculptures and vases.

Stylish upholstered groups invite you to linger or relax. Then we finally arrived: Room 2315.

Room number 2315, decorated with oriental ornaments.

The upper floor, which is not open to the public, houses the secret suites of Abu Dhabi's ruling family and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The main dome has a diameter of 42 meters. There are also over 100 other domes. The color scheme is beige, reminiscent of the desert. Be that as it may.

David opens the door and a spacious, tastefully furnished room presents its understated luxury on about 55 square meters.

The standard room with a wide bed impresses with tasteful furniture. The color tone is beige.

The room is pleasantly air-conditioned. The air conditioning runs quietly and discreetly in the background. The minibar leaves nothing to be desired. The prices do. Here are a few samples:

Mineral water Acqua Panna 29 AED about €7.50

San Pellegrino 29 AED

Organic Coconut Water 40 AED about €10

Organic Lemon Verbena 30 AED

Coca Cola 32 AED

Ruinat Brut Champagne 350 AED a whopping €90

Pinot Noir Maison Champy 510 AED at least €131

Corona Lager Beer 40 AED

Remy Marrin VSOP 85 AED

As already mentioned, the standard and club rooms are an inviting 55 square meters, while the suites are an impressive 110 square meters. The price differences are accordingly: in the high season you pay from €1000 per night in a standard room, in the low season, when the heat is at its highest, you only pay €355. This does not include breakfast, of course. That costs another €65.

The hotel photographed from the beach. In the background, skyscrapers rise into the blue sky.

Tip: In January you pay a whopping €7,435 for 6 nights in a standard room, and €2,129 in the low season. For a suite, you pay €16,149 in the high season and €6,142 in the low season. Breakfast is included in the price of the night. Compare the prices and providers. Package prices with pick-up from the airport, sailing and desert tours are often offered.

What type of guest are you?

Long, tastefully designed corridors with marble floors and a subtle lighting concept lead to the rooms.

The Sovereigns: This group travels all over the world. They were brought up in this environment from an early age. They are discreet, polite, reserved and exude a God-given authority and maintain a natural, albeit friendly, distance from the staff.
The submissives: They want to please everyone and definitely don't want to give the hotel staff the feeling of inferiority. They are stressed and therefore unpleasantly friendly, appear somewhat wooden to those around them, one might almost say insecure. They ignore the fact that the hotel staff look down on them with pity.
The arrogant: Their behavior stems from deep insecurity and strong feelings of inferiority. By elevating themselves, they consider themselves superior to everyone else. This group clings to their status symbols, bad designer clothes, expensive jewelry, flashy cars. They spread fear and terror.
The inconspicuous ones: They have worked hard for their money and reputation. Unobtrusive in their appearance, they have something of all the groups described above, just not as pronounced. Their motto could be: It's all just borrowed, they enjoy, are grateful and in the end are happy to return to their normal lives.

Spacious restaurant pavilions are located under palm trees with a view of the sea. — Dining area Sand & Koal, beside the beach.

Beach with sand, pool is cool

To get to the beach I have to go past security again. The man checks my details and lets me pass.

The hotel presents its sun loungers and turquoise parasols as if lined up on a string.

The heat hits me hard as he opens the heavy glass door. I walk through the hotel park. Because it is low season and the area is so large, the number of guests is manageable.

Every day, tourists come to the hotel to marvel at the palace from 1001 Nights. At least that is possible here. In the Burj al Arab in Dubai, that is no longer possible, unless you have previously reserved a table in the restaurant or bar.

At the Emirates Palace, day visitors can only visit the foyer - which is worth seeing in itself - with its cafés. Access to the guest wing of the west and east wings and to the beach is blocked.

The fine sandy private beach is almost white and the crystal clear turquoise water of the Persian Gulf sparkles like a giant gemstone in the sun. This section of the beach is reserved for hotel guests only.

White deserted sandy beach and crystal clear water. — 1,3 km long privat beach of the Emirates Palace

A hotel employee comes up to me and asks if I would like a ride in one of the small electric cars. I politely decline and waddle towards the adult pool, for guests aged 14 and over. The huge children's pool is on the other side.

The spacious pool is turquoise and decorated with floor tiles.

I somehow feel like an advertising photographer for whom the pool or garden has been cordoned off so that no guests walk through the picture. But that's not the case. It's the off-season. It's summer. It's just too hot to stay outside on the premises any longer than necessary.

At 45 degrees I don't have to think about it for long: sport is murder. And so is every other activity. My brain, if it still exists, might evaporate.

The classy hats from the beach shop come in handy. Unfortunately my head is too big. Bad luck for the owner, good luck for my credit card.

But some camel will still be found where both are just right. Can I still post camel? Or is that already invasive towards all the camels?

But that has also become complicated, in the year of our Lord 2024. It seems to me that the moralists of the church are being replaced little by little by... (censorship)

Hospitality or not?

Speaking of camels, Ibrahim offers me his for a souvenir photo.

Bernd slightly bent over on the beach next to the camel, which looks good-naturedly into the camera. — Good dog.

Both work as extras for the luxury hotel in the Bedouin camp that was specially built on the beach. Frustrating, because here the good old days of living traditions are romanticized. Ibrahim seems to me like the last of his kind here on the premises.

But who cares about that other than me? As a sign of his Arabian hospitality, he spontaneously produces a traditional coffee pot filled with Arabic coffee and pours me a cup.

Ibrahim, dressed in Bedouin costume, holds a traditional coffee pot in his left hand and a paper cup in his right.

And immediately, as if at the push of a button, I feel the unease that is typical of such situations. Do you know that? Someone is simply being hospitable and then I immediately start to feel a guilty conscience.

