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OUR GREAT MINDS
OUR GREAT MINDS
Mixing business with pleasure is a popular theme among the business travelers of the energy industry. What better place to mix and mingle than The Yas Hotel on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates? The Yas Hotel provides the perfect setting for meetings and events, overlooking the marina and positioned on the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the annual Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Recently, I had the pleasure of staying at The Yas Hotel for several weeks, surrounded by ingenuity, innovation, futuristic thinking and fantasy experiences, that have all come to life. The oil and gas industry is transient and global and quite naturally, The Yas Hotel is the perfect place for the business traveler who loves an “away from home adventure.”
Yas Island, touted as a Sheikh’s playground, adorns The Yas Hotel, where high speeds are the conversation of the day! The Grand Prix Circuit and Formula 1 races take place here, and quite naturally, in keeping with heart-racing speed, the islands most recent attraction is Ferrari World. Ferrari World is the adventure park of rides that will have you laughing, screaming and beyond your comfort zone, as you plunge down the GT rollercoaster ride. Ferrari world is also the place that will plant the seed in the mind of the next boy who dreams to be Mario Andretti!
For those who are not speed demons, Yas Island offers six more hotels, newly built investment homes, world class golfing, swimming, a cycling track and warm evening walks around the island.
Who would envision such a project you might ask? The answer is Mr. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, who is currently the Chairman of Aldar Properties in Abu Dhabi. A global business leader and visionary, Ahmed is involved in a number of the development initiatives of the government of Abu Dhabi, in addition to being the Chairman of Aldar Properties, Ahmed is the Chief Executive Officer of Dolphin Energy Limited, a board member at the First Gulf Bank and Mubadala Development Company. Clearly, Ahmed Ali is a visionary who has much to teach us all.
When you enter the winding driveway of The Yas Hotel, the gateway overpasses the Grand Prix Circuit. Imagine driving over and staying “on top of” the circuit itself! That’s what you get at The Yas Hotel. With exquisite lighting and advanced architecture, your drive into the hotel tells you that you are in for something completely new and different.
New York’s architectural firm, Asymptote Architecture, has worked closely with designers Jestico + Whiles and Richardson Sadeki to create this iconic structure that from afar, looks like a purple dome in the sky. As you get closer you realize, this dome is the encasing of an intricately detailed grid. This grid shells the entire hotel structure, and functions to light up the entire outer perimeter of The Yas Hotel. Fading in and out, the hypnotizing colors change with time – providing a place to reflect, to think and to embrace. From purple to red to green, the hotel illuminates in majestic beauty. It literally lights up your world.
Nestled in and around The Yas Hotel is the boater’s dream, where many berths are adorned with multi- million dollar yachts at The Yas Hotel Marina. When you see the marina, you realize that the team who worked on developing this marina understood the true meaning of abundance and creativity. For the business traveler and boat lover, The Yas Hotel offers five Marina Executive Suites to stay in – that are sure to satisfy your boating desires.
As I walked into The Yas Hotel each day after meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I was greeted by staff from around the world who have chosen to work day-to-day in the surroundings of creative excellence. One of the tall distinguished young men from Africa, who helped park my car every day said, “Ms, I’ve read your articles and I’ve seen your magazine. I learned so much, and I’m very impressed.” He’s not the only one who was impressed, that kind of interest and participation in clients is unprecedented as well.
With seven specialty restaurants and two night clubs, The Yas Hotel provides you with a chic atmosphere of comfort and flow. From Italian, to Indian, to traditional Arabic food, or a world-class nightly buffet, your dining experience offers a range of international choices. Then it’s the mood of music, as a Nightly DJ’s dirty bit the top dance fare while you are lounging on the rooftop, under the Arabian sky. Got the picture?
Staying at The Yas Hotel is peaceful and serene during the day. Rooms are light, inviting and soft to be in. It’s a perfect place for meetings, seminars and corporate events. The structures of rooms and business rooms flow with white accents, rounded corners and wavy furniture, all in harmony and complement theswiveling design of the building, the racetrack and the total hotel ambiance.
After a day’s work and as you settle into your room for the evening, you are showered with warm soft colors, a big-screen TV and an unprecedented view from your balcony. Even the room’s doors are soundproof to complement your quiet space.
Drifting off to sleep in a big snugly bed, I realized that this room gave me an “inner experience” of grace and ease. As I reflected on my days at The Yas Hotel, what really struck me was a world of differentiation. Nothing here is standard. Things are unique and new. Mediocrity is a thing of the past and creativity is expressed in every element. The Yas Hotel is like walking into an artist’s palette that has come to life.
I fell asleep being thankful to the people who make it all happen, and I said to myself, “I can only be grateful for the opportunity to work and play in the art of life.”
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