Millennium Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Opened less than three years ago, the Millennium Hotel in Abu Dhabi is one of the newest hotels, in a city which is growing rapidly, boosting its tourist industry and raising its international profile. Unlike Dubai down the road, however, it is trying to keep its traditional character, and to retain a degree of class and exclusivity, and to avoid kitch and tackiness.

This hotel it is part of the Millennium Group, owned by a company from Singapore. A few years ago they bought the UK's Copthorne Hotels and now proudly claim to be the 40th largest hotel chain in the world, according to their website! The hotel is located less than a block from the seafront Corniche, close to central Hamdan Street. It has 325 rooms and they promise a "yes we can" attitude. So how did they do?

Entrance and lobby
The car stopped just outside the entrance which was up a couple of wide steps; there were ramps at the side for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

Like many Gulf hotels, the lobby is wide and spacious. To the right is the reception, where check in is done at individual low desks, a slowly growing trend which I find quite nice and more personal than standing behind a chest-high barrier. To the left is a coffee shop, where buffet meals are served. I found it slightly odd eating breakfast in full view of everyone coming and going, but that was just me.

When I checked in, the people were very pleasant and welcoming. The whole process was done very quickly and I was given a room at the end of a corridor which turned out to be a two room suite, which was a nice, unexpected surprise. For once I was staying at a hotel where I do not have a gold card, so this was a completely unexpected but welcome surprise.

The Room
The lounge part of the suite had a sofa and armchairs clustered around a coffee table, facing a floor to ceiling window (apparently a feature of the hotel). On the left was a dresser with a good sized TV atop and a DVD player in the cupboard underneath. Against the nearest wall was a work desk, with sockets for broadband internet (charged, and not cheap). There was also a fax machine and a desk light. To one side, by the entrance, was a small guest toilet.

The bedroom was dominated by a large double bed, king sized. The dressing table and bedside tables were tastefully designed; there was an easy chair and of course another telly. The cot that we had ordered had already been placed in there, near the window.

The main bathroom was spacious, if a bit dark, and there was a bath, a separate shower stall, basin and toilet. The condiments supplied were mixed, there was Penhaligon's Quercus shampoo but Molton Brown shower gel. Not that I was complaining!

Overall the room was very good with a nice, comfortable bedroom and a nice, well-equipped lounge area. The floor-to-ceiling window gave a good view of the nearby park and the Abu Dhabi skyline while the DVD player was a welcome bonus.

Food and Drink
There is a reasonable range of eating options at the hotel, with some very nice food.

The Citrus Café on the ground floor, on the left side of the lobby, offers a buffet for all the main meals. The breakfast has a good selection of fruits, cereals, pastries, breads and some hot selections - but no pork. If it's not included in the room rate, the cost of breakfast is DHs30 (US$8). For the evening meals, Citrus has themed buffets and breakfast such as an oriental, seafood and others.

Marrakech is a Moroccan restaurant on the first floor which is quite nicely decorated, though not specially so. The menu offers a good selection of Moroccan dishes and is very tasy indeed. In the evenings they have live entertainment in the wobbly form of belly dancers.

Sevilo's is also on the first floor and offers predominantly Italian food. The restaurant is quite spacious and nicely laid-out. There is also an outside area on a balcony, next to the small pool and health club. I didn't get to try their food, though.

Cristal is a "cigar and champagne bar". Considering that Cristal is one of the better Russian vodkas, this is just where you might expect to find me spending a night or two! However it is a bit upmarket, especially as it is the only bar in the hotel,so it would have been nice to have this as well as a more casual bar. One of the people I was with was refused and asked to leave as he was wearing a polo shirt; it seems they have a dress code - but they eventually provided a jacket for him and he was allowed to stay. They have a reasonable selection of drinks plus of course cigars but considering their name, their selection of vodkas was woefully inadequate!

Room Service offers a good range of local and international dishes which are delivered in good time. A light dinner for one person costs between AED70 and AED100 for two courses (GB£10 to to GB£15).

Conferences and meetings
The hotel has a conference and banqueting suite on a mezzanine floor. There is one large room, which can be divided into three smaller rooms, seating from 100 up to 350. There are also two board rooms offering meetings for 10 to 15 people.

Keeping Fit
Not really my cup of tea but the hotel does have a small gym and fitness centre. There is also an outdoor pool, again quite small, which ironically is in full view of the Italian restaurant terrace. So, pile in the pasta, then pull on the bikini? Well, maybe not for me, perhaps better to think of burning off the carbonara carbs!

In the area
The hotel is very well located in the heart of Abu Dhabi. Bear in mind that during the summer months, when temperatures reach 50C, you won't be walking anyway, but at other times of year it is easy to walk to some of the shopping areas, restaurants, cafes and there is a small park just across the road which is handy for the kids. Speaking of kids, the Crowne Plaza hotel is about ten minutes walk away and they have an excellent child-friendly brunch on Fridays, if you get tired of Moroccan and Italian!

Summary
It's been a long time since I stayed at a Millennium hotel and this was overall very good. The service was friendly and helpful, the choice of restaurants was enough for a short stay and the room was certainly comfortable. By choice I would probably go for one of the hotel that I can earn points on one of my cards but this is a worthy alternative. Eight out of ten.