Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Grand Suite Review
I visited Abu Dhabi in July; which is just about the worst time to go. However the summer heat means that hotel rates tend to be lower. I was able to book two nights at the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi through a Best Rate Guarantee match for just 346 AED per night (about $95 USD) all in. On top of that, I received 5,000 Hyatt Points for the stay as part of the Best Rate Guarantee.
The Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi opened in 2018 and has 428 rooms across 43 floors.
Location
Abu Dhabi is a large sprawling city. The Grand Hyatt is located in the Corniche West area; across the street from the Emirates Palace hotel and the Qasr Al-Watan Presidential Palace.
It is about 35 minutes away from the Abu Dhabi airport. A taxi will run you about 100 AED ($25 USD), and taxis tend to be cheaper than Uber. It is about the farthest away point in Abu Dhabi from the airport; so if you are staying for just one night on a layover, you might want to consider a hotel in Yas Island.
I don’t love the location of the Grand Hyatt for a tourist; however the views make up for the remote location.
Check In
I arrived by taxi around 4:30pm after wasting time at the airport getting my COVID test and trying to get the Alhosn app to work (never got it to work and having a recent negative test was enough anyway). I was upgraded to a Grand Suite as a Globalist and received a document with details about my stay.
Currently (July 2022) Globalist breakfast is served in Bovine on P2. A dinner buffet and drinks is also served in Bovine from 6-8pm and is complimentary for Globalists.
Grand Suite King
I was assigned Room 3601; a Grand Suite King on the 36th floor. The check in staff escorted me to my room.
You enter the room into the dining room section. A table with six chairs is a the center.
A note and fruit plate were left for me.
A powder room is at one corner. A wet bar in the other corner has a mini fridge and coffee set up.
A glass divider separates the dining from the living room. The living room has two couches, a chair, and a wall mounted TV. All face floor to ceiling windows and balcony.
Through the door is the main bathroom and bedroom.
The king bed faces floor to ceiling windows and the balcony.
A glass window behind the bed offers natural light to the bathroom.
Against the far wall is a seating area, storage and another mini fridge.
On the opposite side is a desk and TV. Unfortunately the only universal power outlet is under the TV. The bed only has Type G plugs and no USB outlets. I had to charge my computer and phone on the desk rather than on a bedside table which I prefer.
On either side of the bed (and at various places throughout the room) is a touch panel control for lights, curtains, and temperature.
The view from the room is largely obstructed by the next door building’s roof.
However, going out on the large balcony gives you a much better view of the surrounding area. The glass on the balcony could use a good washing but I imagine with the dust and sand it is impossible to keep the glass clean.
Bathroom
A small powder room is off of the dining area.
The main bathroom is behind the bed. Two sinks are against the wall that look out to the bedroom. Note that you can slide the mirrors to block the window for privacy. A free standing tub sits in the middle of the bathroom.
Opposite from the sinks and the window is a walk in closet (that can also be closed off with mirrored sliding doors).
Behind one of the glass doors is the toilet and bidet.
Behind the other is the shower with both a rain shower head and a hand held shower head.
The bath products are Balmain and come in larger 2 oz sized bottles. I like the shampoo and conditioner, but the body wash and lotion are too perfumed for my preference.
Dining
Currently there is not a Grand Club but their is plans to open one at some point. Instead, Globalists receive breakfast in Bovine, a space on P2 (which is two floors up from the lobby). There are many hot and cold options. Eggs are made to order.
Globalists also receive a true buffet dinner in Bovine. It includes a number of hot and cold dishes, desserts, and wine and beer. It is more than just a standard evening spread at a Grand Club; it really is a full buffet meal. I actually had to ask if they meant Globalists could have any food as they were also selling dinner to non Globalists for 185 AED (about $45) per person. Yes, all the offerings were for Globalists as well. They said that this was a temporary offering as they are working on renovating the dinner restaurant Sahaa and the Grand Club so they are just offering Globalists a full dinner instead.
A large patio off of Bovine would offer nice open air dining in cooler months with views of the Emirates Palace.
Additional restaurants include the Pearl Lounge on the same floor of the lobby that offers all day dining.
Lexx offers dinner and drinks on P2 across from Bovine. And Verso, the Italian restaurant, is on the Ground floor near the pool.
Pool, Beach & Gym
The infinity pool and beach are located on the Ground floor. There is an adults only roof top pool on the 4th floor roof (I’m guessing just above the Grand Hyatt sign in the photo below); but it was closed during my visit.
The gym is located on P3, just under the Grand Hyatt sign above. It includes a large number of machines and an outside fitness area.
The spa is located on the same floor as the gym.
Overall
As a Globalist, I was treated to a Suite and breakfast and dinner. The Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi offers fantastic benefits for their top elites. I found my rates of under $100/night to be an unbelievable value. The international staff are all friendly and it is clear that training is valued at the property. The rooms are modern and clean. I think the only downside of the property is the location and the lack of outlets near the bed which would be an easy fix.
There are two other Hyatt properties in Abu Dhabi – the Park Hyatt and Andaz. The Grand Hyatt tends to be in the middle in terms of rates and amenities; higher than the Andaz and lower than the Park Hyatt. It would be nice if they opened a Regency on Yas Island to be near the airport. I would like to try the other Hyatt properties if I came back but would have no problem recommending a stay at the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi.
