Southern Sun, Abu Dhabi
If you are heading to the UAE, the Southern Sun Abu Dhabi is a fantastic base camp. Located right in the bustling Al Zahiya business district, it perfectly bridges old-school Arabic elegance with sleek, contemporary design.
One of the coolest architectural quirks of the building is its clever layout. To guarantee everyone gets a killer view, all 353 guest rooms and suites strictly start on the 10th floor and rise up to the 26th. This design choice ensures that every single guest wakes up to sweeping vistas of either the city skyline or the glittering Arabian Gulf along the Corniche.
Inside, the hotel blends its modern high-rise structure with unique Arabesque interior touches. A standout feature is the traditional, frosted geometric fretwork partitioning the bedrooms and bathrooms, giving the space an authentic, local resort feel despite being a sleek city tower.
Up on the 27th floor sits the hotel’s crown jewel: a glamorous rooftop oasis featuring a pool, private sun cabanas, and a gym. Downstairs, it plays host to The Foundry, a multi-award-winning steakhouse that is famously celebrated by foodies for its theatrical, fine-dining transformation every evening.
Expert reviews
“This shiny high-rise packs in the flair of a hotel twice the price from the moment you walk into the triple-height lobby hung with swooping contemporary lamps. A fresh, modern vibe runs through the rooms with a sprinkle of Middle Eastern design touches thrown in, and there’s a buzzing social vibe throughout thanks to a bundle of popular bars and cafes.”
“A stylish 353-room hotel that’s just a 10-minute walk from the Abu Dhabi Corniche. Situated in the city’s business district, the four-star hotel is suitable for business and leisure travellers and renowned for its steak restaurant.”
What guests liked
- Top location
- Swimming pool
- Comfortable beds
- Friendly staff
Location
Recent guest reviews
29 May 2026
Fabulous
-
29 May 2026
Exceptional
NA
29 May 2026
We had a very relaxing holiday.
The room was big and with complete facilities. Breakfast was amazing. We love the time we spent in the pool and the staff made sure we enjoy our stay.
Nothing. We had a lovely stay.
28 May 2026
I have stayed here a few times , the staff are great , the hotel is in a good location there is a public bus stop just o
Big rooms
Nothing
27 May 2026
Overall, great.
Excellent. Lots of food options.
Can hear next room's noise
27 May 2026
Exceptional
As always, great clean rooms, very large. This is my goto place when in Abu Dhabi. 10/10.
27 May 2026
Fabulous
Clean
Clean
27 May 2026
Very good
All is well
26 May 2026
Good time
Location and price
The restaurant price it’s extremely high
24 May 2026
Pleasant
breakfast was delicious
24 May 2026
Exceptional
Good service
Nothing
20 May 2026
Perfect
Very friendly staff, clean rooms and silence to relax
There was little smell in the room once you came in.
20 May 2026
Will book there again inshallah
Staff is very kind and accommodating and respectful
19 May 2026
good for a quick stay
The room was nice and cosy, a good size for 2 people. I would suggest keeping an iron in the rooms.
I was not a fan of the bathroom situation, a little uncomfortable as the bath tub wasnt covered (clear glass) and the washrooms were without locks (so a little no privacy). Would be suitable for couples but not for platonic friends or family.
19 May 2026
Fabulous
Bed Room Cleanliness Room service
That there's no special pricing for frequent clients,so frequent all the staff knows you including managers
18 May 2026
Exceptional
all is perfect there
17 May 2026
Nice location
Great location and convenient to commute anywhere
The amnesty provided but the hotel and there is no refilling of water and cleanup only upon request
16 May 2026
Exceptional
The best respectful staff
15 May 2026
Pleasant
Location
Bathroom
11 May 2026
Fabulous
The Hotel was fantastic. Staff were super friendly and kind. Would rate it a good 9.5/10 May look forward to visiting the place again on my next visit.
N/A
10 May 2026
Awesome!
Clean hotel. Good prices. Friendly staff.
10 May 2026
Great location, pool bar and amenities
Very good location, upgraded and modern rooms
Nothing
8 May 2026
Exceptional
Excellent
8 May 2026
Exceptional
Location decor cleen parking available nice food they are very recpkting us
Call center from out site the hotel not professional keep us waiting
7 May 2026
Fabulous
Perfect
Amazing
6 May 2026
Overall everything was good, clean and nice location
All good
All good
5 May 2026
Great as always
Staff is very professional and friendly Rooms was well maintained and clean
Nothing can come to mind
5 May 2026
Great hotel and close to everything you need
Staff was excellent and the property was well maintained
Nothing can come to mind
4 May 2026
Exceptional
The clean room
I liked everything
2 May 2026
I was happy
Every thing
Price
30 April 2026
Good value for money 💰
Location and staff are friendly, rooms were cleaned upon request, and breakfast was good.
N/a
26 April 2026
Excellent value for money but still quality facilities and accommodations
Central location and great facilities
Nothing
19 April 2026
Good
Interiors beautifully done. Gym is good
I had to change room three times - there was bad odors in so of the rooms
19 April 2026
Exceptional
quite and comfortable
nothing
17 April 2026
It is good i recommend it
The service
The breakfast
14 April 2026
Very good
Nothing to mention
Nothing to mention
12 April 2026
Very good service and the staffs where good especially Ahmed
The receptionist Ahmed was so welcoming and helpful and advised us on a good way to enjoy the staycation since it was our first time
7 April 2026
Exceptional
Good Ambience,Good Customer service
28 March 2026
Excellent o tell
Friendly staff. Great pool. Pool staff were excellent.
Some of the room infrastructure and fittings a bit old.
27 March 2026
Fabulous
We liked the helpfulness of the staff, the size of the rooms and beds, and of course the breakfast buffet ! It was also well situated for our cultural program on Saadiyat Island.
26 March 2026
Very nice
Good size room and nice location.
Very small shower. No charger near bed
20 March 2026
Mahgoub
Mahgoub
Mahgoub
16 March 2026
Fabulous
It was great. Spacious, clean, excellent bathrooms
14 March 2026
Very good
.
.
14 March 2026
Very good
.
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14 March 2026
Very good
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14 March 2026
Such a nice hotel with excellent staff and fantastic facilities.
Everything
7 March 2026
it was good stay, i had yo stay for couple of days in Abu Dhabi , this hotel did the job
location
overall all is good, i did not like the carpet under bed, i think in hotels carpets are unsanitary, no matter how hard you clean
3 March 2026
Enjoyable and great location
Acceptable, good choice
Food could have been hotter
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Snack bar
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kids' meals
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
- - Coffee house on site
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Packed lunches
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Air conditioning
- - Designated smoking area
- - Shuttle service (additional charge)
- - Shared lounge/TV area
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Currency exchange
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Lockers
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Golf course (within 3 km) (additional charge)
- - Billiards
- - Darts
- - Steam room
- - Fitness
- - Fitness/spa locker rooms
- - Themed dinner nights (additional charge)
- - Happy hour (additional charge)
- - Cooking class
- - Live music/performance
- - Live sport events (broadcast) (additional charge)
- - Bingo (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - BBQ facilities (additional charge)
- - Outdoor pool
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor pool (all year)
- - Outdoor furniture
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
- - Accessible parking
Transport
- - Public transport tickets (additional charge)
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Visual aids: Braille
- - Visual aids: Tactile signs
Pool and wellness
- - Rooftop pool
- - Pool with view
- - Heated pool
- - Pool bar
- - Shallow end
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Sun umbrellas
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key access
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered

More photos

29 May 2026
Great hotel in good location. Great value for money