Hotel4Real!

As a Formula One fan, I booked the W as an excursion from my Abu Dhabi trip purely to experience the Yas Marina ambience and check out the track.

First of all, LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION! The hotel is quite literally situated on top of the (in)famous Abu Dhabi Formula One track – Yas Marina – and the track is right outside the window from many public spaces as well as half of the hotel rooms. Although, be forewarned that Yas Island is quite far away from downtown Abu Dhabi.

Check-in was a breeze, and surprisingly personalized – W almost always try “too hard” to be youthful and quirky but miss out on the personal touches. I mentioned I was a F1 fan, and was offered an option of a one-bedroom suite facing the marina, or a track-side room. Since there were no actions on track during my stay, I decided to go with the suite. My welcome card and gift was waiting for me inside the suite when I checked in, so I’m sure the gentleman helping me at check-in came up with me the other option on the spot because of our conversation.

My suite was on the other side of the hotel so it was a trek, but I got there two elevators later. Throughout the hotel I enjoyed the (very subtle) racing theme of the hotel and the upgraded suite was well appointed without being too over the top. Of course, the room offered everything you’d expect at a W, including a fully-stocked minibar.

The F&B outlets were also awesome – a LOT of options to choose from with many Arabic and international menu options available. Service was not the fastest (in fact, quite slow) but I felt like was treated well. The same can be said for the rooftop bar – I had some slight delays in my order at the Wet Deck one night, and the manager came out and personally apologized for the hiccup. He even proactively comped my drinks for me, which was a very pleasant surprise – an apology was more than enough!

Thinking back, I was planning on my stay to be an one-off experience and did not expect to go back again – no longer the case! If the price is right, I will absolutely not hesitate to return for round two!

RealScore

Service: 8.5

Design and Room Size: 9.5

In-room Amenities: 8

Bathroom Size and Layout: 10

View from (my) Room: 6

Hotel Location: 7

Available Guest Facilities: 10

Food Quality: 7

Food and Beverage Service: 8

Executive Lounge Quality: N/A

Final RealScore: 8.53

Final RealRating: AAA

Hotel is built/opened: 2009

Total number of rooms: 499

Length of stay: 1 night

Membership level at check-in: Platinum

Room type experienced: Fantastic Suite