Where to stay

Saadiyat Island is fast becoming a cultural center, helped in no small part by the Jean-Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi. This art museum was opened in collaboration with the French government to showcase not just works on loan from European collections but local heritage too. Places to stay here are fittingly swanky and upmarket, and will also put visitors close to the Manarat Al Saadiyat, home to some interesting temporary art exhibitions. Abu Dhabi's other treasure is the astonishingly beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, closer to a wide range of hotels further inland in Abu Dhabi City Center. Reserve a room in Al Danah to be between the two, and to visit Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the oldest building in the city.

Saadiyat Public Beach, on Saadiyat Island, is among the best public beaches in the city. That said, many of the super-luxe resorts here, including the glamorous Park Hyatt and the city's second, St. Regis, have private beaches, pools and spas. The neighborhood of Al Danah is a great place to stay to be close to the sand: it adjoins the Corniche, the city's famous seafront promenade, with its public beach, cycle paths, parks and fountains. Stay near Al Bateen beach, to the south of Abu Dhabi City Center, for more of a local vibe. Yas Island, best known as the site of Abu Dhabi's Grand Prix racing circuit, also has a good beach club and watersports, although accommodations here are limited.

Abu Dhabi might not be as commercial as Dubai, but it's still a shopper's paradise with air-conditioned malls across the city. The sprawling Madinat Zayed Shopping Center and gold souk, just south of Al Danah and inland from the coast, is the city's most famous place to shop. Book one of the excellent value four-star hotels in the surrounding neighborhood to be left with cash to splash. Other notable venues include expat favorite Khalidiyah Mall, handy for those staying in Abu Dhabi City Center, while accommodations in Al Maqta, to the east, are closer to Souk Qaryat Al Beri, an upscale modern reimagining of a classic souk. Al Danah has the 200-store-strong Abu Dhabi Mall, cementing its hotels as excellent choices for those looking for varied trips.