Hi,
Just stayed at this hotel twice, overall quite a good hotel with really friendly staff and very nice lounge.
For those planning for short future stay, the hotel is going through some renovations, the lounge was just recently completed and it is really nice.
Food offering in the lounge is really good and staff friendly. Overall, I would recommend this hotel, it might be a bit older compared to the Marriott down the road, but I think it is value for the money.
However, I would just like to express a small surprised I had on my last stay, I was more or less trapped into taking most probably an "unofficial" taxi to the airport. I requested for a taxi down at the concierge, and instead of the normal "Dubai Taxi", the guy loaded my bags into a "private" car. I confirmed with the security guard who was there if that was a taxi and he confirmed it. Since my bags were already loaded in the car, I too just stepped in. I noticed that there were no meters, or anything official about it being a taxi. I questioned the driver on how much it was to the airport. At first he did not answer and after a second time, he informed me it was 50 AED! I told him that it was not possible, and he answered that I was in the hotel official car. I don't think it was the case. I told him that I did not have that much of cash with me and he lowered it to 40 AED, which I replied that I have max. 30 AED with me and if he could not accept that, he can leave me at the side of the road. He just rode on and upon reaching the airport, he did accept the 30 AED I had left. (A normal taxi ride to the airport should cost no more than 30 AED, even with the airport taxi, it would cost at least 28 AED!).
If I am wrong here, I would like to mail someone at the hotel to report this as I think this is really a bad reflection of the hotel. I could not find any contact email from the official website.
Please feel free to PM me or mail me for a contact email.
Thanks and becareful to those planning especially when getting a cab to the airport. Make sure it is an official hotel taxi or public one.