Does he expect a small tip? Or is it even impolite to return the gift to the host with money.

I choose to accept the hospitality without return. If anyone has any experience in this regard, I would be grateful for feedback.

For a brief moment, Ibrahim grounds me in the midst of this magnificent environment. Inshallah.

Decadent gold dust on the dessert

If you are not staying at the Emirates Palace, you can book a table in one of the restaurants:

https://www.mandarinoriental.com/de/abu-dhabi/emirates-palace/dine

The geometric shapes of the entrance and the predominantly red and orange color scheme of Broadway are striking. — Brasserie & Bar

The Emirates Palace has a total of 12 exclusive restaurants, cafes and bars with first-class food and drinks. What I didn't understand, however, is the gold dust on the cappuccino or the dessert. Gold is tasteless, I assume. So why this decadence? What's the point?

Restaurant with huge ceilings and tables for guests invite you to linger in front of a mighty high window.

Broadway offers fine dining and a cocktail bar and is open until 1 am.
The Italian restaurant Talea by Antonio Guida has 1 Michelin star and serves lunch from 12:30 pm to 3 pm and dinner from 06:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
Strawfire by Ross Shonhan: Japanese restaurant from 6:00 pm to midnight.
Hakkasan, Chinese restaurant with 1 Michelin star. Dinner until 11:30pm, bar until 1am.
Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi: Indian restaurant 12:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Breakfast at Episos: baguette, salad, fruit, yoghurt, coffee. — Breakfast in Episodes

Sand & Koal: Cooking over the fire Monday to Friday 5pm-1am, Saturday 1pm-1am, Sunday 3pm-1am, Saturday brunch 1pm-4pm.
Lebanese Terrace: Lebanese restaurant from 12:30pm to 11pm.
Episodes 1 and 2: Lobby, Lounge from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm and Episodes 3 and 4 from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm.
Vendóme: multinational cuisine and buffet with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
ALMA: Mexican cuisine from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Café Fountain: 3:00 pm to midnight
Cascades: Pool café/restaurant from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Breakfast buffet at Verdòme

You can have breakfast here from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If it is not included in the room price, you will pay around €65 per person. With a bit of luck, you will get a window seat with a view of the Persian Gulf. Discretion is important here. Photos with hotel guests in them are not welcome. So I wait a bit for the following photo.

The Verdóme with a fairytale setting. Huge windows flood the restaurant with light. Walls and ceilings are decorated with oriental ornaments. — The ambience is an experience

Having breakfast here is indeed an experience. The palatial walls and ceilings allow the soul to breathe.

Salads tastefully arranged at the buffer.

I don't like taking photos when other people are eating. But this is where it has to be. How else can I describe at this point that every euro is worth it. The breakfast leaves nothing to be desired.

Here we see the fruit counter with various fruits: oranges, pineapple, mango, fruit salad.

The service staff regularly walks through the rows and checks the food and cutlery on offer. They pay meticulous attention to cleanliness. If one of the numerous tongs feels even slightly sticky, they quickly replace it.

An oriental starter of hummus, yoghurt with fresh pureed raspberries, coffee and a small fruit plate.

The staff stays discreetly in the background and brings your drinks to your table, freshly prepared.

The natural yoghurt is also fresh, as are the pureed fruits. I put together a small plate of oriental appetizers. I especially love hummus.

Honestly? If you've had breakfast here, you can safely skip lunch. So €65 divided by breakfast and lunch is €32.50.

A bargain!

So if you want to do something special, be it a nice get-together with friends, family or just for yourself, this place, in one of these restaurants, is the right choice.

There is life before death.

Kiwi juice, orange juice, melon juice and apple juice. All made from fresh fruit in large glass containers for you to tap yourself.

State guests and VIPs

If you are one of the select heads of state or perhaps an international superstar, you can hope for this access to the Emirates Palace.

The archway for state guests leads 300 meters in front of the hotel entrance to the hotel's own driveway, which is closed to normal guests.

This monumental hotel entrance is reserved only for state guests, i.e. guests with a particularly high security priority.

This entrance is located just 300 meters from the hotel entrance. The gate is 40 meters high.

There is also a marina attached to the hotel.

Time out

Without a doubt, staying in a hotel like this is something special. It is as if all problems remain at the gates of the hotel. A seemingly all-round, carefree package of the highest quality awaits you.

Behind large metal grilles, in the middle of the extensive park, lies the Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi.

But the hotel also symbolizes something like the golden cage. After just a few days, I feel like I'm living in a bubble.

Cameras and security follow my every move. I can't ignore that. And it feels like a prison for the privileged. Everything is so distant, so sterile.

When I leave the hotel for a few hours - on foot as usual - it feels like a liberation. The film "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck springs to mind.

Just like the princess in the film who escapes palace life, I feel: liberated.

Suddenly I meet normal people. I can even talk to them and they talk to me.

I walk past the Founder's Memorial cultural monument, continue towards the Mall and from there take a taxi to the Heritage Village, which you can actually avoid. It is a striking depiction of the old, irretrievable Bedouin life of the Emiratis.

Monumental memorial with the three-dimensional image of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. — Founders Memorial for Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

I continue towards Corniche Road, which runs along the coast for several kilometres. There are green spaces, restaurants and sports fields. I buy myself a burger and two fruit shakes at a stall. Compared to the hotel, that's dirt cheap. In total, I walk eight kilometres. Late in the evening, I hail a taxi and drive back to my palace.

Now I just have to walk the almost kilometer along the endless corridors to my room, and then I'm done for today. When I get to my room, the card no longer works. So I go back to reception. The hotel employee apologizes and says I could have used the phone in the corridors. The butler would have brought me a new card.

I nod in understanding, make my way back and sleep the sleep of the righteous that night.