Advantages: Location Disadvantages: More of a business Hotel than for lesuire
I decided to treat my mum and me to a short break to AbuDhabi last year and choose the Millennium Hotel to stay in. We managed to find a taxi easily enough at AbuDhabi airport and after a short drive (30mins) we arrived at the hotel. On first impressions I was a little disappointed. I had all these grand images in my head, but in reality the hotel seemed pretty standard.
The room itself was quite basic (considering the price we paid), but it was clean and the beds were very comfortable.
The hotel does have a nice swimming pool (although a little on the small side) and area for catching some sun.
Getting around AbuDhabi was fairly easy, taxi's are always available and very cheap.
One trip I would recommend is the desert safari and evening barbecue. Driving up and down the sand dunes in the deserts was thrilling, I was ...
Advantages: A peaceful desert Oasis (Not the band silly!) Disadvantages: Very, very, very, very expensive!
Al Maha DesertResort & Spa is located approximately 60 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport. Transfers can be organised with your tour operator, but will be in two stages. The first stage is a transfer from the airport down the highway and into the desert and onto the perimeter fence of the resort - this should take no more than 45-50 minutes. Once at the perimeter of the Al Maha estate, you will pass through security and await the arrival of the hotels jeeps, who will then transport you up to the main resort, which will usually take another 15 mins or so. Despite the transfer time, particualrly after a 7 1/2 hour flight from the UK, this was not uncomfortable or irritating like some transfers can be, so I hardly noticed the time.
The Resort truly is an Oasis in the desert and is perfect for a romantic break or to kick ...
Advantages: Peaceful, lovely pool, helpful staff, nice rooms Disadvantages: Middle of nowhere, food not brilliant.
enough to hit rush hour traffic). It's about 25 minutes drive once you pass the Mall of the Emirates. There is a hotel bus that goes to the mall on certain days of the week, leaving at 3pm and returning to the hotel at 8pm, if you dont have your own transport. If you were coming into AbuDhabi airport I expect it would be a little quicker to drive to.
Location/environment
The hotel was quite easy to find, from Dubai we just drove straight down the main highway and turned right at Exit 19. The hotel is on a man-made island in the middle of nowhere. It is surrounded by well-kept gardens and has a large carpark with lots of greenery. The lobby is large and airy and there is a very nice outside swimming pool in the shape of a fish (though you only really see that from an aerial view, not while near it). The pool has a swim up ...
