Last updated: 07/11/2022
Find out why we don't recommend staying at the ibis Styles Dubai Airport Hotel, a hotel near Dubai Airport that seems like a good option but isn't.
THE IBIS STYLES DUBAI AIRPORT HOTEL
When we bought our tickets to Dubai, one thing we noticed is that our flight back to the United States would leave very early. In addition to having to have a hearty breakfast due to the long flights, we had to return the car we rented before catching the plane. With that in mind, we thought it would be very convenient to spend our last night in the city staying at a hotel next to the airport. There were several options close to Terminal 1, where our flight would depart. We wanted a simple, cheap hotel, as the idea was just to sleep one night before catching the plane and nothing else. Unfortunately, we ended up opting for the ibis Styles Dubai Airport Hotel. A hotel that seemed to be a good option, was relatively well rated and had a number of facilities. All brand new, with modern decor, supposedly sustainable, with free private parking, 24-hour reception, free wifi and close to the airport… What could go wrong, right?
IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE IBIS NETWORK HAS DISAPPOINTED US…
Well, the truth is that we had already had problems with the ibis chain a few times in the past, with low quality service, very incomplete rooms that marked bad stays. This experience reminded me of another terrible shower, coincidentally at the ibis chain, in Auckland, New Zealand, which until then was the worst shower we had ever had in hotels (I didn't write a post, but I should have written not recommending it). I think the only time we didn't have problems with the network was when we stayed in Brazil, but abroad we always have bad memories. But, we always try to give a vote of confidence because the case can be isolated. I confess that, after another disastrous experience, it will be difficult to stay at a chain hotel again without thinking 1 million times if it's really worth it.
WHAT GO WRONG WITH OUR STAY?
We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon for check-in, which was normal. Nothing to highlight good or bad. The clerk didn't give any information about the room or the floor, but ok. We were tired and didn't really want to be chatting too much at the reception. We took the car that was parked in front of the hotel and put it in the parking lot. When we went to check the room card, we saw that it indicated an M Floor (Mezzanine, perhaps?). We went up in the modern elevator and realized that this M Floor was below the 1st floor.
We thought it was strange, but we followed through. The room was relatively spacious, but the promised king-size bed was not there. they claim that all rooms have a king size bed, but is lie. The bed wasn't even "queen size", it was a regular double bed.
We immediately called reception to say we were in the wrong room. We had booked one and they had booked us into a different one. But the receptionist assured that all bathrooms they were exactly the same as ours and were adapted for disabled. what was evident one more lie told by the hotel, since the photos that are released for the reservation of the rooms show something totally different. In the photos, the sink was “outside” and the glass bathroom area was the only closed part of the room. Was it ideal? No, but like I said before, we just wanted somewhere simple, cheap and close to the airport for our last night. It's not too much to ask, is it?
THE WORST HOTEL BATH IN LIFE
But the biggest problem was in the bathroom. The room they put us in was for people with limited mobility and/or disabilities. I think it's a merit that hotels offer rooms like this for those who need it. But, it was not our case. O bathroom had no partition or box, it was all open. The shower was adapted for the disabled person to sit down to take a shower. did not warm right (only if it opened very little) and had a shower gel/shampoo dispenser that was broken and kept falling on the floor. With each shower, the bathroom floor was completely wet, in addition to wetting even the toilet paper next to the toilet, which had no protection.
There was not no shelf or towel rack. THE bathroom sink was tiny and there was no space to even put our toothbrush. We had to improvise by getting the ironing board to support our things (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.). And, to top it off, the mirror over the sink was tilted at an angle perfect for the disabled, but Paulo, who is 1.90 meters tall, I needed to get on my knees to see yourself in the mirror.
FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE HOTEL
We made a formal complaint with the hotel about the terrible experience we had and the lies we were told along the way. When we were inside the plane, about to take off, a network employee contacted us by phone apologizing for what had happened. He even offered a discount for an upcoming stay at ibis, but we declined. We honestly don't think about staying in chain hotels anymore after another bad experience. We're sure not all ibis hotels are like this, but we're also sure it's not the only one. Our displeasure is recorded on the hotel's page on Booking.com, Yelp, Google reviews and TripAdvisor. We noticed that for everyone who complains about something, they give a standard response (Control+C, Control+V), changing only the guest's name. This shows even more neglect, as it seems that they just leave an employee to give standardized answers on the platforms and will not take any action to make this happen again.
ACCOMMODATION NEAR DUBAI AIRPORT
If you are planning to stay near the dubai airport, here is a list of some options we would consider today. We hope they can help you to stay in a place that allows you to have a better experience than the one we had.
- Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Center
- Flora Inn Hotel Dubai Airport
- Grand Mercure Hotel and Residences Dubai Airport
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Read more about Dubai:
SCRIPT AND TIPS
- United Arab Emirates: What to do in Dubai – Itinerary 2, 3, 4+ days
- United Arab Emirates: How to get from Dubai Airport to the center
- What you need to know before traveling to Dubai
ATTRACTIONS
- Dubai: How to visit the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world
- Ain Dubai: The biggest and tallest Ferris wheel in the world
- Dubai Frame: Visiting the biggest frame in the world
- The View At The Palm: Beautiful Views of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai
- Dubai Miracle Garden: Largest natural flower garden in the world
- Palm Jumeirah: Attractions on the artificial island of Dubai
- Old Dubai: A tour of the traditional areas of the city
- Dubai Desert Safari with Dinner and Typical Dancing
- Madinat Jumeirah: Amazing Arab Village in Dubai
- United Arab Emirates: 8 souks in Dubai for shopping
- See Dubai from above: 5 attractions and 30 rooftops
ACCOMMODATION
- Rove Downtown: Amazing hotel near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai
- TIME Asma: Hotel near Mall of Emirates in Dubai
- Why we DO NOT recommend the ibis Styles Dubai Airport Hotel
- 30 hotels in Dubai overlooking the Burj Khalifa
RESTAURANTS
- Soul Santé Café: Vegan Restaurant in Dubai
- Bebabel: Restaurant overlooking Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa
- Common Grounds: Restaurant chain in Dubai
- Carluccio's Dubai Mall: Italian Food and Dancing Fountains
- Dubai: XVA Café in the historic district of Al Fahidi
- Dubai: Ronda Locatelli – Italian Food at Atlantis, The Palm
