If you’re travelling on a long-haul flight, here’s a good reason to split the trip and stop over in the UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi is offering free hotel accommodation for those who are staying a day or more to explore the city.
Take note, however, that you should be flying on the national carrier Etihad Airways to avail of the freebie. Passengers may choose from a range of three- to four-star hotel options.
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Whether you’re family who wish to enjoy fun rides at Warner Bros World or Ferrari World or a solo adventurer who wants to see art at the Louvre Abu Dhabi or marvel at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, you can select a hotel near the areas on your bucket list.
Here’s a guide to the free Abu Dhabi stopover programme of Etihad Airways:
Who can avail of the offer
- One should have a confirmed flight ticket with Etihad Airways.
- The passenger should have a minimum layover duration of 24 hours in Abu Dhabi.
- It is available exclusively for round-trip tickets, and both outbound and inbound flights must be on the same ticket. The free accommodation can be used either on your outbound or inbound journey, only once.
- Take note: It is not available for guests flying to or from Oman.
How to book
- When booking a flight with Etihad online (etihad.com), travellers have the option to “add a stopover” and “select a complimentary hotel” as part of the process.
- If you’ve already booked your flight and missed the option to add the stopover, go to etihad.com/manage or etihad.com/en/abu-dhabi/stopover and enter your flight details and follow the instructions.
- If your flight was booked through the contact centre, call or chat with the airline to book the hotel.
- The hotel stay must be booked at least three days before your flight to Abu Dhabi.
- Check your visa eligibility, too, and see if can get a visa on arrival. If not, ensure a UAE transit visa is arranged prior to the trip.
- Take note: Flights booked through a travel agent are not eligible for a free (up to 2 nights) hotel stay or a paid stopover hotel stay (3 to 4 nights).
What you’ll get
- Free stay of up to two nights at a three or four-star hotel.
- 24/7 check-in and check-out benefit, giving you the flexibility to check in or out depending on the time of your flight
- Discounts at many of the city’s attractions and dining experiences (just show your Etihad boarding pass, which serves as your ‘Abu Dhabi pass’ to get the promos)
What’s not included, other fees
- Any transfer to and from the hotel
- Breakfast, other meals (Take note: The hotel reservation is only for the room.)
- Incidental charges like those for minibar consumption, room service
- Access to any additional amenities that are not included in the room rate
Other rules to remember
- The offer is not available on certain peak-travel dates:
| Date | Event |
| October 30, 2024 – November 12, 2024 | Adipec 2024 |
| November 27, 2024 – December 16, 2024 | F1 2024 |
| December 19, 2024 – January 6, 2025 | Christmas and New Year’s Eve |
| February 12, 2025 – February 26, 2025 | Idex 2025 |
- Hotel check-in dates must align with the flight’s arrival date in Abu Dhabi.
- Each stopover night is capped at a 24-hour stay.
- Any extra hours and late check-out fees may be charged by the hotel and should be settled by the guests.
- Depending on the flight itinerary, the maximum number of stopover nights is four — and free accommodation is given only for up to two nights.
- The maximum occupancy in a hotel room is for up to two adults and one child below 11 years of age. Individuals under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
- A nominal fee applies for all bookings that select the “Abu Dhabi Stopover” option on the website, regardless of whether the hotel is chosen during the booking process or at a later time.
- A tourism fee of Dh15 per night should be paid at the hotel.
- Upon checking in, you must present your valid Etihad Airways boarding pass and the hotel booking confirmation received from Etihad Holidays. The name on the hotel booking should match the name on the boarding pass.