The weekend before last, we had the pleasure of being invited by Hilton Al Ain for a mini break. Did you know that this is the very first international hotel to have opened on UAE soil? Hilton Al Ain opened its doors to the public way back in 1971, and has an impressively long list of celebrity vacationers with the likes of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Their Majesties – The King and Queen of Spain, and legendary boxing champion Mohammed Ali himself.
Given its long history, the hotel facade and lobby may not look as flash and trendy as we Dubai dwellers have become accustomed to expecting. However, the building has been going through some major renovations, and our Junior Suite was beautifully spacious and inviting.
Hilton Al Ain Junior Suite, Amenities and Room Service:
The Junior Suite has a living-dining room, and a bedroom with a bathroom attached. The dining-table was set with a platter of Arabic sweets and a bowl of fruits to welcome us in. We helped ourselves to the complimentary tea and coffee, and made ourselves at home.
The sofa in the living-room converts into an additional bed, and my 5 year-old felt very special having this room all to herself at night.
The bedroom has a queen-sized bed, a study desk, and a television screen. How lovely to have two screens in one suite! Our toddler was watching all her cartoons in the living-room, while we had the bedroom screen to ourselves for sitcoms 🙂
The bedroom comes with ample storage space. There are drawers in the bedside tables, in the television cabinet, and the room also has two spacious wardrobes. One of the wardrobes houses two complimentary bath-robes, an ironing table and slippers.
The bathroom is clean and compact, and I was really impressed with the amenities provided. I am usually very skeptical about hotel toiletries and their quality, but at Hilton Al Ain, the toiletries are from the Peter Thomas Roth brand!
Amenities included in the room:
- Complimentary WIFI in the lobby and room
- A selection of teas and coffee along with an electric kettle
- A platter of Arabic sweets and fruit
- A locker for storing away valuables
- Ironing table and iron
- Bath robes and slippers
- Additional bedding
- Hairdryer
- Bathroom amenities:
- Towels
- Toothpaste and tooth-brushes
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Face soap
- Body cream
- Shower gel
- Shaving foam and razor
- Comb
- Sewing kit
I was also impressed by the beautiful flower bouquet in the living-room. Nothing like fresh flowers to spruce up a space.
The staff at Hilton Al Ain are very approachable and friendly without being intrusive. When room-service came to make our beds for the night, I forgot I had a face-mask on and opened the door! I looked like a scary green ogre with the Lush Love Lettuce Mask, and despite being rather taken aback initially, the man from room-service managed to keep a straight, formal face throughout!
That afternoon, I took my daughter to the pool. When I asked a staff member for the shortest route to the pool from our room, he did more than just give me directions, he guided me all the way there! Now that’s what I call first-class service 🙂
Entertainment Facilities:
Hilton Al Ain has two swimming-pool areas. One is for serious swimmers doing laps, and is only accessible to swimmers over 18 years of age.
The other is a family pool which is predominantly shallow, and has a very entertaining slide and waterfall area for the kids.
My daughter had so much fun on that slide! It is a winded, spiraling tunnel that ends with a big splash into the pool. I got the mummy jitters when she first went on, but the life-guards reassured me she would be alright, and could keep her floatie on. I was at the end of the tunnel waiting to catch her after the splash. Around 20 times later, I was comfortable enough to get back to me poolside deck and flick a magazine! It was a challenge getting her out of there.
They also have a mini play area near the pool, and my daughter practiced her monkey-like climbing skills on the ropes, slided down the pole, and giggled on the swing.
The hotel also has a gym, sauna, and tennis and squash courts.
Dining Options:
With 7 very different dining concepts on the property featuring Mexican, Arabic, Italian and international cuisines, Hilton Al Ain has foodies very spoilt for choice. We got to try out Flavours, their international buffet restaurant, for lunch and breakfast. We had dinner at Makani Cafe, an open-air Arabic restaurant under the stars, puffing on shisha. When my daughter went into deep snooze mode after her long, exciting day at the pool, Hubby and I managed to sneak out for a few hours to Paco’s, Hilton Al Ain’s very happening Tex-Mex bar featuring live entertainment by a very talented band called ‘Steel’. I will be posting more on our dining experiences in Hiton Al Ain in my next few posts, stay tuned!
Places to Visit in Al Ain:
- 10 minutes walking distance from Al Ain Mall
- The Jebel Hafeet Mountain range is visible from the hotel’s rooms, and is one of the major tourist attractions of Al Ain
- The Al Ain Zoo featuring the very rare and beautiful white tigers.
- Explore Al Ain’s magnificent sand dunes on a desert safari.
- Discover the cultural sites of the city, considered as human heritage by UNESCO
A public bus service stops right at the front of the hotel. Avis car rentals also has an office on the ground floor of the hotel.
Overall, we had a very well-deserved, chilled out break at Hilton Al Ain. The beautifully serene, spacious room coupled with excellent room service and a whole array of delicious food to boot (more on that later!), makes me want to run back there right now! Hilton Al Ain is a great getaway from hectic city life, and is also a haven for young families looking for some quality time with their little ones.
Planning a short getaway from the humdrum of city life? Head to Al Ain, and book a room at the Hilton!
Hilton Al Ain is located in the Al Sarooj District (Al Ain). For more details on the hotel and its facilities, visit their website, or call +971 3 768 6666.
I will be posting about my dining experiences at Hilton Al Ain next, so stay tuned!
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