Abu Dhabi’s Nation Towers Welcomes Hotel with World’s Highest Suspended Suite

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

Abu Dhabi, UAE—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc., a member of St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, announced the opening of the 283-key St. Regis Abu Dhabi, following the location’s mid-August debut. The five-star hotel is located within the Nation Towers, a two-tower waterfront mixed-use development on the Abu Dhabi Cornice. The hotel is located on floors 33 through 49 of the smaller, 52-story tower, with the world’s highest interconnecting presidential suite located on the 49^th floor connector bridge between the development’s two high-rises.

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is comprised of 283 rooms, of which 55 are suites and all offer panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. The hotel boats 52,000 square feet of high-tech meeting and event space, including the Al Mudhaif Ballroom, and The Library business center. Further amenities span across 32,200 square feet and include the women’s Remède Spa, the UAE’s first Hommage Gentleman’s Grooming Atelier and two outdoor swimming pools. The hotel has eight dining options, which include celebrity chef Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes 44, as well the Villa Toscana, Crystal Lounge, The Tea Lounge, Caffe44, Spa Café and the St. Regis Bar. The hotel was designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) in collaboration with local designers and blends Art Deco notes with the local color palette and architecture, such as the designs of the famed Arabian marketplaces.

The 49^th floor Abu Dhabi Suite covers 11,600 square feet and connects the Nation Towers’ high-rises. The three-bedroom suite features a private spa, full-service gym, movie theater, dining room, kitchen and a large majlis (a traditional sitting room). The space occupied by the suite was originally imagined as a Sky Bridge restaurant by the developers of Nation Towers.

Tower 1 one of Nation Towers includes 64 stories, which contain 360 luxury residential units, while the 52-story Tower 2 features the St. Regis Abu Dhabi and Class A office space. Nation Towers also contains the Nation Galleria, a high-end, boutique-style shopping mall located in the podium, as well as the Nation Riviera, a private clubhouse complete with private beach frontage, as well as swimming pools and landscaped grounds. Nation Towers was designed by WZMH Architects with KEIO International Consultants as associate architect for client International Capital Trading, a private owner and operator of global real estate and investments assets.

St. Regis might be chasing records in Abu Dhabi, as it opened the largest hotel suite in the UAE in late August. Named the Royal Suite, the 22,600-square-foot suite is located at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, opened in late 2011. Saadiyat Island is one of the most exclusive and most dynamic areas of Abu Dhabi, with new projects announced recently.