Go to Saadiyat Island for glorious beaches in the middle of nowhere and visit the luxury resorts of the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi vs. Jumeirah vs. St Regis Saadiyat Island, but which hotel is best?
Saadiyat Island has some of the best beaches in the Middle East. Just seven minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 20 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, the 27 square kilometers of Saadiyat Island is one of our favorite places in Abu Dhabi for beaches, and there are three excellent 5-star properties on Saadiyat Island; The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah At Saadiyat Island Resort and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi.
Beyond Saadiyat Island, many of the more centrally located hotels have a beach, which we have included in our article about the best beach hotels in Abu Dhabi. These should also be considered when picking a hotel with a beach in the area, on a waterway, or facing out to sea.
You will also find the Saadiyat Rotunda Resort & Villas and the Rixos Resort on Saadiyat Island, but these aren’t as high-end. We would not pick them as one of the best hotels.
Here is an overview of which hotel is best for what, which should help you make your decision:
- Best for family pools: St Regis Saadiyat Island
- Best for adults only pool: St Regis Saadiyat Island
- Best for a stylish pool: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas (it just isn’t as large or as functional as it looks)
- Best room: Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort Terrace Suite where you can walk directly out to the beach or their villas with private pools
- Most stylish rooms: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas (we always love the Park Hyatt style)
- Best villa with private pool: Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
- Best beach: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas. There are stones (small and big) on the shore in front of the St. Regis, which can be annoying. The sand is stone-free, and much better to walk on by the Park Hyatt, even though they are on different parts of the same beach
- Most stylish overall: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
- Best overall for families: St Regis Saadiyat Island for the pool and Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort for the suites and villas with private pools
- Best overall for couples: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
1. Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
We love the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas which is definitely one of the best beach hotels in Abu Dhabi UAE. This Park Hyatt is the perfect place to dip your toes in the sand while enjoying a drink as the sun sets.
The Park Hyatt has a superb sleek minimalist design, gorgeous rooms, and excellent food. The disadvantage is the pool, which looks vast but is mainly ornamental, so the actual swimming section is quite small.
This 5-star luxury beach resort in Abu Dhabi is nestled along the pristine beach of Saadiyat Island. It is as stylish as you would expect of any Park Hyatt and is decorated in creams with metallic tones, plush rugs, and high-end furnishings.
306 spacious guest rooms offer private balconies, and their stylish suites and private villas feature open-air plunge pools with magnificent ocean, garden, or golf course views. Also on offer is exquisite dining and a luxurious spa along with pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, and access to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Gary Player.
This luxury Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi costs 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you are redeeming World of Hyatt Points.
2. St Regis Saadiyat Island
The St Regis is a beautiful hotel and a much more resort-style hotel than the new St Regis on the Corniche in the Centre of Abu Dhabi. St Regis Saadiyat Island is situated just up the same beach from the Park Hyatt. if you walk far enough, you can walk from one hotel to the other. It is probably Starwood’s (and Marriott Bonvoy’s) most luxury property in Abu Dhabi. Because it is not far from Dubai, it is worth considering if you are heading to Dubai with your family.
The advantage of the St Regis is its better pools. There’s an adults-only pool, which at weekends is a godsend if you aren’t keen on noisy, unruly kids. The main pool can get packed with children, but it is good for fun and splashing and is perfect for families. There is even a great pool for toddlers, with large parts of it, ankle-to-knee deep, plus this hotel has decent dining options and a good Middle Eastern beach.
The disadvantages are that the St Regis is more glitzy than the other two and IMHO, less stylish than the Park Hyatt or the Jumeirah property. Think Miami decor in creams with vast expanses of marble.
The rooms at St Regis Saadiyat Island are of a good size with a balcony. The bathroom is long and thin, with a large dressing area, twin sinks, a toilet, a shower, and a large bath. The building stares out across the pools and past the palm trees to the extensive white sand beach beyond. The long white private beach is an absolute highlight, with padded cabanas and loungers under umbrellas set up and a drinks service. It is as good a beach as any in the UAE and feels miles from the rest of the world. Just be aware that it gets a bit rocky as you get to the sea.
Overall, this resort is relaxing and definitely very child-friendly and attracts lots of families. They have a kids club and a kids’ area set up for the Friday brunch in the restaurant. The Sandcastle Club is great for kids up to about 10, with a fun pool area and excellent kid’s entertainers.
The St Regis is one of the best Marriott Bonvoy properties in UAE, with the exception of Al Maha, so if you are earning or redeeming these points, this is a great choice.
3. Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
Your third option is the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort, which resembles a super modern summer house, its sophisticated interiors offering a backdrop of refined island life and quiet, understated luxury.
This brand-new hotel has gorgeous modern decor bringing the colors of the beach into its rooms, but the room design can be impractical for sockets, etc. That said, this hotel is easily as good as the other Jumeirah hotels in the Middle East and is good enough to encourage repeat guest bookings. It is a particularly good choice for families with a fantastic kid’s club making it an excellent choice for families with small children.
Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort sits majestically on the island’s prime beach, but at the other end of Saadiyat Beach East, away from the Park Hyatt and the St Regis.
Seven exciting and indulging dining destinations, a 2,700 square meter spa with 15 treatment rooms, and three outdoor pools offer a thoughtfully personalized service. There’s a kids’ club, a dedicated pool for children, and babysitting services.
Modern and light rooms feature natural browns and turquoise blues along with expansive sea views, and the panoramic suites offer floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open up to the sea breeze. Not all rooms are the same here. The Ocean Deluxe view room is a good choice, with its own terrace, a king-sized bed, and a sitting area. The Ocean Terrace Suite offers direct beach access straight from your bedroom and is worth splurging on. All the villas offer private pools for a truly exclusive experience if you are traveling with your family. These are fantastic and some of the best places to stay in Abu Dhabi.
Feel the sand in your toes and the sea breeze in your hair, and wade in the blue waters or your own private pool. What’s not to like?
These are three similarly good hotels with very different designs. All the hotels share the same huge beach, so it is mainly the hotel’s decor that differentiates each resort. When choosing between them, the price and loyalty program you prefer should help you make a final decision and whichever you choose. Whichever you choose, taxis will be permanently available from your hotel lobby, and you are just a 10min drive (15-20 AED) from the heart of the city in one direction and Yas attractions in the other direction.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
