I visited Kuwait earlier this year for just over 24 hours. I considered the Arabella Beach Hotel, but having already experienced the Vignette through the magic of nicholas75’s photos, I decided to try the Crowne Plaza Al Thuraya City as I was not interested in a beach and wanted to have use of a lounge.

Over the months leading up to my stay, the cheapest flexible rate did not change from KWD 77 (~USD 250). Thus it made sense to use points, where the required amount did not fluctuate higher than 39000. My final rebooking, four days before the stay, got the price down to 31000 points.

There was no pre-arrival communication from the hotel. I landed at 7.30am and wandered around the arrivals level but failed to find any information regarding the complimentary shuttle alluded to on the hotel’s website. On realising that my existing mobile package included Kuwait calls, I phoned the hotel at no cost, and was berated by the receptionist for not pre-booking a pick-up.

My call was transferred to a hotel representative who is stationed at the airport all day. After I finally located him in person, he mentioned that the shuttle operates to a half-hourly schedule. But when he noticed my Diamond status on his printout of today’s arriving guests, he decided to “make an exception” and arranged for a dedicated driver to set off from the hotel right away. Within 10 minutes, I was collected in a large black GMC SUV reminiscent of a military/presidential motorcade.

Al Thuraya City is a complex shared between the Crowne Plaza in the northern wing and a Holiday Inn in the southern wing. Entering from the car park on the eastern side of the building, my baggage was taken by a porter at the HI front desk on the ground floor. To reach the CP reception, I was directed up a long escalator to a massive indoor courtyard.



It was now around 9am. I had been upgraded to a Diplomatic Suite which was available immediately. Due to my Diamond status, the early arrival charge was waived and restaurant breakfast was granted. Enquiring as to when I would check out, the agent suggested that for a 1200 flight I should leave the hotel at 0930. Finally, I had to prompt him about my lounge pass, whereupon he coded my key card for access to the 7th floor – the lounge is freely accessible from that level. My room was on the 8th floor.

Per IHG, the room categories are Standard < Premium < Diplomatic Suite < Presidential Suite (8 rooms) < Royal Suite (4 rooms). So despite the funky name, my room was just a normal 1 bed suite, decently sized at 74m². The front door opens into a dining & living area. On one side there is a bathroom with toilet, bidet and sink. The other side links to a small landing (containing a vanity mirror/table) that splits into the bedroom and a wet room. Half of the wet room is a bathtub with handheld shower; the rest is covered by a rain shower. The bedroom includes a work desk with associated paraphernalia.



The room was spotless and as expected for the middle east, the air conditioning is powerful. The wifi was fast. Excessive bottled water is provided, though more could be obtained in the lounge anyway. My windows faced the indoor courtyard, home to the restaurant. Also visible one floor below is an internal balcony belonging to the lounge.



After a shower I proceeded to the lounge to see if I could grab a second breakfast before it concluded at 10.30am. By the time I entered, a dedicated chef was not in evidence; in fact the lounge was devoid of other humans until the host popped back to begin clearing up – but she gave me the impression that a custom order could still have been fulfilled. I was satisfied with the buffet – in itself enough to rival full breakfasts at less upscale IHG properties. The lounge itself is primarily filled with dining tables and like my room, faces the indoor courtyard.



I then headed to Kuwait City to conduct some personal business. I discovered that it was possible to take a public bus. Later, it came to my attention that the hotel might have offered complimentary transportation to the city – they do offer a shuttle to Avenues Mall – but I did not mind the local experience as the weather was mild. A short walk across Highway 55 to the relevant bus stop posed no problem. Most routes from there take you into the city for a fare of ¼ dinars. The same services are jointly run by three companies and the actual operator makes no difference. Google Maps accurately shows the routes and stops, and an appropriate bus turned up within 2 minutes. Returning to the hotel, one can alight right outside the car park.



I returned to the hotel around 5.30pm having missed the lounge’s afternoon tea. Various middle eastern sweet bites were still out, which I partook in whilst waiting for the evening service to commence at 6pm. Advertised as Dinner, this comprised a plentiful buffet of Arabic mezze, various warm carbs, protein and salad/veggies. Beverage-wise, there was Arabic and western coffee, the usual global soft drink brands and a Kuwaiti-manufactured bottled juice containing fruit chunks. The lounge was heavily patronised with moderate “vulture” behaviour when the food arrived. The evening host did not really interact with any guests except to clear plates.

Before retiring I meandered around the Al Thuraya complex. There is a mini-museum containing Gulf war exhibits and several concierge desks which sell car rental, tours etc. At the furthest end from the Crowne Plaza rooms is a health club with a spa, outdoor heated pool and 24-hour gym. The gym looked popular with local residents. I went for a swim at the opening time of 6am and found access to the changing area complicated, so had to awkwardly traipse across the main entrance of the complex to get back to my room.

Breakfast in the restaurant served a wide selection of Arabic dishes and fresh fruits, and a smaller array of western options as well as poor attempts at East Asian cuisine. Eggs were available by order. The open design of the courtyard caused food and drink to rapidly get cold.



As I described earlier, during check-in the front desk agent had specifically recommended a time for me to head to the airport, and his phrasing led me to believe he had made the necessary arrangements. It was the same staff member at check out, but he initially feigned surprise when I asked about the shuttle and stated that it wouldn’t go for another half hour. Then he relented, saying he would “make an exception” as I was Diamond and called the concierge to see if a driver was available. It turned out that the hotel was just about to transport a VIP in the direction of the airport, so I was invited to tag along in a 7-seater van. A quick drive to the VIP’s destination before dropping me off at the passenger terminal brought my visit to an end.

This hotel felt like an archetypal international business hotel, perfectly suited to the Crowne Plaza brand with polite staff who are eager to serve. The only area I could find fault was the strange situation where I felt like I was admonished twice for not explicitly confirming my airport shuttle requirements in accordance with their expectations. However both times the issue was resolved with minimal fuss.

At this time, I don’t have any plans or desire to visit Kuwait again, but I would gladly stay at a hotel like this in any other world city. It puts some very tired CPs with low service levels in the UK/Europe to shame.