Luxury holidays at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal Mariam Nihal Saudi Gazette “Wherever you go, go with all your heart,” Confucius once said. He probably didn't mean a vacation, but life is a long one too, if you plan it right. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to create a bridge between various cultures, and establish a structure that chose unity as a school of thought. Ritz Carlton grasps the notion that celebrates cultural diversity. Overlooking the Grand Mosque structure that is easily estimated to be the size of five football fields, Ritz Carlton maximizes on its location and gives you the best proximity to the eighth largest mosque of Islamic world, The resort is a luxurious getaway for friends and especially large Saudi families planning to travel this summer. With its own private beach overlooking the Grand Canal, the resort has 85 private villas and 447 luxurious guest rooms and suites for their varied consumer base. The 907 sq. ft Executive suite comes with a garden, pool, and water view. The Royal suite is set over 2,691 sq. ft. If you are a loyal Ritz Carlton your favorite part is the free access to The Ritz-Carlton Club, a private floor that serves complimentary food and drinks throughout the day with an efficient concierge service and PC installed work desks. But get ready to spoil yourself. Not only does your villa give you access to an outdoor terrace, you have a butler at your service, who is never afraid to say yes. But here is where Ritz Carlton wins. Once you step inside, they make sure you do not need to get out. Everything you are looking for on this relaxing break, away from the mundane busy city life and tourist encounters, is easily at your service. The fact that the huge property is a world on its own makes it an ideal destination for major events. Their ballroom is a favorite venue for weddings, that is often redesigned or tailor-made to the couple's whims and desires. With regular exciting activities for children including games, events, health classes and safe access to a pool with a lifeguard supervision for your young ones, it is more than likely that it will be become their favorite destination. Babysitting services are available on request and the Ritz Kids Club for children offers an extensive range of supervised activities, everyday. While your kids get busy, you can enjoy relaxing treatments including massages, facials, the steam room, hammam, beauty salon services (in case you are attending a wedding in the hotel, you won't have to go elsewhere.) From spas, restaurants, fun lounge spots, health clubs, plunge pools and more, they ensure you have enough to keep yourself entertained within its premises. The resort has three signature restaurants designed by Super Potato. You can chill by the pool and beach restaurant, two poolside lounges, and a Lobby Lounge another venue offering a great selection of drinks and bite-sized meals. Perhaps the most extensive, the hotel is home to Michelin star chefs that pamper your taste buds. The Forge is a signature steak house, Li Jiang is a Southeast Asian restaurant with an open kitchen with delicious cuisine offering your favorite dim sums and noodles and you can seek solace in Arabic cuisine at Mijana. Giornotte is an all day Midetteranean restaurant, or if you are in the mood for light snacks you can find Al Fresco by the pool and beach downstairs or try Dolce, which is an Italian-style café that makes delicious home-made gelato. Alba is the hotel's lobby lounge, Sorso plays live music and is a good start before you head out. In case you have not been able to explore the rich culture of UAE's capital, make sure you make time to soak in the history. Given the hotel's convenient location, take time to absorb diversity of experiences. With natural islands, 2,000 well-maintained parks and gardens, palaces and forts, desert camps, falconry, camel trekking and Arabia's famed hospitality, Abu Dhabi is an advanced metropolis. Ferrari world, Yas waterworld, Saadiyat Island, which is home to some of the best events in the Middle East. It is now home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, a universal museum designed by Jean Nouvel. The city and luxury resort are definitely a must see for all art, architecture and history buffs, but it is essential for those far from it. Considering life has become a routine, hard to out-do and always an unending race that seems far from finished, it is essential we take a step back and realize what we are missing out on. Life waits for no one, but only we have the power to run time. So sit back, plan your future and take a break. But don't forget to seat yourself in the lap of luxury.
