The location was one of the things that sold the Shangri-La to me. The hotel is situated on the banks of the river opposite the Sheikh Zayed mosque. This gave beautiful views across the river of the mosque and some fantastic sunsets too. If you are familiar with the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, which is another of my recommended Abu Dhabi hotels, it is just south of there on the same side of the river.
The hotel is next door to The Souk which to be honest was a bit of a let down unless you just wanted a few souvenirs I got my obligatory fridge magnet at least.
I did want to go to The Souk though just to try the boat from Shangri-La so it worked out well. I arrived very late at about 1am but the hotel was still fully staffed. My bags were whisked away and I checked in at the main reception as obviously the Club lounge where you would normally check-in was closed.
First impressions of the hotel were good. The lobby was elegant with a domed ceiling in the entrance, chandeliers and high ceilings. The corridors were very long and it was quite a walk to some of the rooms from the lift. I liked the Arabian lights and thick wooden doors to each room. I had expected it to look a bit old fashioned where as it had more of an Arabian feel.
The room had already been turned down with towel swans, roses and petals on the bed. A bit OTT just for me and not really my thing but it was nice that they had made an effort! The room had a very comfortable large bed with good quality linens. Most importantly the room was very quiet and the only noise I heard was the neighbouring room leaving for breakfast in the mornings why do people have to let their doors slam in hotels in the morning??
