The world’s first Warner Bros. Hotel opens in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National.
The world’s first Warner Bros. Hotel opens in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National.
The world’s first Warner Bros. Hotel opens in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National.
The world’s first Warner Bros. Hotel opens in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National.

Travel

World’s first Warner Bros hotel opens in Abu Dhabi

The WB Abu Dhabi on Yas Island has Looney Tunes room service, a roaring Batmobile and hundreds of memorabilia from the studio's archive

Hayley Skirka
Hayley Skirka

November 12, 2021

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  • Arabic

The WB Abu Dhabi, the only hotel by Warner Bros, has opened its doors in the UAE.

On Thursday, the hotel on Yas Island hosted an opening extravaganza complete with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, a Batmobile and more.

The sleek five-star hotel is replete with nods to Warner Bros films and TV shows such as Harry Potter, Westworld, Superman, The Wizard of Oz, Looney Tunes and many others.

The famous fountain from the opening credits of Friends sits outside the hotel entrance, greeting visitors as they arrive. It was lit up for the first time on Thursday.

Pamela Lifford, president of WarnerMedia global brands and experience, told guests that anyone checking-in would be reminded of the breadth and depth of Warner Bros' characters over the years.

"From Batman to Bugs, from Casablanca to Caddyshack. To Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Ross and Chandler, how could you forget?

"Warner Bros continues to be known for its incredible storytelling and our characters inspire and make people laugh, we make people cry and tell beautiful stories and, as Ted Lasso would say, we also make people believe."

  • Warner Bros has open its WB Abu Dhabi hotel on Yas Island. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
    Warner Bros has open its WB Abu Dhabi hotel on Yas Island. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
  • It is the world's first Warner Bros-themed hotel
    It is the world's first Warner Bros-themed hotel
  • Warner Bros has many famous characters lingering around the hotel including Wonder Woman
    Warner Bros has many famous characters lingering around the hotel including Wonder Woman
  • The Propshop at WB Abu Dhabi
    The Propshop at WB Abu Dhabi
  • Warner Bros memorabilia on display on the hotel's spiral staircase
    Warner Bros memorabilia on display on the hotel's spiral staircase
  • Fans of Warner Bros can shop at The Propshop in WB Abu Dhabi
    Fans of Warner Bros can shop at The Propshop in WB Abu Dhabi
  • There are dining options at the hotel
    There are dining options at the hotel
  • WB Abu Dhabi offers three types of rooms: Vault rooms, Script to Screen rooms and Artist Confidential suites
    WB Abu Dhabi offers three types of rooms: Vault rooms, Script to Screen rooms and Artist Confidential suites
  • All rooms contain memorabilia from Warners Bros films and TV shows
    All rooms contain memorabilia from Warners Bros films and TV shows
  • The Batmobile can be viewed at WB Abu Dhabi
    The Batmobile can be viewed at WB Abu Dhabi
  • The Director's Club restaurant is located at the lobby level of the hotel
    The Director's Club restaurant is located at the lobby level of the hotel
  • The hotel not only features film and TV show memorabilia but also comic books
    The hotel not only features film and TV show memorabilia but also comic books
  • The Overlook Bar at WB Abu Dhabi
    The Overlook Bar at WB Abu Dhabi
  • The pool area
    The pool area
  • All room reservations come with tickets to the Warner Bros World theme park
    All room reservations come with tickets to the Warner Bros World theme park
  • The Overlook pool area at WB Abu Dhabi
    The Overlook pool area at WB Abu Dhabi
  • Memorabilia on the walls of The Director's Club restaurant at WB Abu Dhabi
    Memorabilia on the walls of The Director's Club restaurant at WB Abu Dhabi
  • The pool area at night at WB Abu Dhabi
    The pool area at night at WB Abu Dhabi
  • The all-day dining restaurant Sidekicks
    The all-day dining restaurant Sidekicks
  • The hallways of the hotel are lined with memorabilia
    The hallways of the hotel are lined with memorabilia
  • Horror villian Freddy Krueger's glove on display at the hotel's spiral staircase
    Horror villian Freddy Krueger's glove on display at the hotel's spiral staircase

Guests checking in can enjoy unique entertainment including towering digital pillars in the lobby that display revolving content created by Warner Bros, and a spiral staircase museum packed with scripts, film props, casting shots and more curated from the studio's almost 100-year archives.

An interactive grand piano in the lobby is a replica of the self-playing one seen in Westworld and a sculpture of a stack of luggage at the front entrance has suitcases belonging to cherished Warner Bros characters Tweety, Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne.

As expected, the family-friendly hotel also has lots to offer for children, including a supervised club complete with a "dive-in movie theatre" with miniature sunbeds, parasols and an open-air cinema-style screen. Children can also call their favourite Looney Tunes characters from their rooms, and wait for Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck to deliver milk and cookies.

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, the six-storey hotel's rooms are all themed with guests sleeping in either The Vault rooms, featuring rarely-seen memorabilia; Script to Screen rooms which highlight famous films and TV shows from over the years; or Artist Confidential suites that showcase talents from behind and in-front of the cameras.

Each room is filled with more mementos from Warner Bros with framed pages of scripts such as The Great Gatsby and A Star is Born; classic billings and posters from shows and films; and comic books dating back through the years.

The rooms are spacious and each has a sofa area, Smeg fridge mini bar, a retro dial-up style telephone and a Marshall radio.

The 257-room hotel is just steps away from Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and guests staying at the hotel get free tickets to the theme park.

On the hotel's rooftop, there is a sparkling infinity pool with in-water sunloungers offering 360º views of the island, the Arabian Gulf and across to the city. There's also a spa, fitness centre and family pool that's home to The Matinee pool bar.

The Warner Bros theme continues at the hotel’s dining options. There's an all-day dining restaurant Sidekicks, which has colourful decor, booth-style seats, speech balloon place mats and artwork from classic American 60s cartoon Wacky Races and Yogi Bear.

Downstairs on the lobby level, The Director’s Club is a swanky atmospheric steakhouse offering a good option for dinner.

The hotel is welcoming guests from Friday, November 12, with opening rates starting from Dh845. Reservations can be made at hilton.com

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Updated: March 13, 2023, 8:27 AM
HotelsUAEAbu DhabiHilton