New hotels in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi's confirmed openings since 2016 are fewer in number than Dubai's, but each occupies a genuinely distinct niche rather than repeating a format already available in the emirate. Bab Al Qasr Hotel (2016) and Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island (2018) established large-scale beachfront properties on the Corniche and Saadiyat Island respectively; The WB Abu Dhabi (2021) is, by its operator's own claim, the world's first Warner Bros.-themed hotel; and two more brand debuts — Mondrian Abu Dhabi and Nobu Hotel Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island — are under construction, both repeatedly delayed but still targeting 2026.

Saadiyat Island: from all-inclusive resort to museum-district luxury

Saadiyat Island's hotel story splits into two distinct chapters. Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island, which opened in October 2018, brought Rixos Hotels' Ottoman-palace-styled, ultra-all-inclusive format to the emirate for the first time — a family and leisure resort model distinct from the island's museum-district ambitions. Nobu Hotel Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, still under construction, points toward where the island is heading next: a 165-room hotel with a rooftop Nobu Villa, planned on Mamsha Beach directly opposite the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

The Corniche and Downtown Abu Dhabi

Bab Al Qasr Hotel, a 677-room, copper-clad tower on the western Corniche opposite Emirates Palace, opened in 2016 as one of the largest single hotel openings on this list — a scale suited to Abu Dhabi's meetings-and-events market rather than an intimate resort. Mondrian Abu Dhabi, announced for Downtown Abu Dhabi's canal frontage in 2023, aims for a different register entirely: a roughly 15-floor lifestyle tower with a rooftop pool and a separate lagoon pool, though its opening date has slipped from an initial 2024 target to 2025 and now 2026.

Yas Island: theming as a genuine differentiator

The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, which opened in November 2021 next to the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi theme park, is a clear outlier on this list: every one of its 312 rooms and serviced apartments is themed around a Warner Bros. property, from Looney Tunes to DC, and the operator's claim to be the world's first Warner Bros.-branded hotel is a specific, checkable distinction rather than marketing language.

How we verify openings

Every listing here is checked against at least two independent sources — hotel-brand or developer press releases, hospitality trade press (Hotelier Middle East, Hospitality Net) and mainstream travel coverage — before publication. We exclude straightforward rebrands of hotels that were already trading without a substantial renovation or change of building, which is why some well-known Abu Dhabi luxury properties that changed hotel-brand flags without a documented full renovation do not appear here. Status labels — Announced, Open — and target dates for still-unopened hotels reflect the most recent operator statements available.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Abu Dhabi?

The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, which opened on 11 November 2021 next to the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi theme park on Yas Island, is the most recent confirmed opening covered here.

Is there really a Warner Bros.-themed hotel in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. The WB Abu Dhabi is billed by its owner, Miral Asset Management, as the world's first Warner Bros.-themed hotel, built under licence from Warner Bros. Entertainment with every room themed around a Warner Bros. property.

What new luxury hotels are under construction in Abu Dhabi?

Two brand debuts are announced but not yet open: Mondrian Abu Dhabi, Ennismore's first UAE property, targeted for 2026 in Downtown Abu Dhabi, and Nobu Hotel Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, targeted for 2026-2027 opposite the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Is Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island all-inclusive?

Yes. It operates on Rixos's ultra-all-inclusive format, covering ten restaurants and bars, a rarer model on Saadiyat Island than the room-only or breakfast-included basis most other hotels there use.