Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island

Qnenie from “Lolivo” the best!

We’ve just returned from an amazing seven-night stay at Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island and genuinely couldn’t fault it.

From the moment we arrived, the staff were fantastic. We didn’t get to the hotel until around 9:30pm and, knowing the restaurant closed at 10pm, they suggested we eat before even going to our room. Such a thoughtful touch after a long day travelling and typical of the service throughout our stay.

Our room was gorgeous, with a complimentary minibar stocked with soft drinks and plenty of bottled water.

Food-wise, the main buffet at Turquoise is fantastic and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is so much choice that I doubt you’d get the chance to try everything, even if you’re there for a week! There really is something for everyone, with a huge selection of international dishes and plenty of variety at every meal.

There’s also People’s Restaurant by the pool for a more casual lunch and even a small midnight buffet from midnight until 2am — perfect if you fancy something later on or need to carb up after one too many cocktails! 😂

I’d recommend visiting Guest Relations when you arrive to book the à la carte restaurants. We managed four evenings during our seven-night stay and tried the Italian, Greek/seafood and Asian restaurant, Aja. We loved Aja so much we went twice! All were excellent — just go hungry, as you can choose five courses.

The pool area was probably where we spent most of our days. The wine selection is fairly limited, but there’s a huge choice of cocktails and premium branded spirits — and they’re certainly generous with their measures! 😂 There’s also a really good selection of freshly made mocktails if you don’t drink or just fancy a break from the alcohol.

Poolside service was brilliant. If you don’t want to leave your sun lounger, there’s a service button and the staff whizz around on roller skates taking drinks orders. They also bring around cold towels and fruit platters at times during the afternoon — another lovely touch.

It is a family resort, so naturally it can be lively, particularly during school holidays. There is, however, an adults-only section in the main restaurant and a separate grassed area with sun loungers for adults. We loved the relaxed atmosphere, but if complete peace and quiet is what you’re after, an adults-only resort may suit you better.

The beach is absolutely stunning, with beautiful white sand and turquoise water, and the sunsets are gorgeous. The spa is also well worth a visit, with separate ladies’ and men’s facilities as well as a mixed outdoor pool, jacuzzi and quiet chill-out area.

The only small area we felt could be improved was the evening entertainment. There were some really good singers and a DJ in Savannah Soul Bar, but we perhaps expected a little more organised entertainment. It certainly didn’t spoil our holiday though.

Above everything else, the staff were faultless. Nothing was too much trouble and all the little touches made the stay feel special.

We had an amazing seven nights, met some great people and came home completely relaxed — and probably a couple of pounds heavier! 😂 We absolutely loved it and would return in a heartbeat.