This is purrfectly furtastic.

Two rescue cats living it up in the lap of luxury at the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island could be the type of fairy tale you watch on the Disney Channel.

But this is no tale; it actually happened and I rescued them!

For those of you who don’t know, the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel is inviting you to staycay with your pet, whether it’s a teeny weeny goldfish or your prized pooch, and everything in between and at NO EXTRA COST!

Not one to take any form of PR or advertising at its word, I packed my rescued felines Albert and Georges’ weekend cat-bags, and my own overnight case, hailed a taxi and headed for a well-deserved family mini break for a catnap of a life time!

After all, “Cats are connoisseurs of comfort,” according to British veterinary surgeon and author, James Herriot.

 

 

Albert, the darker one’s name, is a daddy’s boy – as long as I’m there, he’s happy. Georges, the ginger Tom, loves daddy, yes, but is more of a homeboy and even a five-minute trip to the vet can turn his world upside down but where Albert goes, Georges goes.

So how did the boys fare at this five-star luxury property, travelling all the way from Delma Street in the city to Yas Island faraway – that’s a super long way for cats?

 

Cats on Yas

 

 

You know the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’?   Well, that was us! We packed everything we thought we’d need.

Cat treats  √
Favourite cat food √
Cat beds √
Litter and litter tray √
Favourite catastic toys and games √

You know how it goes… but we needn’t have bothered! W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island provided everything…and I mean everything.

When the furtastic team at W – Abu Dhabi says pets welcome, they mean it and cater to your furbabies’ every whim from, in Albert and Georges’ case, providing matching litter trays, pretend mouse toys, pet-centric dining dishes, fabulous tasty treats, according to the boys at least and – wait for it – their very own personalised pet menu from which to order feline favourites delivered straight to the suite.

 

The Fabulous Suite

 

 

Only the best will do for these two aristo-CATS, especially when they are as well-bred as Albert and Georges!

Check-in was seamless and the boys were made a fuss of by the W Crew, before being whisked up to their  Fabulous Suite.

And it lived up to its name! But why wouldn’t it?  This is the W Abu Dhabi after all!

The fabulous one-bedroom suite, complete with a king bed, huge 180-degree balcony overlooking the Formula 1 racetrack and the marina, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and more was more than ample for the boys to go exploring. 

Perhaps all a bit much for Big Georges, who immediately fled behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains – it would take a while before he got used to this mega space.

 

 

Albert, on the other hand, lived it up, soaking up the action and exploring all 110 square meters of style, before wolfing down the snacks that had been laid out for him.

Like his namesake, Albert was king, and ruled the fabulous roost!

 

P.A.W.Some Treats

 

Albert and Georges pawed through the fabulous pet-tastic menu and it read really well, so much so I was tempted myself.

From raw or lightly cooked proteins to those all-important staycay side nibbles, the list was well thought out!

 

Proteins

• Beef tenderloin
• Burger
• Red snapper – a favourite with the boys!
• Boiled chicken breast

 

Side nibbles

• Steamed crunchy veggies
• Steamed rice
• Plain pasta
• H20 still

All available around the clock and cooked on demand – and oh boy, were my two felines demanding, but it was their stayCATion after all. 

 

Daddy needs a break too! 

 

Treating your furbabies to a much-needed holiday is one thing, but at the front of any parents’ mind is all the things that could go wrong.

Will the boys escape and wander the stylish corridors of this rather fabulous hotel?

 

 

But Daddy had to dine, as well as discover this wonderful chic hotel – after all it’s my staycay too!

First of all, to quell any worries about your furbabies escaping the room, you can just click the ‘do not disturb button’ but for an added sense of security, there’s is a door tag to hang on your door to let the W Crew know that there are two furbabies inside partying away while their hooman heads to Garage, where, understandably, pets are not allowed.

 

24-hour Garage

 

 

Luckily for me, there’s a fantastic deal happening at Garage.

TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN, inspired by W Hotel’s well-known and loved 24/7 attitude, had me tucking into unlimited delectable dishes.

Enough for two (pity the boys couldn’t join me – it would have been cat-licious), you can get to experience a variety of dishes one hub at a time.

Starting with an American-style, comfort classics board from Meat Vault, before testing out vibrant aromas from STEAM Table.

Then Mezza Bar for those Levantine favourites not to mention Japanese/Peruvian fusion dishes from Nikkei House.

While the cats are away the mice will play – or me in this instance!

Dessert?  Oh yes please!  I’ll take a killer Monster Sundae and Signature Tart but don’t tell the boys or it’ll be the cat o’ nine tails for me.

Back to the suite, where Albert eyed me suspiciously, and cautious Georges was hiding behind the curtains again – after all, you can never be too careful!

It was us time again! After all, it’s about family time and being together when on holiday, isn’t it?

Now that’s fur-nomenal!

A word of warning – some cats find being far from home quite stressful, so if you are thinking of taking your feline family for a petcay, think of your furbaby’s comfort first. Big Georges most probably would have preferred to stay home but Albert, where I go, he goes and he enjoys every moment of it!

 

Here’s how to book: Call 02 656 0000 or visit wabudhabiyasisland.com to know more.

 

Words Derek Issacs, Editor Yalla – Abu Dhabi Life