Yas Viceroy: Only hotel in the world that overlooks an F1 racing track

Abu Dhabi - The Yas Viceroy - which is just across the Yas Marina Circuit - is the only hotel in the world that overlooks a Formula 1 racing track.

As international attention has turned to Abu Dhabi for the 2015 Grand Prix happening over the weekend, staff at the capital's Yas Viceroy Hotel are busy taking care of the about 8,000 daily visitors expected during the three-day event which began on Friday.
The Yas Viceroy - which is just across the Yas Marina Circuit - is the only hotel in the world that overlooks a Formula 1 racing track.
"During the rest of the year, we'd expect about 1,000 people to be coming through the doors each day, including the guests staying with us," said Yas Viceroy General Manager Andrew Humphries. "The main days of the race will see an eight fold increase."
"It's a very international crowd, since F1 is a very international sport," he added. "But we also get a lot of GCC clientele and a lot of UAE clientele come and stay with us, even if they are just from Dubai. A few are even based in Abu Dhabi. The atmosphere over the weekend is amazing."
According to hotel staff, approximately 35,000 meals will prepared by 225 chefs and be served every day during the weekend, for which shipments of fine food - such as caviar from Russia or white truffles from Italy - are flown in.
"We've partnered with Quattro Passi, which has one of the best restaurants on the Amalfi Coast (in Italy) and in Mayfair in London" Humphries said. "We fly in a lot of special ingredients from them, even their own tomatoes from Italy, to make it authentic. In all of our restaurants there is that expectation that we'll have those special things available for the race, so we bring them in."
For the Formula 1 drivers, the hotel has designed a bespoke menu. "It's extremely physically demanding driving an F1 car, so like all sportsmen at the very highest level, they have special diets and special foods that they require," Humphries said, "particularly as they go into race day to ensure their energy levels and concentration are at their peak."
"Each one is slightly different. Some of them bring in their own items, and some of them order items from us in advance," he added. "It's just to make sure that they are performing at their very peak."
Humphries - who has been in Abu Dhabi for the past two and a half years - said that the hotel has become increasingly adept at handling the mass influx of race-goers over the years.
"Fundamentally, the preparations have remained the same, but each year we've got a little bit better at it. We have more experience and people have done it before," he said. "The first time you do something this large it's difficult to predict how the customer will behave, what the demands will be, traffic control, security. When you've done it six times it's a bit easier, but there is always unexpected things that happen."
Given the logistical complexities of the event, Humphries said preparations are already underway for the 2016 Grand Prix.
"The tentative dates for next year have already been announced. We've already had our first meeting about it," he said.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com