IC Dubai - Festival City

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Club IC Room booked, upgraded to a Club IC 1 Bedroom Suite on the 24th floor.

How are the rooms?

This is a ‘proper’ full suite, with a separate lounge, guest WC, bedroom, dressing area and small kitchenette.

On entering, there was a guest WC on the right, you then go through to the lounge area with a desk, table with sofa, dining table with 2 chairs, armchair, 2 tall lamps and TV. Off the lounge was a small kitchenette with nespresso machine, kettle and the minibar. It also had a sink and plenty of space for canapés or drinks, which is what I guess this is designed for.

Through some double doors off the lounge is the bedroom with King bed, further chair and TV. There was also a Bose sound system.

Off the bedroom was a dressing area with a rather weird door to a void space which for some reason I found a bit weird, I used it to store my suitcase! There was loads of space to hang / store clothes, along with a safe.

Bathroom was off the bedroom and had a walk in shower, freestanding bath and dual sinks. Some fresh flowers were also in the bathroom. Large Agraria bottles were the bath product. I noticed as well that mouthwash, comb, cotton buds, shaving kit, sewing kit and emery board were supplied.

Overall, this is a very nice suite indeed with windows facing both the Creek (incl Burj Khalifa) and airport due to end of corridor position.

How is the exec. lounge?

The lounge itself is big, with spectacular views of Burj Khalifa etc. Plenty of seats.

The service was variable depending upon who was on duty. Two members of staff, who seemed to work together (a man from India and a lady who was I believe from an Arabic speaking country) stood out as head and shoulders above the rest. The guy in particular dealt with all customers very well with prompt, attentive, tailored service.

The cocktail hour (6-8pm...it used to be 6-9) is relatively good, with Champagne (Taittinger I think) and some good wine choices plus spirits, all served to you. There are some hot canapés to order which rotate between different hotel food outlets. There was also a buffet with cheese, bread and nibbles.

Afternoon tea was a selection of sandwiches and cakes. I think they are taking after BA a few years ago as I was served three tiny finger sandwiches when I asked for just sandwiches...on a huge plate.

Breakfast is very good, with an extensive a la carte eggs menu plus a buffet with cold cuts, fish, cheese, breads, juices and cereal / yoghurt available.

I have mixed feelings really - the evening selection feels less extensive than previously, but I still think the selection is adequate for a 5*. As a paying Club guest I felt it was worth the spend.

The lounge did at times feel a bit stiff / formal & I don’t remember this from before. I was also completely ignored on occasions when the 2 pros weren’t on duty!

What was good and what was bad?

Good

Proper upgrade - I was there for 8 nights.
Housekeeping - really improved (it needed to) - room very well cleaned twice a day and done within 30mins of leaving room each day. Some senior housekeeper knocked one day and checked if I was happy with standard & if I had any feedback. Another day, the ‘regular’ housekeeper also approached me in the corridor just to check I had all amenities I wanted and that I was happy. I was and am. They did a great job.
Food & Beverage - Looked after very well in all F&B outlets both in the IC and adjoining CP.

Bad
Front desk - I have ALWAYS had billing issues at this hotel (stayed maybe 6 times over 5 years). This time, they tried to charge me for 5 airport pick ups / drop offs at different prices. Why??? There was a note that I was using 2 of these against a future stay. Noneof it made sense.

Check in must have been the most frosty I’ve had at any IC (even including New York) - don’t know what vibe I was giving off but clearly not a good one. Lots of keyboard tapping, no explanation.

One nice benefit of Club used to be it included an airport transfer. This has been discontinued - taxis are easy enough but it was a nice benefit!

Not sure where fruit (or in fact savoury snack which I had selected) were but they weren’t in room on arrival. Not a big benefit for me (upgrade is main one, the rest is window dressing) so didn’t ask.

Had to ask for welcome letter with club timings / benefits.

No choice between welcome drink or points - points just posted a few days after check in. Not sure if this is a ME thing though.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

Yes - I love the hotel overall. I find their front of house admin a pain (always have) but the location, consistent Amb treatment and quality of accommodation are all excellent.

IC 02

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? We booked the cheapest room and were upgraded to a river view.

How are the rooms? Comfortable bed, my eldest son had a rollaway bed. Coffee machine etc.

How is the exec. lounge? We upgraded for £40 per day for the three of us. Lots to eat and drink, morning, noon and night.

What was good and what was bad? We visited on Christmas Eve and returned home on Boxing Day. The hotel had Papa Noël for younger guests. He came to see my youngest son in the lounge and gave him a stocking. This was full of chocolates and candy. The kiddie hours in the pool were extended for the festive period.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return? Our room was £120 per night and the upgrade to the Club Lounge was an extra £40 per night for the three of us. We thought it was good value to get out of town for a couple of days.