SimplyAbuDhabi XII

3 4 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I A s I walk into the reception at Vida, I know that I’m set for something special. Just as you can always tell the mark of a restaurant by its bathroom facilities, so the décor and welcome of a hotel’s reception sets the tone for the accommodation within. Here it’s something really special. A wall of curiosities rises up behind a pale mink sofa buried under cushions. Maps, candles, trinkets, lights and enticing bell jars draw the eye away from the check-in. A glass-fenced walkway leads past a table bedecked with scented floral offerings. Equally distracting is the glimpse of the pool deck beyond with azure waters ringed with curtain-sheathed cabanas and fringed with picture perfect palms. Come nightfall and it looks suggestively like a bar and the end turns into a DJ deck. The terrace is the ultimate spot for an afternoon tea or afternoon meeting. Living La Vida Luxe by Nick Rice