When you have competing priorities, a romantic getaway may not be so easy to arrange. If you have kids, making time for a couple’s weekend will require some clever scheduling. If you’ve got a demanding job, getting away may mean compromising with a few meetings while you’re on supposed holiday. Then there’s the anxiety attached to organising an unforgettable time with your significant other.
Here’s an idea: why not leave the details of your romantic escape to a professional?
Whether you’re looking at hotels to stay at in Saadiyat Island or considering romantic spots elsewhere in Abu Dhabi, a concierge service can help you focus on what truly matters for this holiday: enjoying your time together.
How a Concierge Helps
A concierge provides personalised services, traditionally to hotel guests. They are the local experts to go to when you need dinner reservations at an exclusive restaurant, tickets to the latest shows or guides to local sights. Their goal is to make your stay as seamless as possible, delivering on your every need and, for the high-level concierge, anticipating them.
Over the years, however, the concierge has taken on a more premium service (mostly white glove) with highly specific tasks.
For instance, a hotel in Italy offers a truffle concierge who arranges truffle foraging, guides guests through truffle festivals and even looks after the truffles guests have picked. Another great example is in France, where some hotels offer a champagne concierge who curates an experience that includes lavish tastings (from Moët & Chandon to Taittinger), hot air balloon rides and any other activity the guests prefer.
Saadiyat Island has its own luxurious concierge service that takes care of all bookings for accommodations, restaurant reservations and recommendations on cultural events. If you want to know where the best beach in Abu Dhabi is for an intimate and serene escape, they will know all the dreamy, secluded spots.
And if your romantic weekend has to do with a milestone, the concierge has the expertise, discretion and resources to execute your plan. You could be proposing and not know where or how to even do it. You could be celebrating a wedding anniversary or a birthday.
Whatever special occasion comes with your romance-focused trip, you don’t have to organise everything alone.
Working With Your Concierge of Romance
Depending on how much involvement you want from the concierge, you may need to spend a bit of time with them to talk about your romantic getaway.
What are your plans? Do you have an idea of how you want the holiday to go: peaceful and intimate versus adventurous and fun?
Whether you only need the concierge’s help with a special night, call ahead to discuss your plan. There are two reasons for this advance notification:
- The restaurant, night club or beach you want is very popular, so last-minute bookings may be near impossible.
- Your romantic gesture is on a grand scale and requires many elements that need special arrangements.
When you’re aiming to raise the bar on a couple’s holiday, you need to prepare in advance. A destination or hot spot may be closed for private events. Given enough time, a well-connected concierge can find an even better replacement.
Work with your concierge and you can come up with the dreamiest getaway your partner won’t soon forget.
Rely on the Local Expertise of Your Concierge
When you’re flying in or driving down to your destination, it’s always a challenge to know where to go and what to do. Yes, you can look into online guides. But nothing beats the expertise and knowledge of someone who actually lives in the area.
A concierge is typically local, so they’ll know the best places to visit and things to do for couples.
Do you want to spend the entire afternoon at a kid-free zone beach? Check. Are you keen to check out the art scene for a couple of hours then have cocktails at sundown? Check. Do you want to indulge in a lavish tasting menu at the best restaurant serving innovative local cuisine? Check — and check please.
The right concierge can help you curate your entire itinerary, whether it’s just for the weekend or the whole week.
How the Concierge Service Began
How did this professional service begin? The work of a concierge began in the Middle Ages, in France. The French word ‘concierge’ means ‘keeper of the keys,’ so the concierge then was a staff of a castle or estate and they were in charge of looking after the massive property.
Their job was to ensure visiting nobles had all of their needs met while they stayed at the castle.
By the 19th century, the role of a concierge evolved into what it is today: provide personalised services to hotel or resort guests. As previously mentioned, that specialised role has evolved further to deliver the most lavish and specific services, beyond hotel and restaurant bookings.
Create Your Romantic Holiday With a Bit of Help
All the planning you’re thinking about for a weekend with your partner might take away some of the excitement. Worrying about travel arrangements will tire you out, and that can’t be good for a romantic holiday.
Leave the details to a concierge, and prepare to enjoy some quality, intimate time with your significant other.
Also Read: APAC Luxury Hotel Trends for 2025 and Beyond
