Hotel review: Zaya Nurai Island, Abu Dhabi

A Maldives-like resort minutes from the city.

A bedroom at Zaya Nurai Island. Courtesy Zaya Nurai Island

The welcome

I arrive at the small, discreet welcome centre on Saadiyat Island (opposite the Saadiyat Beach Residences), which has a secure parking area, and unload my bags. I’m offered a mocktail by an effusive staff member who whispers: “Do you love it?.” It’s delicious. Large speedboats carrying about 20 people leave every hour on the half-hour, so I board for the 10-minute journey to Nurai Island. Arriving at Nurai is a bit like arriving at a resort in the Maldives, with clear, turquoise water filled with fish around the jetty and a line of staff proffering cold towels. The first thing I see is the resort’s open-air “library”, where a couple are playing table football in their swimwear. I’m taken to my villa in a golf buggy and checked in.

The neighbourhood

Nurai is a fairly small natural island that has been enlarged and turned into a high-end residential and hotel development. Most of the large villas, some of which can accommodate 12 people, are for sale (prices from Dh25 million). You can walk around the whole island in under an hour. There are no cars. While some parts are landscaped, it’s pleasantly rustic, with unsealed sandy tracks. There’s a helipad and guests can arrive with their own boats by prior arrangement. The resort and brand Zaya has been created and developed by Nadia Zaal, who was also behind Al Barari in Dubai.

The room

I’m in one of the hotel’s 32 one-bedroom beach villas. It’s 110 square metres, with the bed in the centre of the room, facing the pool. I have a generously sized garden with a large daybed where I have a one-hour massage. There’s also an outdoor dining area. There are steps down to a shared beach area, but the main beach on the other side of the island, by the main pool and restaurants, is more attractive for swimming. The white, minimalist structure looks great at night, though it’s not possible to turn off all the exterior lights, which is a shame. There’s also a glowing security light in the room that staff tape over when I complain. There are some nice reproductions of vintage Abu Dhabi photographs and a separate sitting area with a TV, sofa, coffee table and books.

The service

Attentive. I have a morning yoga session on a pier just yards from my room; you get the sense that everything is on hand.

The scene

The resort’s architecture and design creates a relaxing atmosphere. Guests are a mixture of Emiratis and expats on short stays and European and Asian guests on longer stays. The terrace, which blends between two restaurants and faces the sea, is the place to be.

The food

I have a delicious four-course tasting menu (Dh425 per person, including taxes) at Olive, the hotel’s fine-dining Mediterranean restaurant: crab soup, scallop salad, seafood stew and crème brûlée. The seafood stew is exceptional. There’s a great choice of breakfasts. I choose “Oriental”, which involves shakshouka, halloumi, foul and vegetables. Juices and coffees are excellent. The only downside is some persistent flies.

Loved

The fresh air and sense of space.

Hated

The flies and lack of outside lighting controls.

The verdict

In opening this resort, one senses that Abu Dhabi has left the best until last.

The bottom line

Until at least the end of this month, villas at Zaya Nurai Island (www.zayanuraiisland.com) cost from Dh2,726 per night for UAE residents, including taxes and breakfast.