The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is a large luxury hotel inspired by Venice, conveniently located in Abu Dhabi along the Grand Canal. The hotel offers something for everyone with amazing dining, a huge outdoor pool and beach area, and beautifully kept grounds. The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is the perfect choice for someone looking to enjoy resort amenities in the city of Abu Dhabi, whether traveling as a couple, group of friends, or family.
We spent 3 days here and put together this Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi review to help you decide where to stay when visiting beautiful Abu Dhabi! If you’re looking to increase your Instagram game while in Abu Dhabi, we drove all over the city to find the Top 15 Instagrammable Spots in Abu Dhabi, just for you.
Disclaimer: Our stay at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi was provided courtesy of the hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and as always, all our opinions on this Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Hotel review and what to do are our own. Please note that some of the links in the below article are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase. Click here for the full disclosure statement. Thank you for supporting the businesses that support us!
Table of Contents
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Location
Nearly everything in Abu Dhabi is a 15 minute drive away as the city is quite spread out, but The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is quite centrally located for exploring Abu Dhabi. The hotel is located roughly in between the airport and downtown, with some major tourist attractions located just a few minutes away.
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is a 20 minute drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport, which most guests will arrive at. Alternatively, the Dubai International Airport and Dubai are about a 1.5 hour drive away.
The most popular way to get around Abu Dhabi is by car, and for that The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is easily accessed next to main highways, and the hotel also offers complimentary parking. RentalCars.com is a great site to use to compare all of the different rental cars available to find the best deal in Abu Dhabi.
Alternatively, taxis are also available at Abu Dhabi International Airport for about 80 to 100 AED ($21 to $27 USD), but be aware that they only accept cash. Uber is also widely available and perfect to use and your trip might be a little bit cheaper between 70 to 90 AED ($19 to $25 USD).
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Arrival
When arriving at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, you will firstly be impressed by the beautiful arched gateway that frames the entrance to the property. From here it is a short drive along a cobblestone driveway up to the majestic front entrance of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi. You will immediately be assisted with your bags, before entering the lobby.
The lobby leaves quite a first impression with a huge atrium with towering walls, ornate marble, and stunning chandeliers. The décor on the inside provides Venetian vibes of classic luxury. The large lobby has a number of seating area if you need to wait, however we were promptly checked in and were soon on our way to our room.
As we arrived during COVID-19 times, safety precautions were in place such as hand sanitizers and staff were wearing face masks throughout our entire stay, as were most guests except when at the pool or dining at one of the restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi.
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Rooms
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is quite a large resort, with an endless number of room types so that you can find the perfect match for your trip. There are three main areas of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi to choose from. There are rooms and suites in the main tower buildings, connected to the lobby and most restaurants and other amenities, as well as rooms located in the Venetian Village, and Villas located in the sprawling grounds of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi.
During our time at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, we stayed in a Deluxe Guest Room, located on the top floor of the main building. The room has a classic luxury Venetian style to it with all of the luxury touches you would expect. Entering the room there is a large closet, and full marble bathroom with a window from the bathtub out into the room. The room itself is large with an extremely comfortable king-size bed, small sitting area, working area, and private balcony with a stunning view of the resort and the Abu Dhabi Grand Canal.
Inside the room you will also find an Illy coffee machine for that first coffee every morning as well as a minibar, and television with world-wide channels.
Around the property you will find a number of the Villas that are also available, in a variety of sizes and room types.
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Amenities
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi has beautiful Venetian inspired architecture everywhere you turn. The main building and its towering lobby are the most awe-inspiring with marble, gold accents, and beautiful touches everywhere you look.
Off of the main lobby there is small gift shop and convenience store, as well as the concierge and reception. Staying on this level of the resort you will find the Alba lobby lounge.
The guest rooms are located on the floors above. Below the lobby entrance level is where you will find all other restaurants as well as the Health Club Fitness Center and direct access to the main pool area.
The outdoor pool is one of the largest in Abu Dhabi at 17, 200 sq ft (1,600 sq m), and it includes a large amount of poolside cabanas and lounge chairs to relax in. There is also a beach located on the Abu Dhabi Grand Canal where you can relax in the sand and the fresh ocean water.
When facing the Grand Canal, there is a kids club on the left-hand side, and the Venetian Village on the right-hand side. The Venetian Village not only houses some of the rooms and suites of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, but also a number of restaurants, and includes multiple Venetian inspired fountains and squares to really make you feel like you are in Venice along the Grand Canal! You will also find The Ritz-Carlton spa here.
Up a set of stairs from the Venetian Village there is a sprawling resort grounds area with villas on both sides of the main building. Here there is a large walkway that goes around the property, perfect for daily exercise. There are also beautifully manicured trees and event areas with views of the Grand Mosque and a unique viewpoint at one of the stairwells which has stunning view of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This also happens to be on our list of the most Instagrammable places in Abu Dhabi.
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Dining
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi has a large number of on-site dining options for guests with cuisines from around the world
The main restaurant which is open every day for breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner is Giornotte. The morning breakfast buffet is extensive with many different options so that you are sure to find something perfect for you to start the day. A la carte dining is available here for lunch and dinner, and you can choose to sit inside or outside for any of the meals.
For dinner, there are multiple dining options, though the flagship restaurant is Li Jiang, offering Asian cuisine and a beautiful outdoor terrace where you can watch the sunset over the Grand Mosque. Li Jiang is also popular with locals for their famous all you can east sushi night!
Also available for dinner are The Forge steakhouse and Mijana, a Lebanese restaurant with a large outdoor dining area under beautiful lights in the main resort area.
Alba is the lobby lounge that is a favorite for a quick light bite, coffee, or cocktail. Dining is also available at Al Fresco near the pool, in the Sorso Sports Bar, and Dolce, healthy sport café. 24-hour in-room dining is also available for whenever hunger strikes.
The Venetian Village also offers a large selection of dining options for the afternoon and evening, some with waterfront dining on the Abu Dhabi Grand Canal.
Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Conclusion
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is a popular hotel for all types of travelers visiting Abu Dhabi. It’s great location next to the Grand Mosque and Grand Canal make for guaranteed beautiful sunrise and sunset views every day. The overall package with beautiful and comfortable views, a very large outdoor pool and beach, beautiful grounds, and an array of food options, means that you should definitely consider The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi for your next trip to Abu Dhabi.
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