Abu Dhabi has identified 64 sites across the capital that are in need of “unconditional protection”.
The buildings and landmarks have been named under the capital's first Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative.
Among them, are several hotels, many of which hold an important place in the city's history. From the former hub of the city's armed forces to the hotel that hosted the first summit of the GCC, these unique properties offer a historic place to stay in the emirate, alongside the luxury amenities and five-star facilities that travellers expect when visiting Abu Dhabi.
Here are six hotels included in Abu Dhabi's Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative that are still welcoming holidaymakers today.
InterContinental Hotel – Abu Dhabi
This towering hotel in Al Bateen area of the capital is a place where regional history was made. On the morning of May 25, 1981, the InterContinental Hotel – Abu Dhabi hosted a summit for which six Gulf rulers came together inside the Dar El Istiqbal ballroom to sign an agreement that would form the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Four decades later, the ballroom remains intact and the five-star hotel is a favourite with visitors heading to the UAE capital. With 390 spacious hotel rooms – all of which have city or coastal views – the property also offers temperature-controlled swimming pools, a children's pool with a water slide, a 160m stretch of coastline and a private marina, not to mention a host of dining options overlooking the water.
Rates from Dh315, excluding taxes; www.ihg.com
Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche
Opened 50 years ago by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche – formerly Hilton Abu Dhabi – is nestled on the capital city’s corniche and offers landscaped gardens and spacious rooms with views of the Arabian Gulf.
When it first opened, the hotel was surrounded by little more than sand. While it wasn’t the capital’s first hotel, it did represent a new era of internationalism for the city, welcoming the emirate's first five-star hotel brand.
Rebranded as Radisson Blu five years ago, it’s the place to go for endless beach days and family fun at the hotel’s wave pool, surf pool, zip line and lazy river. It’s also home to the popular West Bay Beach Club.
Rates from Dh373; www.radissonhotels.com
Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Al Ain
The Hilton Al Ain opened way back in 1970, making it older than the UAE itself. Its arrival was something of an occasion in the quiet desert-surrounded town where, even today, high-rise buildings are few and far between.
With air-conditioned rooms, the city’s first conference rooms and a large swimming pool, it was deemed fit for a queen – and, fittingly, the late Queen Elizabeth II did stay here during her first state visit to the Gulf.
Five decades since its opening, the hotel is now the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort and continues to welcome guests to the Garden City. Three swimming pools, a shaded spot for children, a swim-up bar and a water slide plus several dining options – including popular Tex-Mex bar Paco’s and palm-tree surrounded garden eatery Makani – make it a family favourite.
Rates from Dh350; www.radissonhotels.com
Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
Back in 1979, a sprawling pink-tinged Sheraton hotel opened in Abu Dhabi under the watch of Sheikh Ahmed Al Hamed, the UAE’s first minister of information and tourism. Joining Hilton and Le Meridien, it was the third major international hotel chain to open in the capital, and its modernist design – with traditional fortress influences – dominated the beachfront location.
Newly renovated in 2021, the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort is one of the capital's longest-running five-star hotels, and is a popular haunt with locals and long-standing residents. The property's private beach on the corniche is well frequented while the temperature-controlled swimming pools and pool bar are the place to escape the hot summer sunshine. A newly built spa offers pampering and relaxation.
Rates from Dh366, excluding taxes; www.marriott.com
Le Meridien Abu Dhabi
Le Meridien Abu Dhabi is where the late Queen Elizabeth II and Sheikh Zayed had lunch together during the monarch’s first state visit to the UAE in 1979. The capital’s newest hotel was a fitting venue for the meeting, with its seaside location, air conditioning, temperature-controlled swimming pool and colour TVs.
Nestled right on the beach, the hotel was designed in the 1970s modernist style, interspersed with locally inspired arches and domes. It quickly became a popular place for business travellers and aircrew to stay when in the emirate, and four decades on, the recently revamped hotel continues to welcome holidaymakers who flock to the five-star hotel for sunshine-filled days and dining in the hotel’s restaurant village.
Rates from Dh485; www.marriott.com
Erth Abu Dhabi
With a narrative dating back to the eighties, the old Armed Forces Officers Club & Conference Centre was purpose built as a recreation facility for members of the UAE’s armed forces. Fourteen years later, it was converted into the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel and inaugurated by late President Sheikh Khalifa.
Located right beside Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the hotel is an architectural marvel and unique to the city. In 2021, it was revamped and reopened as Erth Abu Dhabi – a beautiful futuristic-looking hotel, with a name meaning legend in Arabic, a nod to its Emirati roots.
Filled with natural colours, soft archways and palm-dotted walkways, the resort has private villas, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, 600-seat theatre and unique places to dine. It continues to evolve with botanical gardens, beach restaurants and a retro souq experience opening soon.
Rates from Dh477; www.erth.ae
