Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, faces onto the Persian Gulf. Drawing on abundant oil resources, the city achieved large-scale development to become the Middle East’s sole international metropolis. Forgoing the flashiness of Dubai where I had visited before, Abu Dhabi exudes a relaxed air. In the central district of the city, mansions fronted by big earth-toned gates line the way, along with street trees beautifully verdant.

In the endless battle against the sand that seems poised to envelop the city itself, there’s a palpable sense of vigor bordering on obsession that has been applied to the construction of the city.
Here is found the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, said to be the world’s most opulent and beautiful, and about a 10-minute drive from it stands the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat al Beri. Along the coast are a series of well-known foreign hotels, and the Shangri-La has its own private beach too, about 1 km in length.

With a layout inspired by the Venetian townscape, gondolas float back and forth along the waterway surrounding the hotel. Elaborate planning has gone into the building configuration as well, giving it an arrangement that manages to avoid the sprawling sense grand-scale sites often end up having.

Passing through a corridor that gives a sense of following along a waterway, the room I was shown had Arabian-style design incorporated throughout. With all guest rooms facing out onto the waterfront,
bright light pours in through their curtained windows.
From its doors and interior walls to head boards and even air conditioner jets, the room features a curvaceousness all through. While in another setting that could get to be a bit cloying if overdone,
here—on the contrary—it offered a locally-tinged feel that was quite pleasant.

Most dramatic of all was the bathroom. Sliding the double-door entrance to open it from the center, the sight of the bathtub, encircled with natural rock, struck me. Arabian designs in mosaic ornamented the floor and far wall, not surprising to me at this point, and what particularly impressed me was the shower booth. With its entrance cut out of natural stone suggesting the form of a mosque dome, it made me feel as if I were stepping into a sort of holy space. Spacious inside, the far wall has a cutout made into it as well, providing a spot to sit while getting cleaned up. The combination of its entrance and wall surfaces’ designs act to give a feeling of depth as if with mirroring.

With lighting in warm tones overall, the hotel’s facilities for the common use of guests feature interiors that let in an abundance of warm sunlight throughout the year. In the restaurant, chefs demonstrate their adeptness with an array of cuisines to serve dishes from all corners of the world.
Along the way to the beach is a swimming pool with the Gulf waters just beyond. At the beachside, children’s voices resound in daytime, while after hours the scene undergoes a complete transformation to the domain of adults,
with music to be enjoyed with a cocktail in hand.

Summers in Abu Dhabi are endless. Amid the sweltering heat where daylight temperatures exceed 40℃, it is a delight to have the option of the swimming pool and the secure private beach. While with the considerable size of its scale the Shangri-La did have something of the feel of a major chain hotel to it in its meal offerings, staff service and so on,
the hotel offered a level of service pleasing to me.