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It’s a truism that any visitor to Abu Dhabi who wants to know what is on, and when, needs only to turn to the concierge desk in their hotel to get a full briefing; and this was the thinking behind a special open day for concierge staff from across the emirates’ capital city when some 30 people were the invited guests of the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (SBGC) with its Gary Player designed, 18-hole course.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club - the emirate’s latest world-class golf destination from Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) - provides a breathtaking variety of golf experiences, with every hole having its own unique character.
The concierge guests were picked up from central Abu Dhabi and whisked, courtesy of Al Ghazal transport, to Saadiyat Island, where a team from the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club were there to greet them with a special fruit cocktail, after which they were shown a video of the construction of the course.
John Gunn – Director of Food & Beverage, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club - explained that concierge staff in hotels are often the unsung heroes that can ensure visitors gain the maximum benefit from their visit to Abu Dhabi. “As such it seemed an excellent idea to introduce them to the wonderful facilities we have here on this new course.
“As well as the golfing itself, we were also happy to show off our stunning new hawksbill restaurant – the emirate’s latest top-class F&B offering, which has been named after the protected turtles that use Saadiyat Island as a hatching spot. Housed in our Academy Building, the 140-seater restaurant has something for every mood and the food is designed to please golfers and non-golfers alike with a wide range of mouth-watering internationally-inspired dishes.
“We were also thrilled to give them a glimpse of our plans for a Frank Gehry-designed 18,000 m2 clubhouse – the world-renowned architect’s first golf-related project which is scheduled to be completed in 2012,” Gunn added.
The concierges were then taken on a full tour of the facility, where they were also told about the tailored packages that have been designed to cater for the whole family, including for men, a Thursday evening nine-hole round of golf plus a meal afterwards for AED250 per guest; for ladies, a full round of golf with a tee-off prior to noon, Sunday through Wednesday, for AED200 per person; and free-of-charge one-hour Junior Golf Clinics, Fridays and Saturdays between 3-4 and 4-5pm, where kids can learn more about the game from the club’s top pros.
As well as enjoying some of the mouth-watering canapés provided by the SBGC, the concierges also enjoyed a putting competition amongst themselves on the Club’s Practice Facility; and the winner - Sandra Newman, Chief Concierge at Emirates Palace Hotel – was awarded a free golf lesson. There was also time for networking with colleagues, before the concierges were taken back to Abu Dhabi.
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