Originally Posted by ftrichard

I just returned from LGW-KUL on the cheapest business class fare which necessitated a longish stopover (arriving about 8pm and departing 4am or so). They gave me this Dubai Connect package. For anyone who is interested in this service (which I can't complain about really because it was unexpected and free) here is my experience. In short, if you know what to do then it's quite fun however hardly anyone at Emirates has a clue what to do... Next time I'll have a better experience.

1. If eligible then Manage My Booking online lets you request this service. There are no details about how it is executed in practice. When you check in you are given the hotel voucher printed on three cardboard boarding passes but no other details about what to do on the ground. I asked the check in agent at LGW what to do with it and she had no idea.

2. I asked the FA on board what to do. She didn't know either and told me to ask ground staff upon disembarking.

3. I asked Emirates ground staff what to do and they told me I had to ask at the Connect desk before passport control.

4. I found the Connect desk. The First/Business class desk was empty and remained so. I hung around until one of the regular staff wandered over and told me I had to get my hotel voucher stamped at the bank desk just there (why?) and then go through passport control and head to Door 1 where there was another desk.

5. The bank took one look at my passport (British) and said I didn't need a stamp on the hotel voucher.

6. I went through passport control and headed to Door 1. Finding the desk, the guy took one look at the voucher and directed me instead to Door 4 (I think - anyway the furthest one away).

7. At Door 4 there is the Emirates car service. They directed me back inside to the back of the terminal and there was an office with the first people who really knew what I should do correctly. They gave me a car voucher and I went back to Door 4, got my car and took the 5-minute drive to Le Meridien Dubai.

8. Emirates has its own check in desk. No chance of SPG privileges :-(. You get allocated an old and small room. I wouldn't say it's up to the standards of Le Meridien brand hotel rooms I'm used to but I'm not complaining as it was free.

9. I also got a voucher for the evening meal. Four or so restaurants in the hotel have a three course set menu so you can take your pick. I sat outside the steak restaurant and had a throughly pleasant meal there with two ultra expensive beers (drink not included in the voucher).

10. I had already showered and had intended playing on line for a few hours before my 2am transfer back to the terminal. However the internet access in this hotel was terrible. First, the login landing page took ages to appear and when it did it frequently disconnected before successfully logging me in. When I did eventually get on line it was horribly slow and again disconnected frequently. In short, the internet access at Le Meridien Dubai was literally unusable the evening I was there - in the room, in the lobby and in the restaurant - throughout the entire hotel on my iPhone, iPad, MacBook and my second Android phone (a dual SIM Xiaome).

11. About 12am I went back to the Emirates hotel checkin desk and told them I'd like to go back to the terminal so I could use the internet in the lounge. They expressed surprise that the internet was unusable.

Next time, with such a stopover, I'd probably go get the meal (not that I needed the food but it was a pleasant environment outside in January) and find out how I get a two-hour sightseeing drive around Dubai for fun.