Where To Stay When Surfing Abu Dhabi

Find out more about The Abu Dhabi EDITION.

If you’re a pleb like me, you’ve probably committed the cardinal sin of coveting someone’s lounge access while waiting at the airport.

You’re familiar with the clientele: AirPods in, buttoned-shirt, a classic timepiece wrapped around wrist, expensive cologne, agarwood perhaps? A bit dead inside, but respectable, busied by matters of grand importance.

Can you imagine the routine bewilderment when Mikey Wright strolls through, flashes his gold card and takes his first sip of Wild Turkey while his grom hangs from his neck like a dressed elk carcass.

Who is this man? Inked, mulleted, chiseled, vasculature pronounced, throbbing with vital signs.

He could almost certainly kill you with his bare hands. Yet somehow, he’s holding the same little piece of plastic that took you 200 business-class flights and a mild coronary to acquire.

The only difference is, he earned his status wearing boardshorts.

You do the mental arithmetic. Athlete? Muso? Some sort of celebrity?

There’s certainly no whiff of middle management about him.

It’s in moments like these you realise how exotic our little subculture must seem to outsiders. Dare I say, even a bit cool.

Surfers spend our lives chasing waves, and (most of the time) look better for it. The suits spend theirs chasing promotions, stock options, and an increasingly elusive work-life balance.

And then along comes a bloke in boardshorts who appears to have cracked the same tax bracket without ever opening a spreadsheet.

A travesty alright.

“I feel like we weren’t their typical clientele,” said Stab filmer Dylan Roberts, who spent three days staying at The Abu Dhabi EDITION with Mikey Wright, Craig Anderson, Hughie Vaughan, Eithan Osborne, their families, and a small army of cameramen.

“The other guests were largely well-dressed business types, while our crew spent their days lugging cameras and surfboards through the lobby before disappearing off to Surf Abu Dhabi for 12 hours.”

The Abu Dhabi EDITION is luxurious, sure. But pompous? No.

Dyl reckoned it could just as easily have been a hotel in Sydney or LA. Familiar, relaxed, and stylish without making you feel obliged to dress for dinner.

Then there’s the location, which is probably the most compelling reason to stay here if you’re visiting Surf Abu Dhabi.

The hotel sits on the waterfront at Al Bateen Marina, roughly 15–20 minutes by car from the wavepool on Hudayriyat Island. It’s also conveniently placed for restaurants and attractions around the city, and approximately 35 minutes from Zayed International Airport.

Abu Dhabi is a sprawling place, so finding somewhere between the surf, city, and airport makes life considerably easier. You can spend the morning surfing, take the family into town for the afternoon, and be back at the hotel for dinner without sacrificing half your day to the road.

“We’d get home in the dark and order room service almost every night,” Dylan said. “We were cooked. So, sadly, we weren’t able to enjoy all the amenities and restaurants. And there were tons.”

Three restaurants, to be specific — from steak at Oak Room to Mediterranean fare at Alba Terrace, while the Library Bar provides somewhere to settle in for a drink after the sun goes down.

And yes, the rooms are spacious, the beds are excellent, and the room service arrives with an almost comical level of ceremony.

“They wheel it up and do this five-minute presentation setting everything up. All you want to do is grab a burger and eat it.”

For those with more energy than our crew, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. The hotel’s waterfront setting is a pretty pleasant place to pass an afternoon, with two outdoor pools, a spa, and fitness facilities.

Menu includes: Spritz’s, Old Fashioned, Fire Engines for the kids, something for everyone.

You could quite comfortably spend your entire trip moving between the hotel and Surf Abu Dhabi without needing much else. Which is wicked ‘cos you can piss off surfing knowing your partner and kids are going to be having a hoot swimming around and sipping cocktails.

Craig and Mikey both brought their partners and kids, all parties were reportedly happy.

While over there, it happened to be Mikey’s birthday, and when one of the staff overheard, he appeared with a cake and celebratory drinks, entirely unprompted.

“They were saying we’d made their week,” Dylan laughed. “We hadn’t even done anything.”

A small gesture, but a pretty good indication of the atmosphere. The staff were friendly, attentive, and seemingly unfazed by the assortment of boards, camera equipment, and small children moving through the property.

Of course, nobody needs five-star accommodation to enjoy a surf trip. Most of us have slept quite happily in places with drop toilets and a resident population of geckos.

But Surf Abu Dhabi is a slightly different proposition. The waves are guaranteed, the schedule is yours to organise, and there’s no particular reason the rest of the trip needs to be difficult.

If you’re travelling with boards, cameras, kids, or simply an appetite for a comfortable bed and a decent meal after a long day surfing, The Abu Dhabi EDITION makes an awful lot of sense.

Close to the waves, close to town, and familiar enough to almost feel like home.

For three days, it was our little surf clubhouse in the middle of Abu Dhabi. Just with substantially better beds, a very good cocktail menu, and someone waiting to take your bags.

Find out more about The Abu Dhabi EDITION.