Ever been on a short break to some interesting part of the world only to find that instead of fulfilling your grand intentions of visiting globally significant landmarks you were so tired out from the lead-up to the holiday that you ended up crashing beside the pool? Or you spend so much time whirling around whichever new city you have chosen only to fail to make the most of the hotel?
Both result in a lingering sense of missed opportunity, but curiously, you can banish such misgivings when you visit the odd little enclave of hotels that have been constructed on Yas Island. Because, unless you've arrived clutching books like A Field Guide To Construction Machinery of the UAE and What Rubble Is That?, there is gloriously little reason to leave the hotel grounds.
After all, the neighbouring attractions include an almost invariably empty Grand Prix racetrack, the unfinished shell of Ferrari World, a golf course on which grass is still in the process of growing and the not-yet-building sites of what in a few years will become the Saadiyat Island cultural district.
The inevitable result of Shahama being the high point of nearby sights is guilt-free slacking by the pool, being fed and watered at the numerous establishments associated with the hotels, or being pampered in one of the spas.
And since Yas is less than 30 minutes drive from downtown Abu Dhabi, there's even the warm tinge of not having been responsible for releasing untold tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by flying to some far-flung place.
Since staycations are more often motivated by financial concerns than global warming, it helps that these hotels are considerably cheaper than others in the city. This week the UK-based Hogg Robinson Group announced the average hotel room rate in Abu Dhabi's hotels is US$405 (Dh1,490), making it the second most expensive destination for accommodation in the world after Moscow, but quickly closing the gap on its European rival.
All of which makes the average nightly rate of $142 (Dh522) including taxes for the mid-market Park Inn, the first property in the hook-shaped crescent of hotels located beside the Yas Marina Circuit, a bargain.
Instead of spending hours in cars or airports to get to my destination, about 45 minutes after leaving midtown Abu Dhabi my car door was being opened by the valet parking staff at the Radisson Blu (www.radissonblu.com; 02 656 2000; average nightly rate $190/Dh696 including taxes). This was only slightly longer than the journey to the airport would have been. (The hotel website's claim that it's 15 minutes from the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre must involve either a helicopter or a 4am journey when the roads are deserted.)
The valet parking staff were attentive but then I noticed that there was barely a soul around. This continued as I approached the check-in desk and received instant and cheerful service so that I was soon ensconced in my room looking across the semi-grassed golf course to the mangroves.
With the aircon off and the sliding doors wide open, it didn't take long to realise that views over the mangroves not only provide vistas of wading flocks of flamingos but also biting mosquitoes.
Normally when hotels begin operations, they start slowly with a soft opening of a few rooms and gradually build up so that the staff can get up to speed. Because this hotel opened just days before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it went straight from zero to 100 per cent occupancy but from the hardest of hard openings, it's since reverted almost to a soft opening again with only a fraction of the rooms filled at any one time.
Between this and the Park Inn next door (both owned by the Rezidor Hotel Group) there are more than 600 beds. Cheek by jowl with this pair are the Crowne Plaza, the Centro, Staybridge Suites and the Rotana - all surprisingly slick interiors-wise. A short stroll away within the Yas Marina circuit is the Yas Hotel.
So it's no surprise that you can choose almost any seat you want at Assymetri, the main restaurant at the Radisson Blu, or later in Filini, the Italian bar and eatery with a terrace outside where, for most of the time I spent there, heaters warmed empty seats.
That's a kind of metaphor for the slightly unsettling experience of staying here. The hotels are new and this ought to be peak season - when the days are sunny and pleasant - but it's virtually empty. But then you take the impression a step further and realise the absent others' loss is your gain because there is never any battle to get a poolside sunlounger or a table outside for breakfast.
The next day, the other guests mostly seemed to be comprised of small groups of military or military-related types on holiday from less friendly places.
That evening there was an influx of people from Abu Dhabi, for which the proximity of the hotels on Yas Island has prompted a newfound sport of hostelry crawling, partaking in something from each hotel (the swish Stills bar and brasserie in the Crowne Plaza even boasts Abu Dhabi's longest bar). Overnight rates are so modest that you can avoid a late-night taxi fare by staying overnight.
That night I wandered into an empty lift, through silent deserted corridors to my brand new room, thinking I'm onto one of Abu Dhabi's better-kept secrets.
jhenzell@thenational.ae
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Indika
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
