Five-star Khor Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
A blue glass hotel at the bridge onto Abu Dhabi island, with a private beach on the creek and the domes of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque across the water.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rooms
- 366, plus Fairmont Gold suites
- The view
- The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- Restaurants and bars
- Eight
- From the airport
- About 15 minutes from Zayed International
The hotel
The gate to the sea.
Bab Al Bahr means gate to the sea in Arabic, and the hotel stands where the mainland meets Abu Dhabi island, on the banks of Khor Al Maqta. Its sapphire-blue exterior is cut into facets, a design drawn from the movement of seawater. Across the creek rise the white domes of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and the Fairmont Gold rooms look across to them.
The long corridors are hung with work by local artists, and each September the hotel joins the No White Walls display. The hotel has private sandy beaches, a beach club and an Olympic-length pool with a separate area for families. Eight restaurants and bars, led by Executive Chef Ayoub Makdissi, run from Marco Pierre White's steakhouse to a sushi counter and a creekside buffet.
- The Grand Mosque view Fairmont Gold rooms look over the creek to the mosque, and the Vista suites watch the sun set behind it.
- Beach and pool A private beach on the creek and an Olympic-length lap pool, with a family swim area.
- Fairmont Gold A floor of its own with a lounge serving breakfast and evening drinks, and a butler on call.
Dining
Steak, mezze and sushi on the creek.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill Steakhouse Prime cuts cooked simply, under the British chef's name
- Mazaj Bab Al Bahr Lebanese and Turkish Mezze and grills on the waterfront
- Marco's Italian Coastal Italian With a long cocktail list
- Café Sushi Japanese Sushi and sashimi made at the counter
- CuiScene International Creekside, breakfast to dinner
- Bridges Bar Pub Sharing plates and sport on screen
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon. Valet parking is free for guests.
- Spa There is no spa in the hotel. Guests use a health club nearby.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to Abu Dhabi.
Zayed International is about 15 minutes away by car, and the hotel runs no free shuttle. Private jets land at Al Bateen, about 15 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.
- Can you see the Grand Mosque from Fairmont Bab Al Bahr?
- Yes. The hotel faces the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque across Khor Al Maqta, and the Fairmont Gold rooms and Vista suites look straight at it.
- Does Fairmont Bab Al Bahr have a spa?
- No. The hotel has a beach, an Olympic lap pool and a gym, and sends guests to a health club nearby for treatments.
- How far is Fairmont Bab Al Bahr from the airport?
- About 15 minutes by car from Zayed International. Al Bateen, for private jets, is a similar drive by our estimate.
- 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.
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Domes by the hundred over a 1.3-kilometre private beach, two starred restaurants, and the only hotel in the city with two MICHELIN Keys.
- 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.
- 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 Fairmont Bab Al Bahr?
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.