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A house full of superlatives

Beyond the deep green lawns of the gulf club and the small rolling dunes where turtles have been nesting for hundreds of years, the soft white sandy beach finally gives way to the calm turquoise never-ending waters of the Arabian Sea.

If there was a coastal Neverland, this must be it: the Saadiyat beach, unfolding in all its wonders right through the big clear glass windows of St Regis Hotel. The hotel has been operating since December 26, but only this week has been officially launched. Driving through the main St Regis gates, narrow alleyways swirl past the St Regis apartments, newly built in the same architectural styles of the hotel itself, till the road finally ends at the entrance of the five-star resort.

The spectacular sea view arrests the eye right from the lobby entrance and it takes will to break away. Yet, the hotel itself has plenty of its own magic. Beautiful marbles, solid wood and elegant chandeliers fill the high spaces. Designed by award-winning architects Woods-Bagot, Johannesburg-based Northpoint Architects and renowned interior designers Hirsch Bedner Associates, the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort incorporates a blend of Mediterranean and Arabic styles, with clever, beautiful touches.

The men’s spa, for example, is done in dark wood and leather with spotlights to keep the cool mood throughout. “This is a big hotel, but it has a lot of intimate spaces,” pointed out John Pelling, the general manager of St Regis.

In fact, it is not just big, but the biggest of all St Regis hotels worldwide, with an impressive 377 rooms and suites. In true Abu Dhabi fashion, the hotel is full of superlatives. It has five swimming pools, including a 25-metres indoor lap pool, and the largest ballroom in the emirate — 3000 square metres that can sit up to 1800 people and can be divided into three sections. The “standard” rooms, with either sea or golf course view, are all called “superior” because they each have 55 square metres (plus a 10 square metres balcony), visibly larger than the usual five-star hotel rooms, which range between 39 and 45 square metres.

The decor and finishes too are a detailed labour of love. Luxurious wood wall panels and doors, petrified wood motifs marbles, safari inspired draws, cabinets and ceiling fan, pearl-white lamps and curtains — this is all Manhattan meets Milan contemporary furnishings, the haute couture of interior design. Bathrooms too are a step beyond luxury. Not only that they are nearly as big as the room itself, but they each feature a deep, white bath-tab set right in front of the window for a truly dreamy experience.

There are also one and two bedroom suites, three spa suites and the daddy of them all, a 2,000 square meters royal suite (not quite ready yet), which spreads over two floors featuring private lift access, five bedrooms, a private swimming pool and a spacious sea-facing terrace.

The St Regis branded Iridium Spa has 12 treatment rooms for women, men and couples and three individually designed spa suites — Moroccan, Thai and Contemporary — each with private terraces and pools, offering body treatments, massages and facials. Unlike the St Regis beach, which is not open to non-hotel guests, not even to annual members, the spa may be booked by anyone. A gym and a children’s club are also available and throughout this year a retail area will open with boutique-style shops, a mini-market and cafes.

The hotel itself has seven food and beverages outlets, including four restaurants — a steak house, a seafood restaurant by the beach, an international all-day-dining and Sontaya, a culinary mosaic of South-east Asia with floating, glass-walled pavilions set amidst interconnected ponds and pools.

“The opening of this hotel is an iconic addition to the St Regis brand’s impressive portfolio, which has nearly tripled in just five years. Almost 30 per cent of the brand’s global growth is focused in the Middle East, underlining our commitment to the region and growing the brand in emerging destinations around the world,” said Roeland Vos, president of Starwood Hotels and Resorts for Europe, Africa and Middle East, of which St Regis is part.

The first St Regis hotel in the world was built by one of the wealthiest men in America, John Jacob Astor IV, in 1904, in Manhattan. It was named after Upper St Regis Lake in the Adirondacks mountains of New York state, which itself was named after a French monk, John Francis Regis, known for his hospitality to travellers.

Over a century later, after many owners and difficult times, the hotel still stands today. Eventually it was bought by Sheraton hotels, which spent over US$100 to transform it into one of the world’s most luxurious hotels and when Sheraton chain was bought by Starwood hotel in 1998, St Regis New York became the flagship of a new line of St Regis hotels and resorts.

“All our hotels are very individual. St Regis Saadiyat is very different from the one in New York,” mentioned Pelling. The one this that St Regis stands out for is the butler service, something completely new to Abu Dhabi.

“This is a very personalised service that we offer to every guest. The butler can do as much or as little you ask of him. He can pack and unpack your suitcase, bring you a cafe latte at 7.05 in the morning or run a bath for you,” pointed out the general manager.

Germany, UK and Russia make the most guests here for now, but Pelling believes that apart from Europe and GCC countries, South Asia, China and Australia will be key markets, along with Dubai weekend breakers.

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