Don't stay here, and definitely don't do laundry!
Mar 7, 2026 eric-stays-at-hotels
I was stranded, sheltering-in-place at this hotel due to the geopolitical crisis. I chose it because it was a 5-star Hilton close to the airport. From my stay, it was obvious that this is not a 5 star hotel.
Regarding the food:
- There were bugs around and in the food, and none of the many staff seemed to be bothered by it. There were birds…
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I was stranded, sheltering-in-place at this hotel due to the geopolitical crisis. I chose it because it was a 5-star Hilton close to the airport. From my stay, it was obvious that this is not a 5 star hotel.
Regarding the food:
- There were bugs around and in the food, and none of the many staff seemed to be bothered by it. There were birds landing on my table inside. There weren't any drinks out other than water (and wine?) at lunch. The female staff were nice and polite, the male staff looked at me like “not this guy again”. The male staff were completely unwelcoming. Not many people eating here, and it’s obvious why.
Regarding the stay:
- This is the first time I've ever experienced a situation where I seriously believed some of the lower level staff might be working there against their will.
- I was upgraded to an executive room on my first day due to Hilton Gold. Downgraded on day 5. I didn’t mind the downgrade, I didn’t use the lounge or anything, but when they told me about it, they said it was for “safety”, which was completely disingenuous. With Hilton Gold, I’m supposed to get space available upgrades, and the space was obviously available (both because I was already there, and because the lack of incoming tourists due to the geopolitical crisis). On the day of the downgrade, they were just about to extend my stay before the manager walked over after overhearing my room number and that I was extending at the expense of the Abu Dhabi DCT (who were covering my stay at that point due to the geopolitical crisis).
- The room they downgraded me to had... cleanliness issues. See the photo of the phlegm on the wall.
- The female staff were nice and polite, the male staff looked at me like “not this guy again”. The male staff were completely unwelcoming. I would smile and say "hello" and they would look at me like wanted me out ASAP. The female staff working the front lobby were fantastic, the men working there were dismissive. I never figured out why the men working at this hotel all seem to be rude to me. It did seem to have something to do with me particularly, because their attitudes changed when dealing with others.
- I made the mistake of doing laundry: $185.17 USD to wash 1 pair of paints, 1 pair of shorts, 2 shirts and 3 pairs of socks. This rate was 3x what was displayed on the laundry sheet. At this point, it was obvious that they’re just taking advantage of people stranded due to the geopolitical crisis.
- I didn't get my HH points for my first night, despite paying FULL price for the room on my personal credit card.
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