Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island

We recently stayed at Rixos Saadiyat during Eid, and overall it was a beautiful experience with some mixed feelings. The hotel itself is stunning, with a great location on Saadiyat Island. The rooms are spacious, well-maintained, and very comfortable. What truly stood out—and honestly was the highlight of the entire trip—was the staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly, helpful, and attentive, which made a big difference to our stay. However, the main issue was with the swimming pools. Unfortunately, the pool heating was not working throughout our entire stay, and this was during Eid, which is peak season for the hotel. Despite management being aware of the issue, it was not resolved, and we were informed that it could not be fixed due to lack of available staff or technical support. Overall, it’s a great hotel with amazing staff, but the experience was impacted by this issue. Hopefully, this is something the management will address going forward.

We stayed in the Rixos premium for 3 nights and it was a truly brilliant experience. We arrived at the hotel about 9:30am and were offered the chance to have breakfast and take advantage of all the facilities even though we couldn’t get in the room until 3. The hotel was immaculately clean and the staff were fantastic. Nothing seemed like too much trouble. The room was great and the minibar was a great touch. The food and drink generally were fantastic. There are a number of a la carte restaurants but there isn’t really much need to make use of them (although we ate in the Italian one eve and that was fab too) as the main buffet is amazing, the quality and variety of food is second to none. Easily the best buffet we’ve had in a hotel. We’ll definitely be back!

I want to caution others that there is no restaurant access with a two night stay. You can only dine at the à la carte restaurants if you stay for 3 nights or more – which is quite misleading. I booked this hotel for my family of 6 for a weekend stay (2 nights) and spent a considerable 14,000 AED for two bedrooms each night. This was meant to be a special treat for us, something we do once a year. However, when I called to reserve dinner, I was shocked to learn that we weren’t allowed to eat at the à la carte restaurants unless we paid out of pocket – a steep 900 AED for the six of us. So much for "all-inclusive"! Apparently, this condition is buried in the fine print on their website under the terms and conditions. For dinner, we were only allowed access to the buffet-style restaurant - Turquoise. We ate all of our meals there. The buffet was a very good quality with lots of options. There is also a small restaurant next to the pool that serves sandwiches that you have access too. Call me crazy, but when a hotel advertises itself as all-inclusive, you'd expect the restaurants to be included. Or at least be informed by correct marketing that they are not. If you're planning a weekend stay, I wouldn't recommend this hotel. It's only worthwhile if you're staying for 3 nights or more. While the hotel promotes itself as "ultra-all-inclusive," that’s only true for guests staying longer than 3 nights – a detail that’s conveniently not emphasized. Had I even known that ahead of time I would have also booked 3 nights. I'm deeply disappointed by the misleading claims of this hotel.

Our recent stay at Rixos was, without a doubt, the best staycation we’ve had in the UAE. The entire experience was made exceptional by the incredibly friendly and accommodating staff, who consistently went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and enjoyment. Dining Experience: • Turquoise Buffet: We thoroughly enjoyed our meals at the Turquoise buffet. The food selection was impressive, and the quality was outstanding, particularly the grilled meat, which was simply the best. The desserts were also a highlight, with the macarons and eclairs being our favorites. However, it’s worth noting that these popular desserts tend to run out quickly, and unfortunately, they are not refilled, which was a bit disappointing. • Aja Restaurant - Teppanyaki Night: Our second dinner at the hotel was at Aja Restaurant for Teppanyaki night. The California maki and scallops were delicious, but the rest of the menu items didn’t stand out, making the additional cost somewhat questionable. That said, the staff’s willingness to accommodate our son with chicken teriyaki, even though it wasn’t on the set menu, was greatly appreciated. Kid-Friendly Amenities: The hotel’s Kid’s Club is exceptional. It’s well-organized, and the staff are engaging, friendly, and playful with the children. Our son had an amazing time, especially at the waterpark, which he absolutely loved. Staff and Service: The positive vibe throughout the hotel is undoubtedly due to the fantastic staff. From the receptionists and F&B staff to the housekeeping, lifeguards, and security, everyone was genuinely nice and helpful. Special thanks to: • Rohit and Benj (Reception) - For being attentive and ensuring a smooth check-in and check-out process. • Ali (Highlights Bar) - For his friendly service and attentiveness. • Ezequiel - For his assistance with our luggage and the thoughtful gesture of calling valet ahead of time. • Vergel (Housekeeping) - For the delightful towel animals, which our son adored. Final Thoughts: Rixos offers a top-notch experience that is worth every penny and more. We left with wonderful memories and can’t wait to return. A big thank you to everyone at Rixos for making our stay truly special!

Nice choice of restaurants (4 a la carte available) and buffet was good so really happy with food choices. Pool was bit smaller than it should be for resort this size, and offered little or no shade through most of the day. Same for wave pool & slide pool (which were really out the way). We had a problem with the smell of damp in our room & it took 4 days for them to move us with no compensation offered. Other than that, service was good & it was well looked after with polite staff.