When I suggested to JP that we go to Abu Dhabi for the weekend, I didn’t realise he would be so up for the idea and offer to find us a hotel. Little did I know he had a plan up his sleeve. The Yas Viceroy. This hotel is very luxurious but it also sits above the F1 circuit and offers fabulous views of the track. It is a hotel that jumps to insanely high prices during the F1 weekend but being October the prices were far more reasonable and so JP booked us a room with very little hesitation.
Staying at the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi
We arrived at the hotel after an action packed day on Yas Island; taking in both Ferrari World and Yas Water World. First impressions of the hotel were pretty good, to enter the car park we had to drive above the F1 circuit which had JP grinning from ear to ear before we reached the lobby. Then upon check in we found out we had been allocated our room upgrade request meaning we didn’t just have any view, we had a track view. We made our way to floor seven in the elevator and followed the signs to our room number.
Then we opened the door to the hotel room.
Wow.
My jaw kinda dropped to the ground upon entering. We didn’t just have a bed, bathroom and track view. We had a massive room which can only be described as a suite. There was a massive bed, a sofa, a coffee table, a huge desk, a balcony with track view and an extremely luxurious bathroom with bath tub and shower.
I could have stayed on the balcony for hours just watching the sun go down and the city turn its lights on. But alas there was so much of the hotel to explore and a happy hour to make the most of.
We headed up to the Skylite bar to enjoy a few drinks at happy hour and what a treat that was. From our table at the bar we could see several points of the track and to please JP even more there were some cars on track. Even the bar’s cocktails were named after a few classic F1 tracks including Silverstone back in the UK. Although the bar seemed quiet we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for our starving bellies.
There are five restaurants within the hotel complex and we opted to dine a one of these (mostly because we’d been given a discount voucher on check in), there are a few other restaurants in the marina if you wanted to explore further afield. There is a choice of Italian, Japanese, Indian, international buffet and Arabic-Mediterranean. We opted for the latter and were extremely pleased with our food choice and views of the track from our dinner table. As with most Arabic food the meals are huge so we opted for two starters and shared a main course with a side. It was delicious but just be aware (like with most places on Yas Island) there was a 10% service charge, 6% tourism fee and 4% municipality charge, that is a lot extra on top of your bill!
We did also investigate the Empire nightclub which runs above the F1 track, however, the drinks were very pricey and there was little atmosphere. I probably wouldn’t suggest it unless you want to say you’ve been to the nightclub above the track.
The next morning
We started our morning with a quick session in the brand new gym at Yas Viceroy and wow, what a gym it was. I could have stayed in there way longer but there was still so much more of the hotel to see before check out. Breakfast was first on the agenda and this was served in the Origins restaurant. There was a huge buffet choice and even better for me was the fact every sign told me if the item contained dairy or gluten. My choice was a little limited but I still managed to find a plateful of food and have the most amazing juice.
The last ‘must do’ before check out was to enjoy the pool. The Yas Viceroy has two rooftop swimming pools, one for families and one for adults only. We opted for the adults only and my was it peaceful. The views from up here were also pretty special! There were plenty of sun loungers to sit back and relax on and towels were provided while up there. What’s more, the water was cool and refreshing something which is much needed in the typical Abu Dhabi heat. I could have easily stayed here all day but there was a lot of Abu Dhabi to explore.
Keep your eyes peeled on my YouTube channel for a video all about my stay here, I will link it as soon as it’s live.
Have you ever stayed at such a luxury hotel because of the views?
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Beautiful photos! We stayed here last year because of the novelty of the F1 views but loved the suite, location and rooftop pool too! Paying for drinks, however, was ouchy!
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It’s such an amazing hotel isn’t it?! The only time it seemed ‘ok’ to get a drink was during happy hour, but then alcohol seems to be that pricey across UAE.
This place looks amazing, Jodie! I can only imagine what the atmosphere must be like over a grand prix weekend. Even when the race isn’t on, the views of the track must be incredible? How lucky were you to get an upgrade?!
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