The art of chilling out at F1

If you're looking to do something special this weekend, here's a list of what Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi has to offer From F1 to fashion, the Abu Dhabi hotel will host all kinds of events Large-screen TVs beaming F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix make dining a merrier affair Stand first:

Check out what promotions November has in store for you The Rocco Forte Collection is coming up with a luxury hotel that is set to wow business and leisure travellers alike Experience a combination of state-of-the-art technology and royal comfort at Aloft in Abu DhabiShuja Yacht

Friday and Saturday Bubbly Brunch

With live entertainment

At Dh185 per person

Boarding 12.30pm; Cruising 1pm

Al Fanar

Friday brunch with best house beverage

Price: Dh220 per person

Lights on Al Fanar

With live painting by F1 artist Armin Flossdorf

F1 Dinner in Al Fanar: three-course meal

Price: Dh350

Drinks Garden

Saturday is the new Friday!

With a live band at the poolside

BBQ a la carte

When: Noon-8pm

Friday BBQ brunch

Unlimited selected beverages at the poolside

Price: Dh180 per person, including use of pool

The Yas Hotel on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi welcomed its first guests for the inaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after which it will open to the public on November 3, the day after the final race of the Formula 1 season.

Owned and operated by Aldar Hotels and Hospitality, The Yas Hotel is the first in the world to span a race track. The hotel consists of two towers linked by a bridge, under which the race track runs. The Yas Hotel's main building will also offer some of the best views of the circuit, the marina and Yas Island.

Completion of the bridge has been closely followed by that of the LED gridshell, which veils the two towers and the adjoining bridge. This "cloak" also changes colour, sometimes even keeping time with the beat of the music played in the concerts held for the Grand Prix event.

The Yas Hotel's general manager, a motorsport enthusiast, Jean-Francois Laurent, said: "It will be great to share the hotel with the residents of Abu Dhabi and international visitors when it opens to the public on November 2."

The hotel offers 499 guest rooms, international cuisine in eight restaurants and great design and architecture. The Yas Hotel will also host several events in its first year, ranging from fashion to sports. The Yas Hotel is a ten-minute drive from Abu Dhabi airport.

Can't make it to the race? Watch the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live at NRG Sports Café, Le Meridien Abu Dhabi. Various beverage and food specials are on offer, with no entrance fee or minimum charge. It's best to get there early to secure a good table facing one of the nine screens. On the F1 finals on Sunday, November 1, a large projecting screen will be placed outdoors to accommodate a larger crowd.

One Heavenly Weekend package

Two can stay one night at the B&B Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island and receive free parking and two tickets for the Hed Kandi Pool Party, besides two free refreshments.

The package is priced at Dh799 and is valid till November 6. The Hed Kandi Event will be on from 2-11pm.

Weekend Offer

Book any weekend stay at Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island and get a 15 per cent discount on food, 10 per cent discount on beverages and a half-day of complimentary access to the Kids Club. The offer is valid from Thursday to Saturday, November 2-December 26, for Dh749.

Hed Kandi Pool Party at Sundowner

Enjoy an afternoon of cool music and groove into the night with strains from Hed Kandi by the pool at Sundowner. The offer is valid on November 6, from 2-11pm. Admission is free for ladies and airline crew from 2-4pm. For others, it is priced at Dh120 per person, with a complimentary refreshment.

Jing Asia Friday Brunch

Friday brunch at Jing Asia combines live cooking stations and a fresh approach to cooking styles from around Asia. The brunch is available 12.30-4pm and is priced at Dh200 or at Dh330, depending on the choice of refreshment.

Stills Saturday Brunch

Saturday brunch at Stills Bar & Brasserie offers a European food buffet along with unlimited selected draught beverages and house grape beverages. The brunch is available from 12.30-4pm at Dh185.

Carvery Nights

Enjoy a night of Asian-inspired roasts accompanied by red grape beverage on Thursday nights at Jing Asia, from 7pm-midnight, at Dh195.

Seafood Nights

Treat yourself to an Asian-inspired seafood dinner at Jing Asia on Wednesday nights, from 7pm-midnight at Dh185.

All offers, except the Hed Kandi Pool Party at Sundowner, are subject to 10 per cent service charge and 6 per cent tourism fee.

Here is a list of some of the best places to grab a bite.

Jing Asia

Jing Asia brings together the essence of Asian cuisine and a selection of live cooking stations and friendly interactive service.

Location: Ground floor

Timings (Sunday-Thursday):

Breakfast: 6.30-10.30am

Lunch: Noon-4pm

Dinner: 7pm-midnight

Timings (Friday and Saturday):

Breakfast: 6.30-11.30am

Brunch: 12.30-4pm (Fridays)

Lunch: Noon-4pm

Dinner: 7pm-midnight

Stills (European Brasserie & Bar)

This serves European gastro-pub food and a wide variety of international draught beverage.

