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Monte Carlo Beach Club, Abu Dhabi

2011-10-06 16:05

What: Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat
Where: Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
When: open from September 2011
Web: www.montecarlobeachclub.ae

With its sparkling location on the sea, year-round sunshine, cosmopolitan atmosphere and rich cultural life, it's one of the world's most desirable destinations. This wealthy city, many of whose inhabitants are millionaires and billionaires, enjoy an annual Yacht Show and Grand Prix, and when the day is done head down to Stars'n'Bars on the harbour's edge for a sundowner and a beautifully prepared meal.

But this isn't Monaco we're talking about - it's Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates and the headquarters of a vast array of multinational corporations, many of them in the super-rich oil industry. And from now on, it's going to feel even more like home, with the recent opening of the new Monte-Carlo Beach Club on the island of Saadiyat. With an emphasis on fine living, wellbeing and health, the club is the first overseas venture of SBM, Monaco's flagship hotel and entertainment group.

Situated between two existing luxury beach resorts on the north-eastern side of Saadiyat Beach, and adjacent to the award-winning Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the 39,500-square-metre venue offers guests an all-day restaurant, three lounges, a 'Workout Room'-branded gym and studio, kids' club (from summer 2012), spa treatment rooms, jacuzzi, plunge pool and steam rooms. And of course, direct access to the crystal-clear waters of the Arabian Gulf.

The club has been created in partnership with Abu Dhabi's key tourism and development company TDIC, who are planning to make Saadiyat the world's largest single concentration of premier cultural institutions including the Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (designed by Frank Gehry, architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim); and 'Desert Islands', which will be one of the world’s largest environmentally-sustainable tourism destinations.

Overseeing the Monte Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat will be General Manager Patrick Nayrolles, whose experience with Orient Express Hotels, at the Cipriani in Venice, and at Monaco's own Hotel de Paris, will ensure that none of that essential charm and attention to detail are lost in what is a huge and exciting new project: 'From early morning to late at night, our staff work tirelessly to make sure we provide the true Monte-Carlo lifestyle for our members and guests. We've worked really hard to make sure that by day we have a relaxed family environment that transforms into a buzzing venue after the sun sets.'

Four restaurants and lounges have been specially tailored to ensure all tastes are catered for: the stylish Library Lounge exclusive to club members; the Bubbles Bar, with its spectacular sunsets over the Arabian Gulf; Le Deck (recognize the name?), serving superb food all day long in a setting surrounded by ocean-inspired artwork; and of course, the ultra-cool Sea Lounge, the perfect place to party well into the evening among the Abu Dhabi glitterati!

'We're very proud to launch this concept on Saadiyat, in an area of outstanding natural beauty which is set to become one of the most vibrant and exciting places in the world', says Nayrolles. 'It's something that will be enjoyed by Abu Dhabi’s elite and high society; and the combination of luxury, world-class leisure facilities and the breathtaking natural environment is something that can't be experienced in any other beach club in the region.'