After an 8 hour flight from Washington Dulles to Frankfurt, plus a four-hour layover and then a 6 hour flight from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi – finally landing at 8:50pm – we decided we would pick up our rental car and head over to the Aloft Abu Dhabi for a quick stop-over after our 18 hours of travel before heading over to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi in the morning.

We chose the Aloft Abu Dhabi because of the good redemption value – an SPG Category 2 – so for 4,000 points for a weekday night we could get a comfortable room for a short night. The five year old 408-room Aloft is also attached to the Convention Center in Abu Dhabi which was a good thing because the proximity to the Convention Center made it easy to find.

When we got to the hotel, it had a lively vibe with both pool tables in use, and cool techno beat music playing in the background.

Yes, these pictures were taken the next morning, although we arrived at night!

Our check-in agent was sweet, and cordial, and check in went without a hitch.

Because I am a Starwood Preferred Gold guest, we received coupons for two free drinks at any of the three bars, and two cups of coffee from the marketplace downstairs.  In addition, all guests get complimentary in-room water.

Free cocktails, coffee and bottled water.

Our room was much like any other Aloft that I’ve visited. It was sorta hip, yet comfortable without too much furnishing, or fuss.

The bathroom had a bowl style basin, a toilet, a bidet and a large walk-in shower.  There was Bliss lotion and Bliss blue soap by the sink, and Bliss bodywash and Bliss shampoo/conditioner dispensers in the shower.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door with a note thanking us for our stay, and an desert sampler for being SPG Gold.  I must say, I’ve never received anything nearly this nice before for being SPG Gold.

Welcome amenity with a lovely note.

We had a comfortable night’s sleep – partly because we were so tired, and partly because the room had black-out window shades.  We were excited to wake up in the morning to see the property in the daylight, to have a quick poolside cocktail, and then be off to the Park Hyatt.

The Hyatt Capital Gate Abu Dhabi is in the picture, just to the right of the Aloft.

I’ve never been served a margarita on the rocks in a martini glass before.

Bottom Line:
This was a solid stay at a solid hotel.  While it’s not luxurious, I felt well taken care of, and it was the perfect place at the perfect cost at the perfect time.