Abu Dhabi for a more relaxed Middle East Adventure!

Having visited Dubai several times I was intrigued to see how Abu Dhabi would compare. I was certainly not disappointed! It's not just about F1 in Abu Dhabi as in general I would describe the feeling of Abu Dhabi as a more relaxed destination. As part of an educational trip with one of our luxury suppliers, Pure Luxury Holidays, we stayed in two wonderful hotels which are situated on Saadiyat Island. The first was the St Regis Saadiyat Island. We spent 2 wonderful nights here and were treated to exceptionally high levels of service. We were greeted with a wonderful welcome drink, which after the long flight was extremely welcomed! This is a resort with something for everyone and is set on one of the best beaches and quiet as there are no motorised water sports off Saadiyat Island in order to protect the marine life. At the time we were staying in early May, the turtles had started to come in to nest, so access to the beaches was restricted particularly at night. As a result the beach is very peaceful and extremely relaxing. The water was the temperature of a comfortable bath, so extremely pleasant!! There are a good variety of restaurants to choose from including their floating South East Asian restaurant Sontaya which won Time Out Abu Dhabi, most romantic restaurant in 2012. You can really see why! Also try out the St Regis signature Bloody Mary in the bar. If you didn't know, the first Bloody Mary was created in the original St Regis Hotel in New York and now very St Regis resort around the world has their own interpretation of the this classic drink! Also try their 55&5th Steak restaurant, named after the address of the original New York location. It has the most amazing wine cellar!!! Our next stop was for 1 night at the Park Hyatt Saadiyat Island which was infact adjacent to the St Regis but a much smaller more intimate resort. Try out the roof top bar for some cool vibes at sunset and after dark!!