Trying to find Abu Dhabi’s newest hotel, at an obscure address to the east of Salam Street, my taxi driver kept insisting there was nothing there but desert. He was almost right – even Google Earth shows the area as a bare stretch of sand. But after a few turns into small, partly formed side streets surrounded by construction work, we came to a booth where staff from The Village were handing out boxed lunches to passing taxi drivers. “I will never forget where this hotel is now,” said my driver as he tore into the box.