Review: Jumeirah Saadiyat Island

Published Jan 13 2025, 2:35 PM, Updated Jan 14 2025, 6:33 PMNestled on the pristine sands of Saadiyat Island, in Abu Dhabi Jumeirah Saadiyat Island offers luxury, serenity, and sustainability. Opened in November 2018, this exceptional resort combines the charm of a contemporary beachfront retreat with a deep commitment to preserving the surrounding natural environment.

Location

Saadiyat Island is a pristine natural island, offering an authentic sense of untouched beauty. It boasts rolling sand dunes and the surrounding scenery is strikingly unspoiled.

The resort is ideally located on Saadiyat Beach East, next door to a beach club but many miles from other hotels. Guests who stay here are treated to 9 kilometers of unspoiled beachfront, where dolphins and endangered hawksbill turtles make their home.

The other resorts on Saadiyat Island are barely visible from the hotel’s shoreline. If you scrunch up your eyes you can just about see them, so this beautiful hotel feels remote and enveloped by an endless stretch of white sand and shimmering turquoise waters that seem to go on forever.

While Jumeirah Saadiyat Island has a desert island beachfront feel, it is conveniently under a 30-minute drive from the airport and even less from the city center, the Louvre, the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and Ferrari World.

Style & Character

Jumeirah Saadiyat Island embodies understated luxury with a focus on sustainability. The resort’s design is inspired by its natural surroundings, featuring ergonomic architecture and seamless integration with the landscape.

The main building’s elliptical architecture and organic extensions are fun to look back at from the beachfront, and the floor-to-ceiling windows embrace the natural sunshine outside.

Interiors are thoughtfully crafted with neutral tones, natural light, and jewel-toned accents to enhance the tranquil atmosphere. The blues of the sea and oatmeals and yellows of the sand are reflected in the soft furnishings.

The statement azure marine-inspired chandelier, which hangs high above the lobby, is jaw-dropping. It looks like a thousand raindrops hanging off the ceiling, dangling above a white marble floor and matching blue swirly carpets that cradle comfy white sofa seats.

But it is perhaps the ocean-facing terraces and patios that gaze out over the beach that will keep you returning to this unique property.

Sustainability is at the heart of the resort’s ethos, reflected in its pearl certification, eco-conscious operations, and initiatives to minimize environmental impact. From eliminating single-use plastics to using thermodynamic panels for hot water, the property sets a benchmark for eco-friendly luxury.

Service & Facilities

The resort boasts an impressive array of facilities designed to cater to diverse guest preferences. Wellness enthusiasts can enjoy the 2,700 m² spa, featuring the largest Moroccan Hammam in the capital, as well as treatment rooms, hydrotherapy pools, and salt rooms.

The state-of-the-art gym offers a 360-degree approach to health, while the exclusive adult-only pool and kids’ and teens’ clubs ensure that all age groups are catered to.

Leisure facilities include four swimming pools, tennis courts, and a 400-meter private beach equipped for activities such as yoga, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Guests can also explore the island’s wildlife with an on-site expert, offering a rare glimpse of the region’s rich biodiversity.

Rooms

Jumeirah Saadiyat Island offers 296 accommodations comprising classy and airy rooms, suites, and villas, including eight private-pool villas. Every room is bathed in natural light, with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame captivating views of the Arabian Gulf or lush gardens. Neutral tones and contemporary designs create a calming and elegant ambiance.

The Resort Deluxe Room and Ocean Deluxe King Room offer luxurious bathrooms and uplifting views, while the Ocean Terrace Rooms boast extended patios that connect seamlessly to nature. For families and groups, the Two-Bedroom Ocean Family Suite and Three-Bedroom Duplex Villa provide spacious layouts, private plunge pools, and exclusive spa treatment rooms.

For the ultimate indulgence, the Five-Bedroom Duplex Beachfront Villa combines contemporary interiors with uninterrupted ocean views, creating a truly memorable experience.

Food & Drink

Dining at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island offers nine restaurants and bars. The morning breakfast that you get free when you book via our luxury travel concierge is incredible and is delivered in a majestic, high-ceilinged dining hall. Even better, if the weather is good, there is a wonderful outdoor terrace with outdoor cooking stations where you can enjoy a morning coffee and a bite in the sunshine.

The breakfast buffet here is amazing with big bowls of cut fresh fruit like melon, peaches, and figs, pastries, vats of yogurt and nuts, loads of salad, refrigerated cheese, meats including hams and smoked salmon, and then you have coffees, juices, and eggs any which way you like delivered to your table.

In the evening, guests can savor delicacies such as King Crab & Homemade Trenette Pasta while basking in stunning ocean views. Mare Mare, a popular Italian restaurant, is renowned for its authentic dishes and vibrant ambiance.

Tean, the signature Levantine-inspired restaurant, brings the flavors of the Middle East to life with spiced meats and fresh seafood served on the beachfront. White, a contemporary and sustainable restaurant, features live cooking stations and an array of international dishes.

For a more relaxed experience, the Pool Bar Saadiyat serves refreshing cocktails and light bites, while The Lounge on the rooftop offers crafted drinks and breathtaking sunsets. The resort’s Offside Gastropub adds a touch of fun with its sports lounge vibe and dog-friendly policies.

Many of the restaurants have terraces overlooking the beach, which offer the most atmospheric setting for enjoying your evening.

Conclusion

Jumeirah Saadiyat Island is a true gem on the Abu Dhabi coastline, offering an exceptional blend of luxury, sustainability, and natural beauty.

Reasons to stay include the stunning beachfront location, which is distant from other resorts, the stunning rooms with spectacular balconies and sea views, and the magnificent breakfast, which can be eaten in the wonderful high-ceilinged breakfast area or outside on the enormous terrace.

Skip out of your room, past the infinity pool, over the sand dunes and into the sea. This is an amazing resort.

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