Abu Dhabi Travel Guide
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The Leaning Hyatt of Abu Dhabi Tops Out, Does Not Fall Over
Well, there it stands; the building we've dubbed "The Leaning Hyatt of Abu Dhabi" has topped out without toppling over...yet.
The building itself is called "Capital Gate," being built by RMJM Architects and due to house Abu Dhabi's first Hyatt. It reached its half-way point back in early June, and less than six months is a pretty quick race to the top for them. But then, in order to create the unique structure and keep it safe from high winds and earthquakes, each pane of glass is different, and fitted onto the strong structure with all the modern engineering that the original Tower of Pisa lacked.
Let's not forget that contained within will be 200 hotel rooms and "a gigantic internal atrium, including a tea lounge and swimming pool suspended 263 feet above the ground." Yep—you heard them; there's gotta be that tea lounge. We don't yet have an opening date, but let's just say the first half of 2010 to be safe, since we bet everyone is champing at the bit to get all up in the "World's Most Leaning Tower."
[Images: Hyatt Hotels]
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The Leaning Hyatt of Abu Dhabi Reaches Halfway Mark
As you can see from the on-site construction image above, the insane-crazy idea of building the world's most leaning structure as the Hyatt Abu Dhabi is well under way. In fact, it's more than under way, it's half done!
Officially to be called the Hyatt at Capital Centre, it will boast of 200 hotel rooms and 14 degrees more leaning than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There will also be a swimming pool:
A gigantic internal atrium, including a tea lounge and swimming pool suspended 263 feet above the ground, has been constructed on the 17th and 18th floors, the halfway point of the 35-story, 525-foot tall tower. This milestone offered the designers their toughest architectural challenge and it is at this point that the unique lean of the structure becomes evident.
As if creating a glass-covered, gravity-defying structure wasn't gimmicky enough to attract tourists to this hotel of all of them in the UAE, they had to go and add a dramatic internal atrium. Okay—we've fallen for it; a suspended tea lounge sounds amazing, but we won't be rushing to book a leaning room here anytime soon. Such an innovative structure can't be completed quickly like a typical hotel; we're guessing 2011 for this baby.
[Images: Hyatt Abu Dhabi]
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Abu Dhabi Nears the Finish Line With Their Racetrack-Side Hotel
Remember when we hinted at Abu Dhabi's plan to compete with Dubai's entertainment by building themselves a Ferrari Theme Park, F1 racetrack and track-side hotel? Well, they've actually gone and started the thing; at least the hotel. The structure of it is complete, and currently the construction workers are hemming the glass cloak that will give the building a modular look (one that that reminds us of the Olympiapark in Munich).
The Yas, which will be the world's first five-star Formula One trackside hotel, is a monster with 500 rooms and a marina for docking your megayacht. All of this capped by the pivoting, diamond-shaped glass panels of the roof, which will produce "optical effects and spectral reflections that play against the surrounding sky, sea and desert landscape."
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Abu Dhabi Loving Some Hi-Tech Helix Design
With Abu Dhabi still trying to outdo big bro Dubai, the Gulf city has come up with a high-tech hotel that beats anything we've seen before. The Helix Hotel, whose winning design has just been announced, is not only bizarrely modern but it's also using technology to be environmentally friendly.
The shape is uber-modern, with a helix-shape floor space surrounding an empty core. Apparently this means that from inside the hotel you'll be able to look both up and down to see various public areas, and that includes looking up from underneath to see the rooftop, glass-bottomed swimming pool.
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Shangri-La Abu Dhabi Will Have Arabic Gondolas
Prior to these last couple years of explosive construction in the United Arab Emirates, we had only thought of Abu Dhabi as the mystical location where Garfield would ship Odie the dog when he was being especially annoying. Now, thanks to the proliferation of grandiose hotels in the area, it's somewhere to which we'd gladly ship ourselves, especially since the Shangri-La Abu Dhabi is about to get a sister with a Traders Hotel next door.
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Westin Golf Resort Will Bring "Wellness" to Abu Dhabi
While Westin's Dubai property, the Mina Seyahi Resort. cleans up after their possible outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, Westin has spun on its heels to focus some positive press on its upcoming Abu Dhabi Golf Course Hotel and Spa.
Due by the end of this year, the 146-room complex will be the backbone of an entire community built to give Abu Dhabi residents and business travelers a fresh alternative to the glass-and-steel behemoths going up in the city proper. Focused on recreation, the hotel itself is being designed in a "contemporary wellness style" by Chicago's GREC Architects, and will have its own tennis and squash courts, training studios and a climbing wall, as well as views of the National Golf Course.
