Last August, I received a gift certificate from Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah during their monthly promotion. It was for a two night stay in their two bedroom suite. I availed this voucher exactly a year later. I know, I know ... it took me one year to decide. But I'm the kind of person who keeps things until the last minute ... the greatest procrastinator the world has ever known! But you know what, something good did come out of it. Last year, I didn't have a blog and this year I do. So now, I can atleast share my experience with you. This wasn't the first time I stayed at Jannah. However, it was the first time that I would be staying for two days in a row. That meant, double the fun and double the relaxation. Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah is located in the protected area of Abu Dhabi's Eastern Mangroves. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is an ideal place to have some peace and quiet and yet get in on the action. At the entrance of this luxurious hotel apartment is a lovely little fountain surrounded by numerous palm trees. Once we entered, we found ourselves right under a long, majestic chandelier and immediately headed towards the check it desk. Check in was quick and soon enough we were escorted to our room by a wonderful "Karim". Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah do not have bellboy, and offer a more personalized and luxurious "Karim" service. Their Karims are trained to help you out in any way that you want - from unpacking your suitcase to even arranging a candlelight dinner for you in your balcony. Even though we just had one bag, our Karim insisted that he'll help us carry it to our room. We got a little tour of the room as well by our Karim. I was just as impressed this time as I was the last time we stayed here. Since it was a two bedroom suite, I even got my brother along to spend the weekend with us. Near the entrance was a fully equipped kitchen with an oven, fridge, cooker and dishwasher. From the kitchen, we could see the huge living room with plush sofas and a TV. The living room which was decorated in soft tones had a little balcony with garden furniture and had the most beautiful view of the mangroves. This two bedroom apartment is ideal for families with kids. The rooms are massive. The master bedroom had a king size bed and a balcony as well as an attached bathroom. These stylish bathrooms are well equipped with all the necessary toiletries that includes bathrobes, toothbrushes, vanity kits, etc. They even had a bathtub and a rain shower. The only difference in both the bedrooms was that one of them had twin beds and it didn't have a bathtub. Both the rooms had a safe as well as a TV. So, you could just relax on your bed, watch a movie and go to sleep! In addition to the two bathrooms, there's also a little guest toilet near the entrance. Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah do not have any restaurants of their own. However, they are tied up with Eastern Mangroves Promenade that offer a number of dining options. You can choose from a variety of restaurants serving Italian, Indian. American, Arabic and other cuisines of the world. Besides these restaurants, there's a supermarket too. So, you can just pick up groceries from Waitrose (the supermarket) and possibly make your own meal. The hotel also offers a fully equipped gym and a stunning rooftop pool. We did not use the gym. However, we did visit the pool. While the guys took a nice dip, I just lay back on the sun loungers soaking in some sun. For those who prefer a bit more adventure, Jannah also organizes various water activities like donut rides, kayaking, etc. And ladies, if you're looking for some pampering, The Nail Spa and Marquee are there to take care of you. Overall, I had a fantastic time here. I was impressed with the impeccable service, incredibly comfy beds and squeaky clean rooms. Highly recommended! For more information, click here.
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A little less than 3 weeks ago, we drove for nearly 2.5 hours for our next staycation at the Le Meridien Al Aqah Resort in Fujairah. It was a lovely drive through the endless mountains of the northern emirates. However, the journey from Abu Dhabi seemed excruciatingly long and we were hoping that our two day stay would be totally worth it. The entrance to the hotel was simple. But hey! don't let that fool you. Check-in was swift and while we were there, we were offered a glass of chilled apple juice. It felt so refreshing after the heat and long drive. ROOM - Our room which was a Royal Club room was on the 17 floor of the building. The moment I entered the room, I saw "BLUE". Yes, the Indian Ocean was right in front of me. And even before exploring the room, I headed straight to the balcony to enjoy a breathtaking view. All the rooms here face the sea while the other side faces the mountains. Our room was spacious and bright in shades of grey, red and white. It gave us a homely feel. The beautiful work of art on the wall caught my attention. The bathroom was spacious and well equipped. The only drawback was that the AC didn't seem to work well on the first day. However, when we informed the staff they immediately sent the technician over and got it repaired. We enjoyed complimentary wi-fi too. During our stay, the talented housekeeping team surprised us with a towel dog and a heart made of roses. Something that we really loved and appreciated. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES - Le Meridien Al Aqah has a lovely swimming pool and a beach. The pool has a shallow side for the kids as well as water features. Do not miss out on the delicious cocktails in their pool bar! We explored the beach too. As we waddled in the waters of the Indian Ocean, we saw a number of people enjoining water sports like parasailing, doughnut rides and other cool stuff. For kids and teens, there were larger than life size games such as snakes & ladders and a little cinema as well. DINING - The hotel has a number of restaurants and bars. So, there's plenty of dining options if you are staying here on a long term basis. We tried two of the restaurants during our stay - Taste and Gonu. The buffet breakfast at Taste was good. It wasn't too big but it had everything that you'd expect from a buffet with a kids corner too. There was a live egg station and a choice of fruits, salads, cheese, cereals as well as Indian stuff like puri bhaji. For dinner, we headed to Taste again. This time we didn't opt for buffet and chose a-la-carte instead. The menu had a good selection of dishes from around the world. Their creamy seafood soup is a definite must-try! We visited Gonu Bar & Grill for dinner on the second night where we enjoyed scrumptious seafood by the beach accompanied by lovely music. To our luck, the weather seemed pretty good that evening. And even though we were outdoors, it was comfortable. The grilled squids at Gonu were absolutely delicious. The squids were so fresh. Gonu also arranges romantic candlelight dinners for couples on the beach. The setup was stunning! CLUB LOUNGE - Since we stayed in a Club Room, we were allowed to access the Club Lounge. I loved the Club Lounge for its view. Soft drinks and warm beverages were available throughout the day. However, light snacks were served only for a hour in the evening, which I found rather disappointing. Some of the hotels that we'd stayed in earlier (including Le Meridien) served finger food atleast thrice a day. The selection of snacks were good though. Plenty of sandwiches, quiche, sweet treats and more. Later, we were told that they do prepare sandwiches on request. However, it was too late. Overall, we had a great stay. The staff are super friendly and the service is great. With the exception of a few minor details, we were very well taken care off. The resort is child-friendly and offers a great getaway for residents and tourists alike.
