I m a thorough believer in the idea that what make...

I m a thorough believer in the idea that what makes a 5 star hotel/resort is not the absence of mistakes but how staff and management responds to any slip ups.

When I booked, I was told that complimentary breakfast was included along with a promotional offer of 200 AED per day. However, at check in, the staff member said that I could only receive one of the offers.

After already waiting 20 minutes to be checked in (Due to extra COVID-19 precautionary measures), I didn t feel like arguing and relented as my family and young child were waiting for me.

Then came Sarita, the staff member who took it upon herself to escort us to the room. Noticing that I was slightly flustered from the check in process, she inquired if everything was OK and was very intent on cheering us up however possible. She went above and beyond to make sure our trip was better than the first impression from check in.

I later spoke with the manager of the hotel who not only availed the complimentary breakfast but also informed us that our room type allowed for private dining to deliver breakfast to us daily at no additional charge. She also allowed complimentary breakfast for our nanny!

Besides that initial hiccup, every thing was top notch and smooth sailing for the remaining of our stay. Dinner at Sontaya, one of the resort s restaurants was amazing! All staff greeted us every time we walked around the hotel.

At the pool, the facilities on site were also immaculate and pool cabanas were complimentary. The pool was sanitized and scrubbed every morning. Complimentary ice water and concessions were provided daily. The beach was in pristine condition.

We loved it so much that we added on another night! Although the centralized booking number for Marriott had to charge us the market rate which was high because of Eid holiday, the management agreed to match our pre-booked rate.

The resort went above and beyond to help us celebrate our wedding anniversary with chocolate and fruit upon arrival and a tasty slice of cake on the day of our anniversary.

Hands down, St. Regis Saadiyat is the best resort I ve stayed at in my nine years in Abu Dhabi. I felt like I was in another country which was a great respite since my family wasn t comfortable traveling due to COVID-19.

We will definitely be back soon!