Etihad First Class Lounge, Zayed International Airport
EY404 Abu Dhabi to Bangkok – First (A321LR)
Going through multiple hotels and flights in the chaos and eventually making it to safety
This was my choice for my whirlwind 2nights in Abu Dhabi due to 1) lingering regrets over not making it here in its Jumeriah past life from my COVID-cancelled trip 2) Hilton resort credits I had to spend for Q2 2025 which I pre-booked.
Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
The Coral First Class Lounge, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
EY405 Bangkok to Abu Dhabi – First (Boeing 787-9)
Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers
Etihad First Class Lounge, Zayed International Airport
EY404 Abu Dhabi to Bangkok – First (A321LR)
Going through multiple hotels and flights in the chaos and eventually making it to safety
This was my choice of layover and all I needed was a simple property to get me enough rest after a 10pm arrival into BKK and leaving early to enjoy the lounge in time for EY405 departing at 1440.
This trip was planned 7 months ago due to my lingering regrets over my stillborn Etihad Apartments trip which was supposed to happen in 2020 until COVID killed it (I never got over it!). Then came along my re-planned Auckland trip which was also cancelled last year – I was redeeming my SQ Advantage ticket and randomly picked Bangkok as an additional trip since it cost the same amount of miles anyway.
I was scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi on 27 Feb 2026, spend 2 days in the city, then depart on 02 March 2026 early morning flight. And I guess we all know how the trip turned out.
I am super thankful to Etihad for putting me on a repatriation flight after an extra 2 nights during these crazy times and felt like I needed to document my experience, even the ones I managed to experience as a contrast to how fast things spiralled into madness.
Location – the property is in a somewhat central location, opposite The Central and Clarke Quay MRT Station (NE5) which gets you anywhere you need to be. Otherwise, it can be a 10-15mins walk to Chinatown area for those who prefer.
Price – 44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points booked for an entry-level Urban Luxe Room which was still acceptable as otherwise it would have been a cash rate of SGD300+
Pre-arrival – nothing happened here as in-app chat is not available for Design Hotels and since it was only a short stay, I figured I didn’t need alot of stuff sorted too.
Getting there – The property is connected easily via Clarke Quay MRT station (NE5) so no issues getting here at all. If you are getting here via a car, there is no ‘drop off’ point as the property is a shophouse location so you basically drop off by the road. There is also no staff to assist with luggage so bear that in mind if you are travelling heavy.
Check In – I arrived 12pm on a weekend and I was informed that I had been accorded the Heritage Suite – what a pleasant surprise given the elite benefits here are a bare minimum. So of course I was okay to wait (the room is not ready then)!
The public areas of this property are quite nice I thought, especially the lobby as there is a comfy seating area complemented by free iced lemon water – huge tall ceilings with some natural lightings make this shophouse property feels much more airy than it is too.
About 1 hour later, I received a whatspapp message from the front desk informing that the room was ready and they had placed my duffel bag into the room for my convenience. I also got their very cute squarish key card with their rather artsy logo – great start!
Room – My Heritage Suite (38-40SqM), 305, felt very pleasantly un-shophousey when I stepped in. Perhaps my experience with shophouse properties have been that of dreary colors and industrial vibe stuff so the Suite was completely different, in a nice way.
Dressed in light red / pink and beige tones, I find the color scheme to be quite soothing with no signs of its age. The hallway opens up to a block of living space in which sits a couch + coffee table facing a mounted TV, then another set of sitting area with chairs right behind. There were also 2x ceiling fans in the Suite which adds a bit of ‘fresh air feel’ if need be.
At the back along the wall is the quite pretty cupboard which comes with shelving space, the min bar, and interestingly enough, a wash basin area too. The tea cups provided are quite cute and I liked that they offer bacha coffee sachets and TWG tea bags, though only a kettle instead of a proper coffee machine. Complimentary water is offered in glass bottles which can be replenished upon request.
Beside this space in an open-concept layout is the bedroom area with very narrow bedside tables (BOO) and snail-like charging points (BOOOOO) – but comfy firm bed though.
The last of this Suite is the generic wardrobe which worked like it should – I was though very impressed with the Dyson hairdryer with a full set of attachments (I can only imagine how often they go missing hence the note placed with them).
As well as the cosy bathroom space with a single sink (but enough countertop space), toilet and shower space. Standard amenities are provided, and toiletries are Smith & Co branded. I loved the fact an entire set of Dyson hairdryer with attachments are provided too.
Welcome amenities of turmeric sweets were placed alongside a welcome note in the living area upon arrival which was a nice gesture.
Breakfast – Kee’s at the lobby level serves breakfast from 7:00am-10:30am and is chargeable at $42++ per pax for walk-in and $35++ for in-house guests when added to the room prior. The space felt like a very nice restaurant for a date night with some cosy seatings and soft dark lightings.
Looking at the ala carte menu with prices attached, I think adding breakfast for $35++ is fair value for a first try.
Screenshot
The spread is understandably small but felt like a quality spread of fruits, salads, yoghurt, breads, and cold cuts. This is accompanied by the ability to order eggs served to the table. I tried the fried egg which came with bacon and asparagus – the egg was okay (I had asked for only 1 egg instead of 2), the asparagus quite nice, but the bacon was fried to death. Coffee is also only okay – not as strong as I would have liked to counter the greasiness of the plate.
Facilities – limited amenities here but they do have a Rooftop Infinity Pool & Lounge on level 9 – a really small area and the pool looks like its for IG purposes only since it looks out to MBS. This area turns into a lounge of sorts in the evening I believe.
There is also a Garden Terrace on level 3 – seats in a literal garden terrace to chillax in, better at night when the weather is kinder.
I also read reviews mentioning access to Peak360, a boutique gym with café opposite the hotel at Clarke Quay, and free Linus bicycles for in-house guests but these were either not mentioned to me or benefits nerfed.
Check Out – the front desk kindly accommodated my request for a 2pm late check out which meant I essentially had an almost-24hr staycay. Fun times!
In Summary,
a short staycay to satiate my curiosity about this property and happy to have checked it off!
By the way, a quick shout out about what to eat (ie what I liked for food un The Central next door):
Took up the opportunity to have a quick getaway at one of my favorite staycay spots during COVID times and stacked this with some expiring credits to burn via an OTA. Double yays. Fond memories from my previous experience made me super excited to come back – and this stay ended up to be one with many “first”.
This was the choice of accommodation for an impromptu trip and I think I did the best I can considering all the random criteria for where to stay. Also the first time I booked a Hilton property via OTA haha.
This was a rare non-chain hotel choice for the city but it suited my needs this time and it had pre-paid rates which I could book via Citi Prestige for 4NF so here we go!
Decided to try out this 2-weeks old property against my brains telling me to stop trying hotels so new. But my obsession with new hotels was too strong and I bit the bullet to bring the family there for our quick hop over the causeway.
