This is kind of cool — an all-villa luxury Hilton property is coming to an Abu Dhabi private island.
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Hilton LXR Al Nawras Island opening 2023
An agreement has been signed for Hilton’s LXR brand to open its first property in Abu Dhabi in 2023. The resort will be located on the private Al Nawras Island in Abu Dhabi, and it will feature 80 beach and water villas.
LXR Al Nawras Island is expected to feature a beach club, two signature restaurants, two bars, one cafe, three swimming pools (one indoor and two outdoor), tennis and paddle courts, a gym and fitness studio, a spa, a private marina, and a golf course.
Beyond that, details about the property are limited as of now. We don’t know what exactly the villas will be like, what pricing will be like, only one picture has been released, etc.
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.
Also keep in mind that new hotel opening dates tend to slip, so if they’re saying a 2023 opening now, I wouldn’t count on it actually happening before 2024.
This is an intriguing property
I wouldn’t say I’m excited about this property yet, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it. The concept of a private island destination that’s only a short distance from a major city is kind of cool. Obviously that’s totally different than the Maldives, where you’re essentially “stuck” on the island of the hotel you booked.
While I doubt this will be as spectacular as the Maldives, there is something to be said for the ease of getting here. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are easily accessible with nonstop flights from all corners of the globe, and there’s no seaplane required. If the price is right (in points or cash) and the property is half as nice as the initial rendering looks, this could be worth checking out.
Bottom line
Hilton’s luxury LXR brand will be debuting in Abu Dhabi on Al Nawras Island. The property is set to open in 2023, and will feature 80 villas, plus several restaurants, a spa, a golf course, and more. I’m curious to see how plans for this property evolve.
What do you make of the LXR Al Nawras Island concept?
I don't get it, what is the point of this? Feels completely artificial. Why not go to the Maldives straight away? Who'd go out of their way to go to some island of Abu Dhabi?
Expats that live in the UAE, local residents looking for a quick weekend escape, tourists who want the private island experience with the convenience of being close to a major city for shopping, restaurants, nightlife, etc.....the list goes on and on......
Maldives is not artificial??? There might be some spots of sand which are natural, but most of the overwater villas built in the ocean would be quite artificial in my understanding. ;-)
I'm still a bit confused by what the common thread amongst LXR hotels and resorts really is at its core. I get that they're trying to be a less-stuffy Waldorf, but defining something by what it isn't doesn't really help that much. Checking out the Crockfords, an LXR hotel within a hotel at Resorts World in Vegas soon, but doubtful that this will help me better understand the brand. Time will tell.
I've been to some. What they all have in common: high prices and thus exclusivity. While Habtoor Palace in Dubai really is luxury, Susana Bodrum in Turkey was rather ok, but exclusive (not 100 loungers at the beach next to each other, but more like 4-5 in one area and stretched over a large area). But does that describe, what the brand really is? I don't know.
Usually it is: simply expensive :-D
The problem of these resorts they are always priced similar to Maldives or many times even higher! Just check how much they charge for villas at Banana island in Qatar
If you think this Resort is going to be interesting, you should stay at jumby bay Antigua for a few nights, me and my family go every October and we love it, It's on an island a mile off the coast of Antigua and you get a great view of planes flying over the resort to land.