We visited Dubai, with our 2 kids (5 and 6), just before NYE and chose this hotel after some rave reviews online. Arabian Deluxe, their entry level room.
Before our stay, we got in touch with the concierge service, just letting them know the significance of our holiday (1 year cancer remission) and asked for a few extra hangers in the room and a few other bits.
We got to the hotel around 9am, the place is beautiful and check-In relatively swift. Our room wasn't ready so headed down to the pool. Around 3pm, we got a message saying our room was ready and headed to reception where we were given the key, which I thought slightly odd as most hotels we visit, we're taken to the room and given some hotel info. After all, first time in the hotel.
In the room, nothing we had requested before the trip was there, no welcome note, a pretty stale looking bowl of fruit and 2 pieces of baclava. Im not expecting the world, but this was a sad sight compared to what we often see, when spending in excess, not to mention it was a few days before NYE. Northing for the kids, nothing even remotely welcoming. It was also pretty disappointing to see that the kind size bed, was 2 single beds, pushed together, with a great big gap down the middle. Our kids sofa bed had 1 pillow, no robes, not enough towels and our luggage hadn't arrived after 20 minutes. Not an ideal start.
I rung and asked if somebody could visit our room, explain why we had this bed. Somebody came, told us that's just how it is which didn't feel right. I asked to speak to a manger and met her downstairs.
I explained the disappointing start to our vacation, she assured me that I wasn't making a fuss out of nothing, completely understood our issues, but sadly, they were fully booked. Apparently some rooms do have a king size bed, some had 2 single beds pushed together. Not sure why we got the short straw. Unimpressed, I asked her to check once again and was then show another room, same class, with in fact, a king size bed. This was on the ground floor (we were previously on the 2nd) and flagged that as we overlooked a road, I had concerns it would be noisy. She laughed and said of course not. We agreed to the room swap.
That night, I was awoken at 1am, by glass smashing, bin emptying and the sweet sound of trucks reversing. This went on until about 3am and can report that this happened every night, for the 8 nights we were there. We AGAIN spoke to the hotel who told us they would look into it - That was all we heard. Arabian "Deluxe" rooms are on the side of the hotel and below, a service road it seems. My wife and I suffered broken sleep, for the entire stay.
It's worth noting that the breakfast buffet is wonderful and the staff inside can't do enough for you. However, one night after dinner, we visited the hotel buffet around 9pm and asked if there was any chance they might be able to let us in for dessert (a small request I thought, considering we're hotel guests). The hostess refused, which I thought was pretty disappointing. She then reluctantly agreed. My wife and I took a seat at a table and our kids then joined us with a doughnut each on their plate. 5 minutes or so later, the hostess rushed over and told us that we did not say that we would sit down and that we needed to pay, per head to sit at the table. At this moment, one of the waiters started to pour us water, to which she told him to stop as we hadn't paid. I have never been so humiliated in all of my life. She told me we had to leave, take the plates with us and that we never stipulated we'd be sitting down. The scene she caused was absolutely humiliating. Eventually, a manager came over, asked what the problem was to which I explained and said that our kids could finish their doughnut. How on earth can residents of the hotel be treated like this?
The next morning, the same hostess was on the buffet reception and thought perhaps an apology could have been appropriate. Nope, nothing.
Our turn down service was missed twice during the evenings, they later apologised and told us "they're incredibly busy this time of year" nothing was put in our rooms on New Years Day, no message, treats, ANYTHING. Also on the night before we left, nothing special. I only mention this as friends staying at Al Qasr and Al Nasser ALL had incredibly special turn down services, gifts etc, notes wishing them well.
The Asian restaurant in the hotel is stunning, along with Cala Vista. This is also where they held the hotel's Gala NYE dinner which was just under £5,000 for the 4 of us. Not sure how they can justify £1,500 for 2 children under 6. We didn't of course attend this. Shimmers also hosts a gala evening, but again, was around 5K for a family of 4.
On NYE we headed down to the beach to watch the fireworks, we were told that the beach was reserved for gala diners. Couldn't quite believe it but did watch from the lobby terrace with some wonderful staff.
All in all, we won't be back to this hotel and it's a shame it let us down. It's worth however mentioning the staff working in the hotel and Abra drivers, are terrific and warm and a pleasure to see. The hotel itself is beautiful and well kept, but the neglect of customer relations let this place down.
