Happy family days at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

There is no chance of sipping cocktails by the pool with the kids about, but why would you need to at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi? They offer more activities and action-packed fun for all the family than anyone could possibly do in a week! Set on an exclusive 1.3 km long white sandy private beach along the shores of the Persian Gulf, guests at Emirates Palace are utterly spoilt for choice of things to do.

There are two elaborate poolside recreation and dining areas at opposite ends of the Palace: Las Brisas located at the East Pool dotted with palm trees, has a pool bar and Jacuzzi whereas Cascades at the West Pool is the place to go for an aquatic adventure with water falls and water rides, and the children’s outdoor play zone “Sarab Land” where daily activities are arranged including face painting and mini Olympics! Should guests want to disappear for a while to perhaps sip cocktails elsewhere, this is a supervised area where they can leave their children to be looked after and entertained by the hotel staff. Sarab Land is open from 10:00 to 18:00 and caters for children between 5 to 12 years old.

A special play area has also been set aside for the adults “The Energy Play Zone” although this one is not supervised! Incorporating the physics of extreme sports this is a state of the art outdoor gym facility exclusive to Emirates Palace using the latest high tech equipment from France.

To discover the depths of the Persian Gulf why not sign up for a diving course with the hotel’s PADI qualified instructors. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or very experienced as there are courses to suit all levels.

Above water, guests can water ski, knee board, kayak or jump on board the banana boat rider or the donut slider…although for some, it may be hard to stay above water for long.

If guests prefer to stay dry, they could have a go at tennis with the Tennis Professional for one-on-one tuition, volleyball (beach or grass), football, badminton or basketball. And still there are more options - other facilities available to the family are paddle courts, table tennis, Frisbee and cricket. There are two “Techo Gyms” equipped with all the latest technology and qualified instructors are in situ should guests want to sign up for fitness classes or book a personal training session. They are also available to accompany guests while jogging around the hotel’s extensive grounds. Or if that seems too strenuous, guests can visit all corners of the Emirate Palace on a mountain bike which are free of charge.

But why stop there? Further a field, driving across vast sand dunes, sunsets in the desert, belly dancers, camel rides, rounds of golf, city tours and even ice skating and sand skiing await! Emirates Palace can arrange any of these activities for you and make bookings accordingly.

And to replenish depleted energy resources, there is a myriad of restaurants to choose from – will it be Mediterranean cuisine at Mezzaluna or perhaps some seafood at Sayad? Or something for all the family, a barbecue at Al Qasr or something light to eat at Las Brisas overlooking the beach at sundown? Traditional Lebanese cuisine is served at Diwan L’Auberge or for the ultimate dining club experience, head to Etoiles. And when the children run out of steam at the end of the day but the adults want to stay out a little longer at the Havana Club, the hotel can arrange for babysitters to take over from there.

The ultra-comfortable rooms and suites, decorated with a hint of Arabian flavour and equipped with the latest technology, are the perfect place to relax and rest after a big fun-filled day and evening. A good night’s rest is almost guaranteed for all the family and sweet dreams of water slides and camel rides and happy family days at the Emirate Palace hotel!

To book direct, email concierge.emiratespalace@kempiniski.com or log on to emiratespalace.com for more information.