The Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi has opened. A solid corporate hotel appealing to Marriott loyalists and with an understated feel compared with some of the city’s five-star hotels, it places a strong emphasis on meetings and events, with 21 meeting rooms and two ballrooms.
The functional air can be attributed to the tower design and location, on the corner of a busy junction by Al Wahda Mall (Grand Millennium next door); while there are possibly more visible Marriotts in the network, the ‘in between’ location means it’s not far from any of the key attractions – ADNEC, the Corniche, Reem and Saadiyat Islands and Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Beyond the lobby (one counter for Elite/mobile check in) is a linear passage with room lifts to the left and public areas to the right. Complementing the main 520sqm Grand Ballroom (Basement 2) is a 300sqm ballroom on Level 2, which is accompanied by attractive natural light-filled meeting rooms and sofa seating in break-out areas. ‘Meetings Imagined’ provides tailor-made meets for strategic, brainstorming and social purposes.
The 315 rooms comprise Deluxe Double (139), Superior King (96), Executive (48), Junior Suites (17), Executive one-bed suites (12), two Presidential Suites and one Royal Suite. Business travellers should warm to the fabulous TV connectivity and versatile power points.
The food and beverage options have some Marriott staples with JW Steakhouse (small, with leather chairs and open kitchen, featuring dry-aged salt-and-seaweed steaks), Velocity (two floors, with two enormous screens complemented by 37 TVs), 180-seat Kuzbara (round-the-clock dining), Central Grounds lobby lounge (Great Room concept, a work-come-leisure space) and 24-hour dining. Another familiar brand is the Saray Spa (opening around later, although gym is open day one) and a restaurant on the top 25th floor (with rooftop pool and pool bar) will open in winter.
The Marriott Executive Apartments are targeting executives on business for 30 days or more. It is sharply designed with 64 fully equipped apartments (16 one- and three-bed apartments, and 32 two-beds). Residents can access their own gym, pool and lounge.
