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.

World’s first Warner Bros hotel opens in Abu Dhabi


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • 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."

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

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club

  • 1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
  • 2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
  • 3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
  • 4th ODI, Sunday, April 16

Squads:

  • UAE: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
  • Zimbabwe: Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 400hp

Torque: 500Nm

Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)

On sale: 2022 

Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

A cryptocurrency primer for beginners

Cryptocurrency Investing  for Dummies – by Kiana Danial 

There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine. 

Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.

Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this  book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.

Begin your cryptocurrency journey here. 

Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104 

RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm

Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Operation Mincemeat' 

Director: John Madden 

 

Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton

 

Rating: 4/5

 
Updated: March 13, 2023, 8:27 AM