Property
A new compound of 147 villas, all five-bedroom properties and in four different designs. There are stand-alone, semi-detached and terraced models. The Hills is opposite the Officers Club on Abu Dhabi island. The compound is accessed from Khaleej al Arabi Street and is close to Musaffah Bridge.
Price
Rents range from Dh300,000 to Dh1 million. Annual maintenance has not been agreed upon yet and may attract an additional charge.
Key features
From the gated entrance, The Hills has wide streets and landscaped roundabouts, lawns, children's play areas and manicured verges. Wooden gazebos provide shade in the compound's communal areas.
In the main compound, the villas all have wide entrance gates that lead down a ramp into a parking area under the property, where there is space for several cars.
Each villa is spread over three levels with separate maid's and driver's rooms, laundry and storage areas and a guest bedroom with en suite bathroom on the ground level. The middle level has a reception area, kitchen, lounge and dining room, as well as a second sitting room with a double-height ceiling. There is a veranda that leads off the lounge/dining room and a spiral metal staircase leads down into the garden. The third level is light and bright and has four bedrooms, two of which are en suite. There is one family bathroom.
Twenty-one of the villas have private swimming pools. There is also a health complex with a pool.
Adjacent to the main compound are 17 luxury properties with direct beach access. These can be accessed from the main compound or from a second gated entrance. These villas have a large entrance hall, two reception rooms, a study, dining area and kitchen. On the first floor, all bedrooms are en suite.
They say
The Green Emirates Properties chief executive officer, Jasim al Ali, said on completion of the building works: "Hills Abu Dhabi will set another benchmark in the region. The Hills Abu Dhabi provides residents with the best in lifestyle and community living to match the ongoing rising demand for unique and exclusive luxury communities."
We say
This new development oozes luxury living. The villas appear very grand and the attention to detail on the outside and the garden areas is exquisite. Inside, the range of tiles, ornate wrought iron balustrade and fittings were clearly selected for their high quality. The show home, with a sea view, is bright and airy. The balcony from the lounge would be a lovely place to put patio furniture and to while away days in the cooler weather. The walled garden is a good size and those with pools still have plenty of space for a patio and for children to play.
The villas with private beach access are beautiful, modern family homes. With plenty of space and light as well as high-quality fixtures and fittings, they were designed to be unique and sought-after homes for high-flying executives and their families.
Pluses
No matter what type or size of property you are looking for "location, location, location" is the mantra for finding the right place. The Hills is in a premier spot. Still on Abu Dhabi island yet with easy access off the island via Musaffah Bridge or Sheikh Zayed Bridge, it makes getting out of the city quick and easy. From Khaleej al Arabi Street the drive into town is mercifully traffic-signal-free until Al Saada Street and, again, quick and easy.
In all villa types, the rooms are well proportioned and the windows flood the indoors with light. The bedrooms have lots of built-in storage space and the en suite bathrooms are all a good size.
Minuses
One row of villas in the compound backs onto Khaleej al Arabi Street, so noise throughout the day and night could be a problem if you are in the garden. They do, however, have a stunning view of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
One niggle is the kitchen. With two doors, one leading to the entrance hall and the other to the dining room, it appears small for the size of the house. There are built-in cupboards and spaces for a dishwasher, oven and refrigerator. However, these spaces are only for average-sized appliances, not a double-door refrigerator or range-style double oven.
Also, as aesthetically pleasing as it is to hide cars under the villas, it means that if you drive in and park, you have to enter the property through the back door and walk up the stairs to the main living area. Packing for holidays or carrying shopping or sleeping babies into the house could feel like a lot of unnecessary work.
The spiral staircase has a softening effect against the villas' boxy design and adds interest. However, particularly with young children or older family members, they are not always the easiest stairs to go up and down.
Verdict
As the cooling sea breezes blow over The Hills, there is more than an air of luxury about the compound. The impressive size of the villas would give a family a great living space and quality of life.
The compound's common areas are clearly designed to encourage a sense of community outside the high walls of the villas. This new development is set to become a place that people aspire to live in. Its location is guaranteed to make it a new landmark in the capital.
For enquiries call 02 642 9875 or 056 659 9193 or visit www.mduae.net