In late 2024, plans were announced for the Waldorf Astoria brand to make its debut in Abu Dhabi, with the brand’s fourth property in the United Arab Emirates. There’s now an interesting update — while the hotel will still be affiliated with Hilton, it’s no longer expected to be a Waldorf Astoria.
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Basics of Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi, Hilton LXR
Abu Dhabi’s former Anantara resort is set to reopen as Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi, a Hilton LXR property. Over the past year or so, the hotel has undergone a renovation, and it should reopen in December 2025 (though it isn’t yet accepting reservations).
For those of you not familiar with LXR, this is Hilton’s fast growing collection of independent luxury hotels. LXR properties have the benefit of Hilton’s global distribution power, plus the Hilton Honors program, all while maintaining their unique designs.
I do find it a bit surprising to see the decision to brand this as an LXR rather than a Waldorf Astoria, given Waldorf Astoria’s excellent name recognition in the Middle East. Furthermore, this seems like a reasonably generic property, so it’s not like the design is too wild to fit within one of the major brands.
While Abu Dhabi already has a lot of luxury properties, what makes this unique is that it’s a short distance from Mangrove National Park, which is a pretty cool area. It’s home to 60 bird species, and wildlife like turtles, dolphins, and more. There are all kinds of cool outdoor activities here, from kayaking to boating. The property is still close to many of Abu Dhabi’s other attractions, like Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre, etc.
The Eastern Mangroves Hilton LXR is expected to feature 167 rooms and suites. When it comes to amenities, the resort will have three pools (one for adults, one for families, and one for kids), a fitness club, and a spa. As far as dining goes, the property will boast a brasserie, a rooftop specialty restaurant, a pool lounge, and a lobby bar.
For those curious, below is a promotional video about the old Anantara, to give you a sense of the location and layout. Of course since the hotel is undergoing a renovation, you can expect it’ll look very different.
Hilton’s presence in Abu Dhabi is growing nicely!
Hilton’s growth in the luxury sector around the globe is impressive in general. When it comes to Hilton’s footprint in Abu Dhabi, the brand has lagged the competition a bit with luxury options, but that’s slowly changing. In 2020, we saw Jumeirah at Etihad Towers rebranded as a Conrad, marking the first real Hilton luxury property in the city.
In 2022, plans were also announced for a Hilton LXR property on Al Nawras Island. This island resort is supposed to feature 80 accommodations, including some overwater villas. The plan was for it to open in 2023, but I haven’t heard a single update since then, and there are no signs of the resort opening. Does anyone know what happened? Is it just delayed, or have the plans changed altogether?
Bottom line
Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi is expected to open in December 2025, as part of the Hilton LXR portfolio. This will be overlooking Mangrove National Park, and represents a conversion of the former Anantara. It’s nice to see Hilton’s luxury portfolio in the city grow, and hopefully the resort becomes bookable soon.
What do you make of the upcoming Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi, Hilton LXR?
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