Sometimes you need a little luxury. Abu Dhabi is a city famous for its luxury shopping experiences and an up and coming foodie destination. So it was only fitting to spend our time there in a luxury hotel as well: the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche.

View looking up from the pool area

What’s special about the Sofitel Abu Dhabi?

It’s luxurious. Our bed in a Superior Double room was hands down the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Pillow-top mattress! Also, because this is a sky scraper, chances are you’ll have a pretty good view. We had a view of surrounding sky scrapers and the sea.

Service is also great. We arrived in the morning and were offered to switch our breakfast from the departure day to arrival day at no extra cost. Really nice, as we weren’t going to have it on departure day. There was also an issue with charges made to our room incorrectly which was dealt with quickly and easily.

Bathtub alert! Nothing better than a hotel room with a giant bathtub.

What to eat:

The breakfast buffet. It’s gigantic, and has an abundance of local and international dishes to choose from, including lots of healthy options. Their fresh juices in all colours of the rainbow were amazing.

We had to try every juice on the menu. Living healthy!

Don’t expect any bacon for breakfast though… no pork here! They do offer turkey bacon though if you really need a substitute.

What to do around the hotel:

The Sofitel is right in the busy Corniche area of Abu Dhabi, so you can walk to major malls. We took a stroll to the Marina mall along the boardwalk. There’s also a restaurant nearby which I highly recommend, the Lebanese Mill. It’s delicious and authentic lebanese food, but don’t expect any luxury there. You also shouldn’t miss the Grand Mosque and a trip out into the dessert. I shared details about both of those in my 48 hours in Abu Dhabi guide.

Dune Bashing: We booked a half day desert tour with dune bashing through the hotel. Highly recommended!

The verdict:

The Sofitel Abu Dhabi is a great hotel for a short city trip. The breakfast buffet is a must. On the other hand, I’d skip the hotel’s “Jazz’n Fizz” bar (crowded and smokey). The pool is probably great in the summer, when you’re grateful for shade, but in January, it was too cold to sit by the pool*. Overall though, I’d go back, for the bed and the breakfast buffet.

*I’ve heard they’ve since added a second pool which is sunnier, but haven’t been there since so can’t confirm how sunny it really is.