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How to sleep for free in Abu Dhabi up to 2 nights | Etihad stopover
Abu Dhabi International Airport has been one of the most important global hubs for intercontinental air routes for years. Its strategic position between Europe and Asia makes it a large number of international flights stopover in Abu Dhabi. The national airline par excellence of Abu Dhabi is Etihad, a company with good service and that is increasingly doing more routes at good prices from Europe.
We've flown with Etihad four times now and have nothing bad to say. But not only is it good company during the flight, but among other benefits, Etihad offers its passengers the chance to sleep for free in Abu Dhabi in hotels up to 5 stars if they have a long layover in the city or thanks to the program Stop Over from Etihad, which we have been able to test.
If you have a long layover or would you like to visit and sleep for free in Abu Dhabi?, keep reading what we tell you. You may also be interested in reading our guide on what to see in Abu Dhabi in 1 day.
How sleep for free in Abu Dhabi
You will be able stay free in Abu Dhabi hotels during an Ethihad stopover even flying on the most basic fare. The only requirement is to have an international flight with them that stopover in Abu Dhabi longer than 24 hours, in that case you have the right to up to two free hotel nights a carWe stayed in hotels that weren't bad at all, and we were surprised to get a really nice room completely free.
Keep in mind that you must book at least 3 days in advance and the offer is subject to hotel availability, so I recommend doing it as soon as you buy the flight to have the opportunity to choose the one you like the most.
What is the Stop Over program from Etihad
Layovers of more than 24 hours are not very common, but Etihad offers the possibility of making one long stopover from one to four days in Abu DhabiYou can find the Stop Over option directly in your search engine, just click on "Abu Dhabi stopover» before performing the search. Keep in mind that if you purchase the flight from another portal, this option may not be available.
It's ideal for those who want to explore the city or even rent a car, as we did to visit the neighboring city of Dubai.
Etihad is made cargo of two free hotel nights and offers free bus transfers from the airport to different areas of the city such as the Louvre Museum. You will also access discounts in restaurants, shops, leisure centers, hotels and spas.
It seems Etihad is making an effort to ensure travelers don't see Abu Dhabi as just a stopover, and is offering great incentives to those who decide to spend a few days exploring the city. And hey, Abu Dhabi has some very cool places! So it is worth benefiting from Ethihad's Stop Over program.
How to book a free hotel with Etihad
Once you have booked your flight you have to access the Stop Over section on the Etihad website and buscar the option called Free Scale which offers free stays up to 2 nights in city hotels.
When you select the option, it will ask you for the reservation reference and your last name.
Once you enter the data, it takes you to a portal where You see a list with hotel options Where you can sleep for free in Abu Dhabi. There are 2- to 5-star hotels located both in the city center and near the airport; only available hotels will be displayed.
Although the hotels are initially shown with their original prices, once you have chosen and click on the reservation, it takes you to a page to complete the reservation where the price drops to 0.
Here you must enter all your personal information and some information regarding your flight. It redirects you to a payment gateway where you have to enter credit card information to make a payment of €0. I know, it's a little strange... I guess it's a way to have your payment information in case there is an incident.
You can also read…
Guide of Doha scale
Guide of stopover in Dubai
TO free hotels in Abu Dhabi offers Etihad
The list of hotels where you can sleep for free in Abu Dhabi it changes regularly and only those that have rooms available during your stopover dates will appear. Sometimes there is availability in 5-star hotels of the highest level such as Ritz.
Currently the list is the following:
- Aloft Abu Dhabi: 4 stars.
- Al Manhal Center: 3 stars.
- City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel: 4 stars.
- Golden Tulip Downtown Abu Dhabi: 4 stars.
- Millennium Al Rawdah Hotel: 4 stars.
- Premier Inn Abu Dhabi Capital Center Hotel: 3 stars.
- Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Hotel: 3 stars.
- Southern Sun Abu Dhabi: 4 stars.
- Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri: 4 stars.
We hope to have been helpful, to know more about how to sleep for free in Abu DhabiIf you have any other recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments!
Hello, we have a one-night stopover reservation in Abu Dhabi. My question is whether airport transfers are included, and if not, what's the best way to get to the city center. Best regards and thank you.
Hi, transportation isn't included. The best way is to order an Uber, which is very affordable. caros 🙂 Public transport isn't great in Abu Dhabi.
Hello, is it necessary to book a round-trip flight or can I book a one-way flight?
If you can't get a one-way ticket, can you make a stopover by booking a one-way ticket to one destination and a return ticket from a different one (multi-city)?
Hi Ignacio, we booked it with just a one-way flight to China. Their website lets you select the best option before you search.car The stopover option. So you can do this for both your outbound and return flights and book the other flight separately 🙂 I hope this helps! Best regards
Hi!
What happens with checked luggage? Do you pick it up in Abu Dhabi and take it with you, do they store it at the airport during those stopover hours or do they send it to the final destination?
Thank you very much and greetings!
Hi Desiree, when pregnantcar They see you have a long stopover and they'll put your suitcase on the baggage claim boarding gate in Abu Dhabi. When you continue your trip, you'll have to go back to the counter to check in and board.car.
Hi Alba, interesting article. We've booked a flight from Malaga to Tokyo with a 3-night stopover in Abu Dhabi on the return trip. It's for next year, so there's still time. We've received flight confirmation but not hotel confirmation. When we called Etihad customer service, they told us that the hotel isn't confirmed until a few days before the flight and that if our chosen hotel isn't available then, they'll give us three other options. Could you advise me on this?car I'd like to know if that's the usual procedure or if the girl I spoke to made a mistake. Thank you very much.
Hello Susanne,
I have a question regarding your message. Were you able to access the portal where the hotels are advertised, choose one and book? Or does it not let you complete the reservation?
In our case, we received an email from Etihad Holidays confirming our booking. We booked two months before the flight date, so it seems strange that they wouldn't confirm until just days before the flight. Either they've recently changed their policy, or customer service may have made a mistake.car.
I recommend you contact me again to see if the explanation this second time matches the first.
Greetings and good luck!
Hello, good day, thank you for your interesting post. I have a question that perhaps you can answer for me. Can I make the stopover by purchasing the flights from a page outside of Etihad? For example, on Expedia and then making the reservation directly on Etihad?
Thank you very much in advance
Hello, Gerardo,
I'm not sure, we booked directly on the Etihad website because it has a checkbox to choose the option. I haven't tried doing it through an external seller.
Sorry I can't be of more help
Regards!
Hello, if I want to do a 4 day stoopover stay. how is the proccess?
Hello Almudena,
The first requirement is to fly with Etihad. They cover two nights, so for the third night you'll have to book a bus.car Book your own accommodation. We did that and took advantage of the opportunity to spend two days and one night in Dubai. Cheers!
Hello,
I'm in the process of buying a ticket to Southeast Asia, and the Etihad option seems very good to me, with two free nights. I wanted to ask you if it's just accommodation or if it also includes breakfast, and also if, in your opinion, it's better to stay at a hotel near the airport or in the city. I'm also thinking about renting a car for the day. Thank you very much for your help.
Regards,
Xabier
Hi Xabier, it's a hotel room night without breakfast, although upon arrival they gave us the option to add it since the hotels were good and it was quite reasonable carWe didn't choose a central location, but Abu Dhabi is great to explore by car. We also took the opportunity to visit Dubai, which is just over an hour away. Cheers!