InterContinental Residences Abu Dhabi by IHG

Abu Dhabi is not a place for shrinking violets or tiny hotel rooms, and these residences take the hint. You get a resort-style stay with an outdoor pool, garden, terrace, restaurants, a bar and the practical comfort of apartment accommodation rather than a standard room with one chair too many.

The hotel suits you if you want a polished base near the coast, with enough room to settle in for several nights and the option of eating in when you have had quite enough of being sociable. The staff speak English, Arabic, French and Hindi, so you will be understood in English and French at the hotel.

There is a 24-hour front desk, concierge service and daily housekeeping. That combination keeps the stay straightforward: help when you need it, a clean room when you return, and no need to turn every small request into an expedition.

You are in Abu Dhabi, on King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, close to the waterfront. The Bayshore Beach Club is about half a mile away, while Corniche Beach and The Nation Riviera Beach Club are each roughly 1.1 miles from the hotel. The sea is therefore part of your daily geography, but the accommodation itself is not described as sitting directly on the beach.

The location also gives you a useful spread of city and coast. Al Khubeirah Garden is about 0.8 miles away, Nation Towers around 0.6 miles, and Abu Dhabi Breakwater roughly 0.9 miles. Qasr al-Hosn is about 2.4 miles away, with the Louvre Abu Dhabi around 6 miles from the hotel.

For eating and drinking beyond the property, Circo Abu Dhabi is around 0.2 miles away and Belgian Cafe about 0.3 miles. Coffee options include Caliber, MUGG & BEAN and Robusta Coffee, all within roughly 1.5 miles. Zayed International Airport is about 22 miles away by the hotel's stated distance.

The main reason to choose a residence is the extra breathing room, and the larger apartments make that case clearly. A two-bedroom apartment works for a group of up to six, while a one-bedroom apartment gives a couple or a small party somewhere to sit, eat and spread out without turning the bed into the dining room.

For two people, the studio with a kitchenette and sea view keeps things simpler. It has a super-king bed, while the city-view king studio offers the same generous sleeping arrangement with a different outlook. If the view matters more than the address on the door, the two-bedroom sea-view apartment with balcony is the obvious choice; the balcony gives you a place to take the evening air without leaving your accommodation.

Kitchen facilities are useful rather than decorative: a refrigerator, stovetop, dishwasher, kitchenware, dining table and coffee machine. You can keep water cold, make a coffee before heading out, or put together something small when a full restaurant meal is not what your body has in mind. Air conditioning, soundproofing and daily housekeeping cover the less glamorous but more important part of the night. Accessible apartment options are also available, with wheelchair access and adapted bathroom features.

You have three restaurants on site, plus a bar, so dinner does not require a taxi or a debate about who is still wearing damp clothes. The restaurant described for the property serves Italian, pizza and local cuisine, with breakfast, lunch and dinner available. Breakfast is à la carte rather than a stated buffet affair.

The menu also covers halal, vegetarian, dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free choices. That gives you room to eat sensibly after a long day, whether you want something familiar, something local or simply pizza that does not require a committee meeting. Lunch and dinner are available, and the bar adds cocktails to the evening line-up.

Room service is available for the nights when the best restaurant in Abu Dhabi is the one you do not have to walk to. In-room dining, a kitchenette, a dining area and a refrigerator give you several ways to handle the post-water appetite, from a proper sit-down meal to coffee and something kept for later.

The outdoor pool is open throughout the year and has a view, a shallow end, loungers, umbrellas and pool or beach towels. There is also a pool bar, which removes the need to dry off fully before obtaining a drink. All ages are welcome, and a separate children's pool is available.

For the slower part of the afternoon, the garden, terrace, outdoor furniture and picnic area give you somewhere beyond the room to sit. The sauna and spa are more useful still when your shoulders have had enough of carrying bags, tanks or the general consequences of an enthusiastic holiday. Spa treatments include massage, facials, hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud bath and body wrap.

If sitting still feels suspicious, the fitness centre includes fitness facilities and a personal trainer. Babysitting and child services are also available, making the residence workable for a family holiday as well as a couples' escape. You can keep the day gentle, or spend part of it exercising before returning to the pool and doing considerably less.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out runs from 05:00 to 12:00. The 24-hour front desk is useful if your flight timetable has been designed by someone who dislikes sleep. Luggage storage, express check-in and check-out, currency exchange, concierge service and a tour desk are all available.

Private parking on site is free, with valet parking also available. The hotel also provides a lift, air conditioning, heating, wake-up service, a safety deposit box and daily housekeeping. Laundry, ironing and dry-cleaning services are available when salt, dust and restaurant sauce have conspired against your clothing.

Children of all ages are welcome. Extra beds and cots can be requested, subject to the selected accommodation and availability, while children aged 12 and over are charged as adults. There is no minimum age for check-in, and payment is by card rather than cash. Cancellation and prepayment conditions vary with the accommodation you select, so check the terms attached to that option before confirming.