Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas

a few days ago we returned from vacation, spent it at the Saadiat Rotana hotel, were super pleased. The territory is aesthetic and comfortable, everything for your relaxation. One large pool with two zones: deeper and shallower, where mostly children are, several bars, the service is fast and polite. Animators Anya and Masha are responsible for the activities here, your yoga is just wow, and in general it was nice to communicate, everyone is on a wave of positivity and activity. If you have children, then there is also a separate club for them, the children are impressed. On the territory there is also a parking lot, a spa area and a gym, also different courts, in general all the amenities. Thank you all for such organization of the vacation, we will come again! Read less

Came here to say in 2024 and absolutely loved it!, the service, premium quality standards and overall offering were all exceptional.. and I’m please to say that on our return visit everything was just as good. The breakfast is one of the best I’ve ever had at any hotel while the food and drinking all the restaurants and bars are first class Special thanks to Rizk and Clemina in Hamiltons for superb service, Arjun and the pool Team and Isaam at Breakfast. 2 (small) criticisms - the beach bar regularly served Gin and Tonics in Pint glasses - which was a little odd and the roof terrace bar above Turtle Bay restaurant closed the day we arrived and didn’t re-open during our whole stay - this is the best location to have a drink and watch the sunset.. it was the same is I raised last year, no-one knew the bar was there as it was so badly promoted - I asked other guests who didn’t know - such a shame as it’s a beautiful bar with an awesome view Read less

Despite the stunning setting and excellent facilities at Rotana Saadiyat Island Resort, the service we experienced was repeatedly disappointing—well below what you would expect from a 5-star resort. Our issues started at check-in: we were assigned the wrong room type (twin beds, when we had booked a king). When we raised this with reception, they casually suggested we “just push the beds together.” After insisting, we were finally moved to a king room, with assurances that our luggage would be transferred. It wasn’t. After 40 minutes of waiting and several confusing phone calls with reception (including one asking if we could name the staff member who checked us in—of course we couldn’t), nothing had happened. My husband eventually had to go to reception himself, where staff seemed unaware of the issue. He ended up retrieving our luggage alone from the original room, with no escort or assistance—dragging it through the lobby while staff looked on. Humiliating and completely unacceptable. When we raised this again with the front desk, the attitude was defensive, not apologetic. The manager did eventually acknowledge the situation after a lengthy explanation and offered late check-out and 20% off dinner as compensation, but by then several hours of our only child-free afternoon had been wasted. Later, dinner at Turtle Bay Bar & Grill sadly followed a similar pattern. After being seated, we placed a drinks order, which simply never arrived. We had to repeat the order to a second server who couldn’t find it in “the system.” Bread arrived, still no drinks or water—this in the May/June heat. Our food was served while we were still without drinks, and we then learned that one of the cocktails wasn’t available (no sake)—something that could have been communicated much earlier. By the time drinks finally arrived—50 minutes later—our food was going cold. One drink was comped, but the experience was more stressful than enjoyable, especially with the duty manager and chef coming over to ask for feedback mid-meal when we really just wanted to relax. The restaurant’s "fine dining" label simply doesn't match reality. The next day, despite having been granted a 4pm late check-out, our room keys stopped working around midday. Since the lifts require a working key, I had to navigate down the fire escape to reach reception to get them reactivated—yet another inconvenience. While there, I overheard another guest complaining about the same non-existent luggage service. Around the pool, the atmosphere wasn’t much better: my husband witnessed a staff member crying in the toilets being comforted by a colleague, and separately we saw a customer loudly demanding to see a bar staff member’s ID at the pool bar. It gave the impression that both staff and guests were stressed and unhappy, which unfortunately mirrors our own experience. To be clear: the resort’s facilities are excellent—the beach, pool, bar, rooms, gym, and especially the spa (Abigail gave me the best massage of my life). But service is inconsistent and at times shockingly poor, which really undercut what was meant to be a relaxing, special getaway. A 5-star resort shouldn’t deliver 0-star service moments. Based on this visit, we would not return. Read less

We had a very enjoyable weekend stay at Saadiyat Rotana. The service provided by the staff was excellent from start to finish — warm, attentive, and genuine. The quality of the facilities is top-tier, and the resort has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. The kids club was a highlight for us, offering a fun and safe space for my daughter to play, and the breakfast selection was impressive each morning. A special thank you to Manideep, who went out of his way to make our daughter feel special by gifting her a teddy on our last day — a thoughtful gesture we really appreciated. However, I do feel the need to highlight a serious safety incident that occurred on our final morning. When my mother and 16-month-old daughter returned to our room after breakfast and opened the door, a ceiling panel suddenly fell from above, narrowly missing my daughter. It was a very frightening moment, and while hotel staff responded promptly and offered a complimentary lunch as a gesture, the potential consequences of this incident were extremely serious and warrant attention. While this experience does not take away from the overall quality of our stay, I sincerely hope the hotel addresses this matter thoroughly to ensure the safety of all guests in the future. Overall, we enjoyed our time at the resort and were especially impressed by the staff, but I felt it was important to share both the positives and the serious concern honestly and hope the hotel management check the ceiling panels in all hotel rooms. Read less