Al Raha Beach Resort | Family Hotels in Abu Dhabi 2026

Why Abu Dhabi is such a good choice for families

Abu Dhabi is one of our favourite family winter destinations with its year-round sunshine, spotless streets, ridiculously good infrastructure and some genuinely brilliant family attractions. It’s clean, safe, easy to get around, and very clearly designed with families in mind.

You’ve got world-class theme parks on Yas Island, huge shopping malls with soft play areas everywhere, beaches, and cultural spots like the Grand Mosque that are genuinely worth visiting. It’s also a really manageable size compared to somewhere like Dubai, so you’re not spending your entire holiday stuck in taxis or on the metro.

For UK families especially, it’s an easy mid to long-haul option that still feels like a proper holiday upgrade.

First impressions & location

Al Raha beach resort is about 10–15 minutes from the airport and around 15-20 minutes from Yas Island, which is really convenient when you’ve got little kids. We booked our package holiday with Etihad Holidays and they arranged a private transfer for us. On arrival there was a driver waiting for us with our names on a board. We didn’t have any waiting around, it was very quick and easy getting through the airport and to the hotel.

The hotel isn’t in the middle of the city like some of the more famous hotels, but honestly… with kids, that’s a good thing. It’s quiet, relaxed, and everything you need is either on site or a short taxi / shuttle ride away.

The hotel itself has a more traditional, grand Arabian style rather than the ultra-modern resorts popping up elsewhere in Abu Dhabi. Think marble floors, high ceilings, big open spaces. Slightly older in style, but still very well kept.

Al Raha Beach Resort | Rooms

We initially booked a superior room which seemed more than big enough for our family of four, but we were very kindly upgraded to a Gulf Junior Suite! These suites are huge, and the ceiling height is something else. I have never stayed somewhere with such high ceilings!

All of the rooms at this hotel are generous in size, with large beds and space for a cot without it feeling like a game of Tetris. Most rooms have a balcony, many with sea views, which is always a nice bonus. The most basic room which we initially booked was 55 square meters. The Gulf Junior Suites is a huge 65 square metres!

Décor-wise, it’s not the most modern hotel in Abu Dhabi, but it’s clean, comfortable, and everything works – which, frankly, is what you care about at the end of a long day with kids.

Food & half board – Was it worth it?

We stayed half board, which for us was 100% the right decision. You could choose whether to have either lunch or dinner each day as well as your breakfast. We were out most days so it worked out best for us to have breakfast and dinner. If you fancied a day around the pool, you could have lunch at the buffet and then go out for your dinner.

One day we ordered takeaway for lunch, there are lots of apps to do this and it came really quickly (we ordered Popeyes and Pizza on an app called Talabat).

Meals are served buffet-style, with a wide variety of options. We were staying during Ramadan and each evening we got to enjoy a lovely Iftar out by the pool. The buffet had:

• international dishes
• kid-friendly basics (fresh pasta station, pizza, etc.)
• salads, grilled meats, fish, hummus, bread
• Lots of yummy desserts including some great ice cream.

Is it the most gourmet food in Abu Dhabi? No.
Is it good, tasty, and easy with kids? Yes.

And when you’re travelling with children, ease wins.

The biggest benefit of half board for us was:

• Not constantly thinking about where to eat
• Our picky eating eldest being able to eat pasta every day, while we could eat more interesting Arabian options!
• Not spending a fortune on every single meal
• It made budgeting for the trip easier knowing two meals were covered each day.
• We could still go out for lunch or the occasional dinner elsewhere if we wanted.

There is an a la carte restaurant you can eat at for a small additional cost, we didn’t do this however as the buffet works much better for our family.

Note that alcoholic and soft drinks aren’t included with your meal. You are given water at meal times and anything else needs to be paid for. If you think you will drink a lot of alcohol and will spend a lot of time at the resort, consider staying all inclusive. (A beer was £9 to give you an idea of prices!) We ended up ordering a bottle of Vodka (on a delivery app) and having a few drinks in our room so that we didn’t need to pay for too many expensive drinks! There is a mall right next door where we picked up soft drinks and snacks.

Yas Island Park Tickets

I have written separate posts with more details about Yas Island, Yas Waterworld and Warner Bros world. Tickets are included with some Yas Island hotels. Alternatively, you can buy multi day tickets (which is what we did). We bought them on Get Your Guide and went for the three park ticket. It is valid for 6 days from the first day of use, which worked well for us. You get an Abu Dhabi pass when travelling with Etihad, which gives up to 15% off attraction tickets (plus some free entry tickets to places like the national history museum). The tickets ended up being the same price on Get your Guide so we bought them on there.

A 1-day, 2-park ticket currently costs £88. A 2-park ticket to use across separate days is £96, a 3-park ticket is £115, and a 4-park ticket is £136. If you have the time, it offers much better value to spread the parks over multiple days. Trying to visit two parks in a single day would be a big ask, especially with children.

Yas Waterworld was our favourite of the parks we visited.

Al Raha Beach Resort Final verdict – Would we recommend it?

Yes – especially for families looking for a more affordable 5-star stay in Abu Dhabi without sacrificing comfort or facilities.

If you want:

• a hotel that’s easy with kids
• good value
• and a mix of pool, beach and theme parks

Al Raha Beach Resort is a really solid choice.

It might not be the flashiest hotel in Abu Dhabi, but when you’re travelling with kids, the reality is you don’t need flashy – you need easy, comfortable, and enjoyable.

And this ticks those boxes.

We visited this hotel for a family holiday. It was not sponsored in any way.

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