When people picture a swim in Abu Dhabi, they picture the beach. Then they actually try it.
The thirty-minute drive. The parking. The sand that gets into everything. The search for shade at 1pm. The walk back to the car with wet towels and tired children. By the time you’re home, you need another holiday.
There’s a reason so many people who live in Abu Dhabi quietly prefer a good hotel pool. It’s everything you actually wanted from the beach day — water, sun, a lounger, a cold drink — without the logistics.
At La Quinta by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Al Wahda, the pool sits at the top of the building, above the streets of the city centre, with views across Abu Dhabi. Here’s how to make a full day of it.
The beach has the sea. We’ll give it that. But for most days, the pool wins on almost everything else.
| Beach day | Pool day at La Quinta | |
| Getting there | Drive, park, walk across the sand | Take the lift |
| Shade and seating | Bring your own or pay for it | Loungers ready when you arrive |
| Changing and showers | Limited and often busy | Your room is downstairs |
| Food and drinks | Pack it or queue for it | Hotel restaurants a few floors away |
| Heading home | Sandy car, tired kids | You’re already home |
| Best for | A once-in-a-trip outing | A relaxed day you can repeat |
Do the beach once. Do the pool whenever you want.
Timing changes everything here, and it changes with the seasons.
Whatever the month, the late afternoon is the hour we’d recommend. The light softens, the city starts to glow, and the view from the top of the building is at its best.
This is a full, unhurried day built around the pool — no car required.
If you swim for fitness, go early. The pool is at its quietest, the air is at its coolest and you’ll have the lanes largely to yourself. Thirty minutes of laps before breakfast sets the tone for the whole day.
Prefer dry land? The hotel gym is on hand for a warm-up first.
Head down to Jasmaine Restaurant on the mezzanine floor for an unhurried breakfast. Eat well — you have a long, lazy day ahead.
Back upstairs with a book, a playlist and sunscreen. This is the slow part of the day: a swim, a chapter, another swim, a nap you didn’t plan.
Around midday, step out of the sun. Have lunch at Jasmaine, rest in your room, or take the one-minute walk to Al Wahda Mall for an air-conditioned break. Coming back to the pool in the afternoon is better than toughing out the hottest hours.
The light turns golden, the temperature drops and the city below starts to change colour. This is when the view is at its best and the water feels its most refreshing. If you only have one hour for the pool, make it this one.
End the day at Harmony Wellness & Spa. If you’ve just flown in, our earlier guide on steam, sauna and the pool after a long-haul flight explains the order that helps most. If you haven’t, simply pick whichever feels best and let the day wind down.
A hotel pool is one of the easiest family days in Abu Dhabi. There’s no long drive, no sand, and your room is close by for naps, snacks and the inevitable change of clothes. The hotel also has a children’s pool, so younger swimmers have a safer space of their own.
Tip: children should always be supervised by an adult at the pool.
If you’re driving to Abu Dhabi for the weekend, a pool day is the easiest way to feel like you’ve gone somewhere. Check in on Friday, spend Saturday by the water, and head home rested rather than exhausted.
You don’t need a full day. Forty-five minutes in the pool between your last meeting and dinner is often the most useful hour of a work trip. It clears your head far better than another hour on email.
Combine the gym, the pool and the spa into one routine: strength work in the morning, laps afterwards, and steam or sauna to finish. It’s a complete wellness circuit without leaving the hotel.
Abu Dhabi’s beaches are beautiful, and you should see them. But for a relaxed, repeatable, genuinely restful day, you don’t need to go further than the top of the building.
A lounger. A swim. A view of the city. Your room a lift ride away.
Plan your pool day. Book a room at La Quinta by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Al Wahda, or visit our Fitness & Spa page to see everything the pool, gym and spa have to offer.
Yes. The hotel’s pool sits at the top of the building, with views across Abu Dhabi city centre.
Yes, the hotel has a children’s pool. Children should be supervised by an adult at all times.
Contact the hotel team for current options for non-resident guests.
October to April offers the most comfortable weather for a full pool day. In summer, early mornings and late afternoons are best.
Yes. La Quinta by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Al Wahda is about a one-minute walk from Al Wahda Mall and has a pool, gym and spa.
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