Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi

Despite plenty of local competition, the shimmering blue-glass facade of Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi manages to stand out from the downtown crowd. Inside, the wow factor is still strong, with a bright, chic lobby composed of soaring shelves filled with ceramic pieces, marble floors, and stylish furnishings, all presided over by a pair of giant figures fashioned from letters of the alphabet. Extensive renovations carried out in 2014 are still very much noticeable through most of the polished 31-floor property. 

While well insulated from the busy roads of downtown Abu Dhabi, the outdoor pool area seems to have missed out on the refresh, and looks a tad dated in comparison. Most of the numerous eateries and lounges are elegantly decorated, with the jewel being the hotel's top-floor bar and grill, Stratos, which revolves to take in 360-degree views of its surroundings. Being somewhere between a corporate and resort-style hotel, clientele are primarily business travelers, but a fair share are leisure couples and families.

Le Royal Meridien is located among the busy road networks of the Corniche District in downtown Abu Dhabi. While there are plentiful trails and walkways that link up the area's various shopping malls, restaurants, and cafes, main roads cover much of the urban space. The sandy Corniche Beach and its promenade -- pleasant both day and night -- is a five- to 10-minute drive away, while the Louvre Museum in the Cultural District is around 15 minutes from the hotel by car. For business travelers, the Al Maryah Island business district is a 15-minute drive away. The Abu Dhabi International Airport is around a 30-minute drive without traffic. 

The hotel has 202 rooms and 74 suites, all of which benefited from the 2014 revamp except for the Royal Tower rooms. The newer rooms feature bright contemporary styling, chic minimalist or dark-wood furnishings, and smatterings of modern art. The Royal Tower rooms, which have yellow accent walls and tan bed curtains, are fairly modern and well-maintained, but don't have quite the same polish. Amenities include 42-inch flat-screen TVs, coffee- and tea-making facilities, minibars, and some suites have kitchenettes. Sleek bathrooms are done in marble and have separate showers and tubs, telephones, toiletries, and bathrobes. Higher-level rooms also boast great views over the city or the Persian Gulf.

An excellent breakfast buffet is served in the attractive Cafe Palmier, though it's not included in most room rates and is on the expensive side. An impressive selection of dining options (nine bars and eateries in all) includes the casual Market Kitchen, the chic Italian Amalfi, and the top-floor Stratos, a revolving lounge with stunning views. The Piano Lounge opens in the evening, and has live music and occasional belly dancing.

There's also a decent health and fitness club located on the fourth floor, with an indoor heated pool, a whirlpool tub, and a well-equipped gym with sea views.  An outdoor area also has a temperature-controlled swimming pool with a separate shaded pool for kids -- but there's little else for children. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.