Weeks, not nights, by the marina in Al Bateen
InterContinental Abu Dhabi overlooks the marina in Al Bateen, and its website also lists residences for extended stays in the same area. This page is for guests staying weeks rather than nights, on a project, a relocation or a long family visit, who want their training to be further along when they check out than when they arrived.
The hotel's website lists a Health Club whose fitness centre has cardio and strength equipment, with personal training sessions on offer, alongside a pool and a spa. RPM is a separate business with no arrangement with the hotel: one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. Start with RPM's one club, as a base for a training block on a long stay, then decide which parts of the block belong where.
Will the block outgrow a hotel fitness room?
A training block is a run of weeks in which the loads climb. The first weeks fit almost anywhere. The later ones are where a hotel room, however well kept, may run out of plates.
| Stage of the block | What the sessions ask for | Check before you rely on the hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Settling in after the flight | Moderate loads while you find your rhythm | Nothing special |
| Building | Loads that rise every week | Whether the heaviest dumbbell and a barbell keep pace |
| The heaviest weeks | The heaviest sets you can manage, with someone spotting | A rack, enough plates and a coach or partner |
| A lighter week | Reduced loads and more mobility | Nothing special |
Put those questions to the Health Club in your first week, not when you hit the ceiling. RPM's floor photos show a squat rack with colour bumper plates, benches and plate-loaded machines, which is what the heaviest weeks tend to need. For shorter stays, where a trip may not pay off at all, see the length-of-stay test.
Give each main lift one home
Splitting a block between two gyms works when every lift has a fixed place. Moving a squat between a hotel room and a full club from week to week leaves you with numbers you cannot compare.
| Session | Where it lives | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Main lower-body lift | RPM | A rack and plates every week |
| Main pressing or pulling lift | RPM, if the hotel's heaviest weights stop short | The same equipment gives comparable numbers |
| Accessory work and arms | The hotel's fitness centre | No drive needed |
| Easy cardio and mobility | The hotel, or a walk outside in the cooler months | A day off from driving |
| A coached check-in | RPM, weekly or fortnightly | One coach keeps the block on course |
That pattern usually means two crossings a week, with the hotel covering everything else.
From weekly passes to a membership tier
For the first week or two, ask whether a weekly pass is available for your dates. It is time-sensitive, so the team confirms availability, the price and what it covers. If the stay keeps running, compare the three membership tiers instead. Inclusions and prices are confirmed on enquiry, so ask how each would work for a stay with a known end date.
| Tier | Built around | Suits a long stay if |
|---|---|---|
| Floor | The training floor | You write your own block |
| Engine | The floor plus coached programming | You want the block written and adjusted for you |
| Atelier | One-to-one coaching | You want a coach at most sessions |
Book the free guided tour before you choose. It is a walk around the club with a team member, not a workout.
Al Bateen to Al Manhal, twice a week
The mapped route follows King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street across the island, and the route box rates it a short cross-island trip. On a long stay, fix the two crossings to the same days and hours each week, so the drive becomes routine rather than a decision. Each time, free on-site parking at AD HUB and the lift to Level 4 bring you to the door.
| Days | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 06:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
Hours can change, for example during Ramadan. Confirm with the team before a late or early visit.
Early and late opening leaves a fixed slot on either side of a working day. Fridays are shorter, and Ramadan has its own times.
Sources
Questions, answered.
Is RPM part of InterContinental Abu Dhabi?
No. RPM is an independent club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with no tie to the hotel. The route box shows the mapped drive from Al Bateen.
The hotel lists personal training. Why bring in a coach at RPM?
If the hotel's trainer and equipment cover your block, there is no need. The case for RPM is the main lifts once loads outgrow a hotel room, or a women-only floor. Choose one coach to write the block, so two people are not pulling it in different directions.
My stay keeps being extended. When should I stop buying passes?
When a pass has become a weekly habit. Ask the team to set the tiers against another month of passes, and decide with both in front of you.
Can I bring my programme from home?
Yes. Show it to a coach on your first visit and ask which machines stand in for the ones you use at home, so the exercises stay as faithful to the plan as possible.
My stay runs through Ramadan. What changes?
The club keeps its own Ramadan hours, so check them with the team. If you are fasting, plan a lighter stage of the block for that month and train when you feel able, which for many people means after iftar.
Is there a women-only floor for a long block?
Yes. The Ladies section keeps its own strength and cardio equipment alongside the Pilates studio, and the roster's female coaches work in it. Check that your pass or tier covers it.