Dec 12, 2018, 6:51 am
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai [Master Thread]
Feb 13, 2019, 10:55 am
#541
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA ExecPlat; AF Gold; UA GS; Hyatt L. Globalist; Marriott Plat; Hilton Diamond; National EE
Posts: 6,159
Europeans are not that keen on ice cold hotel rooms. So why should a hotel with an anual average of 90% European guests invest for the few who love to sit in a refrigerator? Our climate is modest, we do not see minus 40 in winter and plus 50 in summer, so we have AC for a modest climate. Al Maha is different, they need AC anyway and they need aircon that can deal with 45° C outside - something we hardly see in Europe,
I am very happy to hear that the Al Maha has proper AC and am looking forward to my visit in March. We will be spending our first night at a Hyatt (probably Park Hyatt) and then ask the Al Maha to arrange a car to their property. What is a good time to travel between the two to avoid rush hour?
Feb 13, 2019, 11:08 am
#542
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
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Are you having us on?! July peak for Copenhagen is around 18 celsius / 64F. As a Brit I'd be wearing a cotton sweater in that. Average in May is 12-13C (same as London today) which means wool sweater and coat. This compares to around 29c for New York over the Summer which is where your bio says you are.
Feb 13, 2019, 11:12 am
#543
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 255
Unfortunately the "we don't need AC attitude" is quite prevalent in Europe, despite global temperatures that are constantly rising. We went to Copenhagen in May last year and it was sweltering. Hopefully Europe realizes that there is a global market for travel, and many Asians, Americans, Australians, and Middle Easterners are accustomed to and demand proper air conditioning.
And maybe keep in mind, the higher the temperature difference between inside and outside, the worse it will feel to your body when you have to get out of your room.
Its just stupid to cool down rooms in summer to a lower temperature then in winter.
Feb 13, 2019, 11:24 am
#544
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA ExecPlat; AF Gold; UA GS; Hyatt L. Globalist; Marriott Plat; Hilton Diamond; National EE
Posts: 6,159
Are you having us on?! July peak for Copenhagen is around 18 celsius / 64F. As a Brit I'd be wearing a cotton sweater in that. Average in May is 12-13C (same as London today) which means wool sweater and coat. This compares to around 29c for New York over the Summer which is where your bio says you are.
In any case, this is the Al Maha thread so let me just say that I am happy to hear of the Al Maha's good air conditioning.
Feb 13, 2019, 4:39 pm
#545
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: ex BD(LG),HH(D),SPG(P)/(LG), BA(G)
Posts: 215
Thank you to both IrishStephen and btonkid12345 - very much looking forward to going and glad to hear that there seems to be respect all round! Now wondering whether I should take the plunge and go for a king not twin?! Will decide by 5th Mar.
Feb 14, 2019, 9:57 am
#547
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
Feb 14, 2019, 10:35 am
#548
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,754
Are you having us on?! July peak for Copenhagen is around 18 celsius / 64F. As a Brit I'd be wearing a cotton sweater in that. Average in May is 12-13C (same as London today) which means wool sweater and coat. This compares to around 29c for New York over the Summer which is where your bio says you are.
In May 2017. many places in Europe the temperatures were much BELOW than normal. We were shivering in Poland - all locals we met told us the temperatures were 10 to 15 degree below normal. We did not get some warmth until we reach the Baltic countries by end of May.
Due to Global weather disruption, the "normal" range of temperatures no longer is a reliable gauge, based on our trips traverse 3 Continents each year. Using an average chart to counter the poster's actual experience is meaningless because weather now changes every year, often to the extreme of the spectrum.
And yes, hotels in Europe do not have AC on until after Mid May is a major pet peeve to us as well - what is the point to have in room thermostats control the individual room's temperature if everything is centrally control for the turning on of the climate control system be it heat or AC?
We also dont appreciate some hotels use motion sensor to control the in room climate control device - this results to we often wake up by the overly warm room. As a result we combat back by turning the AC to the max despite we would put on more covers but this would keep the room from warming up so much so to wake us up say, at 4am...
There even How To Override Hotel Thermostat Settings found by googling - multiple of such videos. That tells you many guests have such needs.
Even Los Angeles Times, a major newspaper in West Coast, has article addressed such.
https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals...215-story.html
https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2018/...stat-settings/
What the hotels and the modern hotels nowadays do, is to have the key card controlled electrical outlet.
The Continental Europe in recent years are getting warmer and warmer - therefore hotels need to keep up with that.
Last edited by Happy; Feb 14, 2019 at 10:56 am
Feb 14, 2019, 10:36 am
#549
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,754
But what welcome gift you expect? It is an all-inclusive so any guest gets the 3 meals and 2 activities a day except the now chargeable sand blast (was free in the past).
Feb 14, 2019, 10:53 am
#550
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Here there everywhere
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, BA Silver, Aegean Gold, Aeroplan 25k, AA EXP
Posts: 2,825
Feb 14, 2019, 11:27 am
#551
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
Europeans are not that keen on ice cold hotel rooms. So why should a hotel with an anual average of 90% European guests invest for the few who love to sit in a refrigerator? Our climate is modest, we do not see minus 40 in winter and plus 50 in summer, so we have AC for a modest climate. Al Maha is different, they need AC anyway and they need aircon that can deal with 45° C outside - something we hardly see in Europe,
Also, it is funny that in Europe, they have in-room HVACs that allow a low set temperature, but even if you turn the fan on to the max, the room will never achieve that temperature. That means the system is not working properly, because if the system displays a temperature that it can supposedly achieve, it should be able to achieve it within an hour or two maximum (unless you are in 110+ degree F weather with blinds completely open or something). However, in Europe, they always claim the system is working properly and to just open the window if more cooling is desired, which is asinine.
Feb 20, 2019, 6:17 pm
#553
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 539
Feb 20, 2019, 6:26 pm
#554
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 7
Right. Before it says "full board redemption" Today when I try to make some booking before cat 8 kicking in, I realized they get rid of the language of full board. I don't know if this is no longer full board or they are just not being explicit about it.
Feb 20, 2019, 6:29 pm
#555
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 539
All of my points redemptions now have the exact same language as the above screenshot, so it's probably something happening on the back end. I don't think Al Maha would be dumb enough to play the full board/room only games anymore after the backlash they got.