Five-star Two MICHELIN Keys West Corniche, Abu Dhabi
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
A palace of 2005 on the West Corniche, under a central dome and 114 smaller ones, with a 1.3-kilometre private beach and two restaurants with a MICHELIN star.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys, 2025 and 2026
- Rooms
- 390 rooms and suites
- Opened
- 2005; Mandarin Oriental since 2020
- From the airport
- Al Bateen for private jets, on the island
The hotel
Built for summits, kept for guests.
Emirates Palace was first planned as a place to receive Gulf Cooperation Council summits. WATG drew it, the Belgian firm BESIX began building in December 2001, and it opened in 2005 under Kempinski. A central dome rises over the main building, with 114 smaller domes across the wings, and six Rulers' Suites on the top floor are kept for visiting royalty and dignitaries.
Mandarin Oriental took over the running of the hotel on 1 January 2020. After a long renovation it took its present name in January 2023. The palace sits on its own stretch of the West Corniche, with 1.3 kilometres of private beach, two pools, two helipads and a ballroom for up to 2,500 people. Inside, the decoration runs to gold and marble, and service is formal, with uniformed butlers and chauffeured cars.
- Two starred restaurants Talea by Antonio Guida, Italian, and Hakkasan, Cantonese, each hold one star in the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026.
- The beach A private beach of 1.3 kilometres, with a beach club, padel courts on the sand and jogging paths.
- The spa The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, with a Royal Hammam and treatment suites.
Dining
Twelve places to eat and drink, two with a star.
Venues as listed by the hotel, which counts twelve, including Broadway and Sand & Koal, both in the MICHELIN Guide; stars are from the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026. Shown for information.
- Talea by Antonio Guida One Michelin star Italian Antonio Guida
- Hakkasan One Michelin star Cantonese In the palace
- Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi Contemporary Indian Hemant Oberoi
- Strawfire by Ross Shonhan Japanese warayaki, cooked over straw Ross Shonhan
Recognition
Awards and ratings.
- Two MICHELIN Keys 2025 and 2026
- Forbes Travel Guide Five stars, 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children Welcome at any age, with a kids' club. Under-12s stay free in an existing bed; extra beds for over-12s are charged.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to Abu Dhabi.
Business jets land at Al Bateen, the old city airport on the island itself, about ten kilometres from the centre and a short drive from the palace. Scheduled flights arrive at Zayed International, about thirty kilometres east of the city, a drive of around 35 minutes by our estimate.
- Doha 45 min
- Riyadh 1 h 20
- Mumbai 2 h 55
- Paris 7 h 15 long-range jet
- London 7 h 35 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental have?
- Two, in 2025 and again in the 2026 selection. It is the only hotel in Abu Dhabi with two Keys.
- Which restaurants at Emirates Palace have a MICHELIN star?
- Talea by Antonio Guida and Hakkasan, with one star each in the MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026.
- Can we fly by private jet close to the hotel?
- Yes. Al Bateen, the business jet airport on Abu Dhabi island, lies about ten kilometres from the city centre, much closer than Zayed International.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Abu Dhabi?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Abu Dhabi, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Abu Dhabi
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Rosewood Abu Dhabi A knife-edged tower on Sowwah Square, its shape taken from the art of falconry.
- Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island One bridge from the business district, with a rooftop pool over the water.
- Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers Glass towers above Corniche Beach, with a whole sixtieth floor given to one suite.
- Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Rooms and villas on a beach away from the centre, with three infinity pools.
- Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island An all-inclusive resort of 288 rooms with a waterpark and villas with their own pools, holding one MICHELIN Key.
- The St. Regis Abu Dhabi In Nation Tower on the Corniche, where the Abu Dhabi Suite takes up the 48th and 49th floors.
- The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi Five pools and 376 rooms on the beach, with the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club alongside.
- The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal Fifty-two acres on Al Maqta Creek facing the Grand Mosque, with the Bedouin Spa in a building of its own.
- Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi Every room has a balcony or terrace on the water, and traditional boats ply a canal through the grounds past the hotel's own souk.
- Fairmont Bab Al Bahr At the entrance to the island, with a private beach facing the Grand Mosque and a steakhouse under Marco Pierre White's name.
- Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl At the western end of the Corniche, 368 rooms and suites and sixty serviced apartments with balconies.
- Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi Inside the slanting Capital Gate tower beside the exhibition centre, with its pool deck and spa on the 19th floor.
- Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas Thirteen beachfront villas with their own pools sit beside 327 rooms on Saadiyat's nine kilometres of sand.
- Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche Its 280 rooms look over the Gulf from Corniche Road East, and the grill restaurant is on the eighth floor.
- Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort Open since 1979, one of the first international beach hotels in the emirate, with a lagoon pool and a British pub.
- Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana A dry hotel of 443 rooms opposite Emirates Palace, on a private beach of two hundred metres.
- Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Linked directly to Abu Dhabi Mall, between downtown and Al Maryah Island, with a private beach and some twelve bars and restaurants.
- Le Méridien Abu Dhabi Resort A city resort on a 200-metre beach close to Abu Dhabi Mall.
- Park Rotana Abu Dhabi Behind Khalifa Park on the Eastern Ring Road, a business hotel of 318 rooms.
Staying at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Abu Dhabi, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.