Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi - Yas Island

Although it looks pretty faceless from the outside, the Crowne Plaza is pretty striking, with a vast double-height lobby featuring marble floors and geometric patterns drawn with shiny gold lines. Behind its reception desk is a great Arabic sunburst pattern in varying shades of blue, while one corner has two gilded ferris wheel cages with red cushions suspended from the ceiling. The hotel has three restaurants, including a buffet with a vast glass wall, clusters of rattan lampshades hanging down from a wood-beam ceiling, and banquettes in pearlescent gray fabric with colorful throw cushions. The Lebanese restaurant is a more intimate space with cherry chairs, Moroccan lanterns, and a stage for entertainment. Guests lean toward business travelers and F1 fans, as well as a fair share of golf enthusiasts.

On the man-made Yas Island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, the Crowne Plaza is pretty far from the center of town: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is 22 minutes away by car, while Corniche Beach is a 33-minute drive away. However, the Yas Marina Circuit, where the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is held each year, is a three-minute drive away, and Yas Links golf club is five minutes away by car. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, which the world’s fastest rollercoaster calls home, is also a five-minute drive away. A free minibus runs to and from the Crown Plaza and Yas Beach. Expect transfers to Abu Dhabi International Airport to take 12 minutes.

The 428 modern rooms are large and bright, decorated in cool neutrals with dark-wood furniture, striped carpet, and geometric flower patterns on the walls behind the beds. Even the lowest-category Superior Rooms have space for two cream-leather armchairs, a table, and a big curved desk that’s geared toward business clientele. Deluxe Rooms are much the same inside, but add furnished balconies with sea views. Rooms have bathrooms with windows looking into the main room, which have adjustable privacy blinds between the panes. They are equipped with deep marble shower/tub combos and bidets, plus robes, slippers, and toiletries. Suites add a separate lounge, and the Superior Suites have a kitchenette with a breakfast bar and two bar chairs, a microwave, mini-fridge, and sink. They have wet room-style showers and separate tubs. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, a safe, minibar, flat-screen TV, and iPod dock. On the downside, some guests have complained of noise from nearby attractions, an on-site bar, and airplanes.

The hotel has a decent list of amenities aimed as much at tourists as business guests. An outdoor pool is a good way to cool off from the heat, featuring lots of shade and cushioned loungers, as well as a pool bar. Indoors is another bar, designed to look like a Brooklyn loft, complete with faux exposed brickwork. Three dining options include an all-day buffet restaurant, a pan-European eatery, and a Lebanese restaurant only open for dinner. Room service is available 24/7.An on-site spa offers massage and beauty treatments, a sauna, and hair salon. Although outfitted with a good array of cardio and weight-training machines and free weights, the gym equipment is on the older side. Guests can also work up a sweat at the squash court. A business center and meeting rooms are available. There is a mini-bus that drives to and from Yas Beach all day, and guests of the Crowne Plaza get a waiver on entry fees. Free Wi-Fi and secure underground parking are provided.