Staycations are meant only for weekends...said no one ever! When my husband had a 2-day conference at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Abu Dhabi and decided to stay at Traders Hotel QAB, I was ecstatic. This would be a mid-week staycation ... atleast for me. Traders Hotel is just a 20-minute drive away from Abu Dhabi downtown and located in the Qaryat Al Beri complex. It is a four- star hotel and a part of Shangri-La. Though a bit away from the city, it is exactly what you need if you're looking for some peace and quite. The hotel lobby is the first thing that you'll notice when you enter this stylish hotel. It is beautiful with a splash of vibrant colours. Definitely gave us some good vibes! The only drawback was the parking. The hotel does not have a parking structure of its own. You have to either park your vehicle across the road or use their valet parking service. We opted for the latter. Check in was swift and on our request, we were given a room with a partial sea view. On entering our room, we were rather stunned at how big our room was. It was furnished with stylish contemporary decor, using warm tones and created a relaxing, comfortable environment. It was so spacious, you could literally have a party in there! We were greeted with a welcome message on the TV. On the table, was a bowl of fresh fruits. The bathroom was well equipped with bath amenities and had a tub as well as a rain shower. Oooh and the bed was so soft (tried & tested immediately).... it literally took the shape of my body! Internet was complimentary. To me, the hotel seemed like a good choice for business as well as leisure. I did not see many families around though, probably because I was in the room most of the time. The hotel has its own private beach. The moment we sat down on our sun loungers we were offered a bottle of complimentary ice cold water each. I personally liked the idea. It provided some relief from the scorching heat. There was a bar near the beach where we could order drinks or smoke shisha. The outdoor pool and gym is located on the first floor. I did not visit the gym but I did visit the pool. Although not very big, it was good enough and wasn't crowded. There was a pool bar right next to the pool that had "happy hour" going on. Besides the pool bar, the hotel has two other restaurants - Lobby Lounge and Afya. While Lobby Lounge is good for drinks and snacks, Afya serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also have a fantastic in-room dining menu with dishes from around the world. Besides the pool bar, we did not try any of the other restaurants. Instead we walked over to the The Souk next door. On the whole, I loved my time at Traders Hotel. They were even kind enough to give us a late checkout until 2 p.m. The prices are affordable and it definitely offers far more than what you would expect from a four-star hotel. For more information, click here.
I love vacations ... who doesn't? However, with our busy work schedule, children's schooling and tight budget it may not be possible to go on vacation as often as we want to. But there's a solution ... a staycation perhaps? A convenient escape within our own city without breaking the bank is always a good idea! That's what the husband and I decided to do last weekend. We felt that we deserved a break - he from his office and me from the kitchen! And what better way to spend it than a staycation at Beach Rotana. We checked into Beach Rotana late on Thursday evening for our two-day staycation. The hotel enjoys a convenient location in the heart of Abu Dhabi and is great for business and pleasure alike. Check-in was a breeze! While we were at the counter, I couldn't help but admire the atrium in the lobby. The design on the ceiling was such an eye-catcher! Even though I have visited Beach Rotana on several occasions, it still fascinates me. Our room which was big, bright and airy had a lovely partial view of the hotel's private beach. It was a non-smoking room with a king size bed and fluffy pillows. The bathroom was tidy and equipped with necessary toiletries. We had forgotten our toothbrushes at home and the housekeeping were kind enough to provide them to us. All that was left now was a short evening nap. Later that night, we headed to one of our favourite bars in Abu Dhabi - Trader Vic's to have a few exotic drinks and enjoy some foot-tapping Cuban music. The following morning we forced ourselves out from our comfy bed only because we did not want to skip breakfast. I'm glad we did. Breakfast was a feast! It included a wide variety of international and local breakfast specialties, buffet style. You had everything from parathas, congee, assorted fruits to smoked salon and grilled beef. There was a live cooking station for eggs and a wide selection of hot beverages. Among everything, mushroom dumplings and the grilled beef were my favourites! So, what did we do after breakfast? We headed back to our bed! Its not everyday that we get to sleep on soft, bouncy beds ... Friday brunch at Beach Rotana was a treat for the senses. They had food from three of their best restaurants in addition to a lively band. (Click here to find out more about my brunch experience). In the afternoon we wanted to explore the hotel's 5-star amenities. The garden at the hotel looked like a tropical oasis with little waterfalls and cactus everywhere. Beach Rotana has its own private beach that stretches along the entire length of the hotel. It was clean and well maintained with a number of umbrellas and sun loungers. A 2-minute walk from the beach got us right to their amazing pool. And you know what the best part was? It had a bar! If there's one thing I love about any pool, its a pool bar. I love sipping on exotic cocktails while taking a dip. The water temperature was perfect and the pool wasn't too crowded. There was a children's pool right next to ours and a play area as well. The next morning, we stuck to a light breakfast before checking out from the hotel. It an incredible stay and we were all set to welcome another work week! On the last night of our staycation, we headed to Trader Vic's yet again for another round of drinks before retiring for the night.
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