Location: Ground floor

Timings (Saturday-Wednesday): Noon-1am

Saturday brunch: 12.30-4pm

Timings (Thursday-Friday): Noon till late

Barouk

A contemporary Lebanese restaurant, Barouk is a great place to experience authentic Lebanese cuisine.

Location: Lower ground floor

Timings:

Lunch: Noon-3pm

Dinner: 7pm-midnight

Views

The Views lobby lounge is a great place to grab a bite, meet clients or relax with an afternoon tea or an early-evening refreshment while enjoying the panoramic views across the golf course and Arabian Gulf.

Location: Ground floor

Timings: Open 24 hours

Sundowner

A poolside bar, this serves a variety of refreshing beverages and light snacks.

Location: Lower ground floor

Timings: 9am-10pm

Europe's luxury hotel brand, The Rocco Forte Collection, has unveiled the details of its first property in the Middle East, which will open in Abu Dhabi in 2010. This will be followed by a 146-bedroom property in Jeddah and a villa resort in Marrakech, set to open in 2011; and a 275-bedroom property in Cairo, due to open in 2013. The company has 13 luxury hotels in major cities across Europe.

The 281-bedroom hotel in Abu Dhabi will be located near the Exhibition Centre and the airport. It will be a stylish blend of European and Middle Eastern design. It will have a sophisticated, contemporary feel and, like all Rocco Forte Collection hotels, will reflect its location by using local artwork and Middle Eastern accents in accessories and fabrics. Sir Rocco Forte, chairman and CEO of The Rocco Forte Collection, said: "We have spent 12 years building our luxury hotel business in Europe and are greatly excited about expanding into the Middle East. The opening of our Abu Dhabi hotel will be a significant milestone and the fresh approach we bring to the region will be welcomed by business and leisure travellers alike." The bedrooms will be decorated in shades of green, yellow and terracotta, and feature artwork by local artists and workstations with leather chairs. The spacious bathrooms will have walk-in showers, large bathtubs and marble vanity. There will be two presidential suites, each with two balconies, a large bedroom, dressing room with walk-in wardrobes, dining room, lounge, kitchen, study, bathroom and cloakroom.

There will be a range of food and drink outlets with an all-day dining restaurant, a Chinese/Japanese restaurant, an à la carte Italian restaurant, a tea-and-coffee lounge and a Brazilian poolside restaurant. One of the design highlights of the hotel will be the Sky Bar, which will be suspended on the fifth floor of a ten-storey atrium boasting stunning views of the city and coastline below. Mark Hix, the British chef and restaurateur, will act as a consultant for the all-day dining restaurant, while Michelin-starred chef, Fulvio Pierangelini, will act as a consultant for the Italian restaurant.

For relaxation, there will be a spa featuring ten treatment rooms, two double-treatment rooms with a plunge pool, a hydrotherapy treatment room, a gym, a yoga and Pilates studio, and hairdressing and beauty area. In keeping with local culture and tradition, the spa will feature separate indoor heated swimming pools, saunas, cold plunge pools and hammams for men and women. There will also be an outdoor swimming pool and a children's pool. Designed with the business traveller in mind, the hotel will have extensive conference and event facilities, each of which will have a reception, business centre and executive lounge. There will be seven meeting rooms, a large ballroom and a pre-function area. There will also be a VIP majlis lounge for meetings of local dignitaries and members of the ruling family.

Visit www.roccofortecollection.com

The Aloft Hotel has been launched in time to support the 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Grand Prix. A W Hotels project, the hotel has 408 loft-like rooms, a variety of atmospheric social spaces and state-of-the-art technology and will be linked to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, next to the Capital Centre district.

Guests can read the paper, work on their laptops, play a game of pool, relax with friends at the W xyz Bar or enjoy a meal at Dine, the hotel's main restaurant offering international cuisine. Aloft's re:fuel is a 24-hour grab-and-go food and beverage area, offering sweet, savoury and healthy food, snacks and beverages. You can also visit relax@12, an indoor-outdoor lounge where guests can find Oriental bites, tapas and a sushi selection. The re:charge fitness centre and Splash, the outdoor pool, give guests options to destress and re-energise. Maï Café, on the fifth floor, offers international flavours, beach chairs and custom refreshments, complimented by an eclectic mix of laid-back tunes and sunny grooves.

All guest rooms have comfortable beds, roomy, walk-in showers and custom amenities by Bliss Spa. Aloft also offers a variety of technologies to help guests stay connected in every space, in every hotel, all the time. Each guest loft serves as both an office and an entertainment centre, featuring complimentary high-speed internet access and plug and play, a connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry, such as PDAs, cellphones, MP3 players and laptops — all linked to a large plasma HDTV-ready TV.

At the Touch & Go kiosks in the hotel lobby, guests have the option of a self-service check-in. The touch-screen technology allows guests to choose their room and floor using a room-mapping feature, obtain room keys and confirm room rates. All public spaces in the hotel allow wireless internet access.