Three hundred and ninety-four rooms in the iconic 2005 palace on Abu Dhabi's West Corniche — 1.3 kilometres of private beach and 85 hectares of gardens. Mandarin Oriental took over operations in November 2020.
"394 rooms in the iconic 2005 palace. 1.3 km private beach, 85-hectare gardens. Abu Dhabi's palace flagship — Mandarin Oriental since 2020."
Emirates Palace opened in February 2005 on Abu Dhabi's West Corniche — built by the government of Abu Dhabi as the city's grand-flagship luxury hotel and constructed at a cost of approximately $3 billion (one of the most expensive hotel construction projects in history) — with 394 rooms across the iconic palace's main building and adjacent wings. The Kempinski brand operated the property from opening through 2020; Mandarin Oriental took over operations in November 2020 with comprehensive infrastructure refresh and the brand's particular Asian-luxury operational discipline. The palace's 1.3 kilometres of private beachfront and 85 hectares of gardens make it one of the largest single-property luxury hotels in the world.
The 394 accommodations split between the entry-level Coral Rooms (in the smaller wings, with garden or partial-Gulf views), Pearl Rooms (with direct Arabian Gulf views), the Diamond Suites with substantial private terraces, the multi-bedroom Suites including the Palace Suites and the Emirates Suite (the property's flagship single accommodation, with substantial private outdoor terrace and the most extensive Arabian Gulf and palace-grounds views). Every room features the post-2020-Mandarin-Oriental-handover updated interiors with substantial Emirati craft accents.
The grounds — the 1.3 km private beach with multiple beach clubs, three swimming pools, the comprehensive Emirates Palace Spa, the fitness centre, the marina, the gardens, the heliport (the only hotel heliport in central Abu Dhabi), and the multi-restaurant complex — make Emirates Palace one of the most comprehensively-equipped luxury hotels anywhere. The 85-hectare gardens give the property substantial outdoor space.
Dining is at fourteen restaurants — extraordinary for any luxury hotel. Hakkasan Abu Dhabi is the headline contemporary Cantonese. Talea by Antonio Guida is the modern Italian (Antonio Guida is the Michelin-starred chef behind Mandarin Oriental Milan's restaurants). The Cigar Lounge is the historical luxury hotel cigar venue. The Palace Café serves the property's signature 24-carat-gold-leaf cappuccino. The wine and Arabic-coffee programmes are exceptional. Service is the consistent global Mandarin Oriental Asian-luxury operational discipline at its highest expression. Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental is the UAE's defining luxury hotel and the answer for travellers who want the iconic Abu Dhabi palace experience with the post-2020-Mandarin-Oriental polish.
The Abu Dhabi anniversary at Emirates Palace. Book a Pearl Room with Arabian Gulf view, or for milestone anniversaries the Emirates Suite. Hakkasan dinner; Talea by Antonio Guida; the spa programme; the morning beach walk along 1.3 km of private frontage. The combination of the iconic palace setting and the post-2020-Mandarin-Oriental polish produces the polished Emirati anniversary.
The Abu Dhabi honeymoon at the iconic palace. The Pearl Rooms with Gulf views; the 1.3 km beach; Hakkasan dinner; the famous gold-leaf cappuccino; the spa programme. Emirates Palace IS the international image of Emirati luxury — the palace setting that defines what an Abu Dhabi honeymoon means.
Emirates Palace's 1.3 km private beach, multiple swimming pools, multi-bedroom suites, the fourteen-restaurant range that accommodates picky eaters, the kids' programme, and the substantial 85-hectare gardens make this Abu Dhabi's most comprehensively-equipped family-luxury answer.
West Corniche Road
Abu Dhabi, UAE
West Corniche; 35 min from Abu Dhabi International (AUH), 90 min from Dubai (DXB)
394 rooms across iconic palace
Coral Room from $700/night
Pearl Room with Gulf View from $1,200
Diamond Suite from $2,500
Palace Suite from $5,500
Emirates Suite from $25,000
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 1 night
Iconic 2005 palace ($3B construction)
1.3 km private beach
85-hectare gardens
14 restaurants
Mandarin Oriental since November 2020
Open year-round
Peak: October–April (book 2 months ahead)
Best value: May–September (intensely hot)
High-speed WiFi throughout
Reliable signal across the 85 hectares
In-suite office setups standard
From $700/night. Pearl Rooms with Gulf Views book 2 months ahead in peak. The Emirates Suite needs direct Mandarin Oriental contact.
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