AUHotel: New Abu Dhabi Airport Transit Lodge

An airside transit lodge has simply opened at Abu Dhabi Worldwide Airport (now generally known as Zayed Worldwide Airport).
Abu Dhabi Airport’s airside transit lodge
In late 2023, we noticed the opening of the brand new Terminal A at Abu Dhabi Worldwide Airport. The terminal is beautiful, and marks an thrilling new chapter for the airport, and by connection, for Etihad Airways. The terminal has a lot of nice options, together with a lovely Etihad First Lounge, Etihad Enterprise Lounge, and Pearl Lounge (accessible with Precedence Move).
As I famous once I visited the airport, one factor lacking was an airside transit lodge. Happily that has lastly modified. We’re now seeing the opening of AUHotel, which is the airport’s airside transit lodge. Hah, that’s a enjoyable title if you learn it, although I’m curious the way it’s pronounced — is it a-u-hotel, or…?
Oddly the lodge doesn’t but have a web site, but it surely’s bookable by way of many on-line journey companies.
The property has 138 rooms unfold throughout three flooring, and entry degree rooms are 15 sq. meters (~161 sq. ft). The lodge pricing is honest, and appears to start out at round $150 per night time (you pay for the comfort of being within the terminal). I think about that quickly it will likely be doable to ebook shorter time blocks on-line, and hopefully these are cheaper.

There’s a fantastic comfort to airside transit accommodations, however…
In relation to airport accommodations, I usually have robust preferences:
- There’s an enormous benefit to staying in an airside transit lodge, so that you don’t have to fret about clearing customs and immigration, and might head straight to your gate
- For accommodations not contained in the transit space of an airport, I tremendously choose airport accommodations which might be immediately related to an airport (or which you could simply stroll to), somewhat than ones that require shuttles, which are sometimes unreliable
The fantastic thing about many transit accommodations is which you could ebook them in pretty quick increments, as a number of hours in a mattress can work wonders between lengthy flights.
All that being mentioned, in Abu Dhabi I wouldn’t essentially worth this fairly as a lot as at different airports:
- Immigration is at all times tremendous fast in Abu Dhabi when coming into and departing the nation, given {that a} overwhelming majority of passengers are connecting
- Abu Dhabi is an efficient worth lodge market, and you will discover every kind of luxurious properties at an inexpensive value, and for those who’re reserving a one night time keep, you will get unbelievable worth via packages like Amex Nice Lodges & Resorts or Virtuoso
- There are additionally many accommodations that aren’t removed from the airport, like on Yas Island
- Abu Dhabi could be a enjoyable metropolis for a fast stopover as nicely, as there are many straightforward issues to see, whether or not it’s the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Backside line
Abu Dhabi Airport’s airside transit lodge, AUHotel, has lastly opened. This can be a priceless new possibility for transit passengers with lengthy layovers. It additionally makes Abu Dhabi Airport’s new terminal fairly nicely rounded when it comes to amenities.
Anybody plan on staying at AUHotel?