Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel, Dubai

I stayed at the Sheraton Mall of the Emirates hotel around four months ago, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend it based on my experience last weekend. Upon arriving at around 12:30 am, my group and I were informed that there was a "technical issue" preventing us from checking in. However, other guests were still able to check in, which led us to believe there wasn't really a technical issue but rather an overselling of rooms or unwillingness to accommodate us in higher-grade rooms.

The hotel staff did try to help by calling other Marriott properties and other hotels to arrange alternative accommodations. They offered to provide transport to these hotels, but we would have had to pay upfront and get reimbursed later. To make matters worse, some of us had already been charged for the first night's stay. Other options included setting up roller beds in a meeting room or waiting in the Spartan Bar until rooms were available. In the end, we had to wait until around 6-7 am for our rooms to be ready, which threw off our entire schedule—particularly as we were celebrating a friend's upcoming wedding.

Additionally, I had emailed ahead of time to request that our group be placed on the same floor, but this request was not honored. A friend also confirmed her payment method with the hotel on the same day, only to find there was no reservation under her name when she arrived to check in. To add to the frustration, another friend who had booked and prepaid for a massage was told by the spa that the masseuse hadn't arrived and they would need to wait for at least another two hours.

On the bright side, the food and beverage manager did take good care of us by offering snacks and drinks while we waited for our rooms. The hotel also provided a lovely mezze meal on the house on Friday night, which was a nice gesture. We did not have to pay for the first night’s accommodation, though some members of our group are still waiting to be reimbursed through booking.com. As further compensation, we were given one-hour massages, breakfasts, and club lounge access.

Overall, while the hotel staff did their best to make amends, the initial experience was highly disappointing and certainly impacted our plans. The lack of proper communication and the issues surrounding check-in make it hard to recommend this property.

Crooked staff! Avoid this hotel!

I have stayed here for almost 7 weeks and spent in excess of $400 to $500 per day, and really got to know how it works here.

You want a better room? Pay them under the table!

Way too many hotels in Dubai to have to put up with this level of dishonesty.

On top of that, because of an $11 drink they had the audacity to talk to me like this.

Shame on them, I have a large group of co-workers and friends that are coming to Dubai and I will take the step to send them to another hotel.

I’ve been a loyal Marriott Titanium member for years, and I expect a certain level of service from hotels like the Sheraton Mall of the Emirates. Unfortunately, my recent stay was far from satisfactory.

The customer service was below standard, and even the manager’s response was disappointing. Despite my status, which should afford certain benefits and privileges, I felt overlooked and undervalued. Simple requests were either ignored or poorly handled, and the staff seemed indifferent to my concerns.

This is not the level of service I expect from a hotel of this caliber, and I hope the management seriously reconsiders their approach to customer care.