We're not used to seeing projects like this planned for the Middle East, as usually the UAE gets stuck with more skyscrapers or some modern building outfitted like a sheikh's palace. In direct contrast, this lower-rise resort puts the focus back onto the outdoors and natural treatments. It could very well become a hit as a desperately needed urban retreat for jaded UAE businessmen.
[Rendering via Starwood]
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Abu Dhabi Hyatt to Put Leaning Tower of Pisa to Shame
Move over, Dubai. Your close neighboring city to the west is getting serious on their friendly competition for tourist dollars. Abu Dhabi is not content with their reputation as a business city in the shadow of Dubai, and to prove it they are having a little fun with their architecture and casting their own funky shadow.
Opening later this year is the 200-room, 5-star Hyatt at Capital Gate, which will not only be Hyatt's first Abu Dhabi hotel but will also hold a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Oddly positioned as the "World's Most Inclined Tower," it will lean four times as far as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It won't simply inch further than Pisa, but will blow it out of the water by leaning a heavy 18 degrees to Pisa's measly 4.
Because of the organic shape of the structure, RMJM Architects have conceived of making the panes of glass as diamond-shaped panels, each one different and placed just so to keep the illusion of a leaning structure. Don't worry about the wind and earthquakes with this one, however, as it's got all the modern precautions that the Leaning Tower of Pisa lacks.
Another larger picture is after the jump.
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Best International Hotel WiFi: Emirates Palace
Best International Hotel WiFi: Emirates Palace
2008 was a year of great improvements for Hotel WiFi both here in the U.S. and abroad.
More and more hotels began offering wireless internet to its guests (although, not all of 'em were doing it for free.) And when we traveled to Europe in the fall, we had two positive WiFi experiences in Barcelona and in Paris. Of course, we had some issues with the internet in Munich. Fellow HotelChatterer JennM had some hell she experienced at the El Coloso Hotel in Madrid. But even the notorious WiFi gougers in the UK started to jump on the cheap and reliable WiFi bandwagon. A very good bandwagon to ride.
Yet probably the best example of international hotel WiFi has to go to the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. If you can manage to get to Abu Dhabi, you can rest assured that your internet connection will be fast, free and most of all, safe. From USA Today:
The computer and broadcast network — and its 3.5 terabyte storage network — can be cut off completely from the outside world, like the U.S. government's secure intranet
The hotel actually upgraded its system in June increasing the signal so guests can even access the internet from the beach. Then again, when you're playing around $1,000 a night, you should have access to whatever you like--on the internet or off.
[Photo: Rooroy]
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Yotel is Headed to Abu Dhabi
In the continuing saga of Abu Dhabi’s attempts to remind the world that Dubai’s not the only city in the UAE, there’s been a big announcement: Abu Dhabi is going to get two Yotels.
At least two Yotels, in fact, according to a recently-signed agreement. There’ll be a Yotel at the Airport and a Yotel at the Abu Dhabi City Centre, with the potential for more in the (further) future.
No word yet on when the Abu Dhabi Yotels should get up and running, but the locals are saying they’ll be “just perfect” for Abu Dhabi’s booming conference and business travel market, and for transit stays at the airport. While we don’t personally know anyone who’s ever needed to transit in Abu Dhabi, we can only guess that Yotel’s done their homework … but let’s put it on record that we think it’s a slightly strange expansion step for them.
[Photo: Ben Terrett]
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Abu Dhabi Building F1 Racetrack Hotel and Ferrari Theme Park
Just when you thought Dubai was having all the fun, neighboring Emirate Abu Dhabi has announced $40 billion-dollar plans for transforming a natural island into a new focus of the Formula One racing world.
Beginning in November of next year, their Yas Island development will host the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on a spanking new race track, complete with the world's first F1 trackside hotel. Banish all thoughts of Motel 6, because this hot property will be kitted-out with top amenities, including yacht parking and views directly into and along the race course.
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Pamela Anderson to Build Eco-Friendly Hotel in Abu Dhabi
Sit down. Please. Unfortunately, what we're about to tell you does not appear to be a joke.
Various sources are reporting on this dark, dark day that Pamela Anderson -- yes, She of the Giant Breasts and PETA Ads -- is venturing into the international hotel business to build an eco-friendly hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Friends, there are times when the jokes just write themselves. This is not one of those times because this is like, not even funny.
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Million-Dollar Hotel Package Includes Guns, Gold, Gluttony and Probably Guilt
The notoriously over-the-top, ridiculously lavish Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi is offering a million-dollar hotel package. No, but seriously. This thing costs $1,025,000 for two people for seven days.
For that much, you would expect someone to follow you into your hotel suite's bathroom to wipe your butt with cashmere -- and, frankly, you can probably request it.
Here's what you get: a 680 square-meter three-bedroom suite lined with gold and marble, complete with crystal chandeliers, a giant plasma TV and laptops.
And oh yes, there's more.
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