We went on a mini road trip to the capital last weekend, and decided to spend the last few days of Ramadan in Centro Capital Centre. Conveniently located in the hub of Abu Dhabi’s business district, this 3-star property has proven to be a very popular hotel among business executives. The pricing is very reasonable without compromising on the quality of the experience itself.
Infact we had a dejavous experience! Walking into the lobby, I mistook this property to be Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana And even told the receptionist I’ve been here before! When we stayed at Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana, we were upgraded to a suite but they don’t have suites in Centro Capital Centre. The bedding, the sofa and even the accessories look identical to our last stay, with everything being compressed into a smaller, cozier space.
There was no dearth of space by any means. Hubby plonked himself on the very comfy queen-sized bed, swiveling the 32 inch television to his direction. Our little one got busy with her brand new arts and crafts kit at the study desk, and I nested myself in a cushy corner on the very welcoming L-shaped couch, reading literature in hand.
It was not until a few hours later when my little girl stomped her little feet demanding to be taken to the pool. We reached the pool only to find there was no baby pool here! But she spent an entire afternoon in it last time… where did it go? Do they have other pools in the building? Silly, silly me… that was in Capital Centre Arjaan by Rotana. At Centro Capital Centre, they skim out on the minutest details to keep the pricing at a bargain low. No baby pool here.
Thankfully she had her inflatable life-vest with her, and we had a lovely mummy-daughter time splashing about the pool.
Carrefour is a short 5 minute walk from the property, and we bought a few snacks and drinks to load the mini fridge in the room. Before long, it was time for Iftar. We headed to C-Taste, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant. When we got there, the restaurant was absolutely full as a corporate banquet had booked out most of the table spaces. Lucky us, we got accommodated onto a table right next to the server carving the Ouzi.
The waft of aromatic Ouzi made every minute of counting down to breaking fast all the more challenging, and let me tell you it tasted even better! The meat was succulently moist and soft, the pilaf a deep brown from all that caramelized onion and meat gravy. We had it with bowls of minted yoghurt on the side.
Apart from the Ouzi, the elaborate buffet includes a range of enticing international salads, hot and cold Arabic mezze, and a long lineup of mains that are predominantly of Arab origin.
My little girl absolutely loved the Pasta with White Sauce, so unlike her as she is super finicky with how her pasta is cooked. My favorites included the Ouzi, a very fresh, tangy Frekkeh Salad, the Shrimp Salona and the Iranian Mixed Grills.
The dessert counter is heaving with decadent treats. I would highly recommend their rich and creamy Chocolate Mousse, and the very soft, aromatic Basbousa drenched in a thick rose syrup.
After all that gluttony, we found ourselves cozily tucked under the snow-white bedsheets in our room, watching a bout of television. They had Desperate Housewives on, so I hogged the television screen most of the evening while the Hubster went to check out the hotel’s gymming facilities. The gym here has all the usual suspects; treadmills, cycles and weights. Perfect for the waist-conscious exec on a short business trip to the capital.
Like most hotel bookings, this room rent includes breakfast. However, as it was Ramadan, we got Suhoor instead. Around 2 in the morning, we headed down to C-Deli, the mini tuckshop of the hotel, and packed up two suhoor meals. This included warm soup, hot mezze, boiled eggs, a green salad and fruits. Two meals were more than sufficient for the three of us.
We snoozed into the later part of the morning, and the staff were kind enough to grant us a late checkout at 2 pm. This gave us ample time to take the little one to one last bout of swimming.
Although Centro Capital Centre has been designed for the business traveler, this short stay proved it can be pretty idyllic for a short, budget-friendly family stay as well. The facilities are topnotch, and you barely notice the wee trimmings. I will surely recommend this place to my big troupe of friends who are landing here from overseas next month (and did I mention we were just 10 minutes away from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque? A must-visit whenever we visit the capital).
The Tezzy Files 