Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf

The environment and facilities are top-notch, but the 24-hour butler service was just so-so. The happy hour from 5-7 PM was great, though. You have to take a shuttle to get to breakfast or the beach, which is less convenient than the Palace. I'd recommend the Palace over this one.

The room was very spacious, clean, and tidy. To get to and from restaurants, you need to take an Abra, just call for one. Waiting times can be a bit longer during peak hours, but it's generally quite quick otherwise. For check-out, you'll need to call for a buggy (shuttle bus). The Madinat Jumeirah complex has four different hotels all close to each other, each with its own unique style. The beaches and pools are fantastic and you'll never get enough of them! It's also very close to the Burj Al Arab. It's a great place for photos. The service could use some improvement; some of the staff were quite rude. Breakfast was very generous. Recommended.

To all my friends, please, please, please think twice, thrice even, before booking this hotel!!! The room was actually pretty good. We were three people and didn't ask for an extra bed, planning to sleep on the sofa. But the hotel had already prepared an extra bed without any additional charge. Upon entering the room, we found one less slipper – it was like they put in effort but not completely. Honestly, up to this point, it wasn't a big deal. But here's the main issue! Two things made the experience extremely, extremely poor! Firstly, requesting items for the room, like slippers, took an incredibly long time. Once it was about 50 minutes, and the second time, 35 minutes! This kind of experience is really frustrating! Secondly, the front desk service was terrible. It took 45 minutes to check in on the day we arrived! And they didn't inform us that booking breakfast through the front desk and just showing up to eat had different prices! We assumed there was no difference and went to eat. As a result, on the day of checkout, they charged us 195 AED per person for breakfast! Ctrip listed it as 122.5 AED per person, so the price difference was huge!!!!! When we argued with them, the front desk insisted they had mentioned the price on the check-in day, which was very frustrating. Thankfully, Ctrip customer service resolved the issue! Thank you, Ctrip! Ctrip also helped us arrange a late checkout until 1 PM. However, the hotel called us a total of 5 times and visited the room once! The first call asked if we wanted a 1 PM checkout, the second confirmed we could check out at 1 PM, and the third said they were sending the bill. Then a staff member came with the bill. The breakfast charges weren't confirmed with us when we ate, nor did we sign for them, so I was furious and sent him away. Then two more calls came, which I didn't answer, I just couldn't deal with it anymore. The entire extra hour for late checkout was spent on the phone dealing with the bill!!!! One night, the air conditioning suddenly shut off and couldn't be turned back on! I called housekeeping three times, and no one answered!!!! Can you believe it!?!? Finally, I called the emergency number, and someone answered. About 30 minutes later, they called back to say it might be an issue with the outdoor unit, and then the AC finally started working! This was Dubai in the summer! You can't sleep without AC!!! In short, the experience was extremely poor!!!! Regarding happy hour, on our first day, we checked in at 7:10 PM, so we missed the 5:00 PM-7:00 PM happy hour, which I didn't think much of. The next day, we went to the beach. When the buggy dropped us off at our room, it was 6:57 PM. I asked for two cans of Coke. He was about to leave, and I told him it wasn't 7 PM yet. Only then did he reluctantly get me two Cokes from the back. In conclusion, during the off-season, the price of this hotel might be a bit lower, but the experience is absolutely terrible!!! Truly awful!!! The environment is indeed nice, but the service is a complete mess!!!! They can't even manage the most basic principle of consumer awareness for spending!!!!

Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf has always been on my wishlist, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Every corner of the hotel offers a picturesque view, the breakfast spread is extensive, and the butler service was incredibly attentive. A truly fantastic experience!

Alright, let's start with the positives. The views were okay, and the room was quite spacious. Now, let's dive into the myriad of issues. My husband and I travel abroad at least three to five times a year, and we've stayed in countless good hotels. But Jumeirah was truly shocking. First off, even though it wasn't peak season in Dubai, every single step of our stay at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf involved waiting. We waited to check in, waited for a boat or buggy back to our room, waited for breakfast, and even waited for coffee at breakfast (it arrived almost when I was finished eating). There was literally nothing you didn't have to wait for.😅 Is this really the reception and logistical capability of a luxury hotel? Secondly, upon checking in, we were told we'd been upgraded. However, the room had no lagoon view whatsoever. And to our astonishment, my husband and I discovered the room was clearly prepared for four people. Here’s why: a sofa bed and a crib were both set up, and there were four sets of slippers, toothbrushes, and other amenities. Even more alarming, there was a hotel information sheet on the desk with another guest's name on it. Plus, turndown service had already been done. My husband and I were extremely worried that the room had already been occupied by someone else, and turndown service usually doesn't involve changing the bedsheets. This meant we might have slept in the bed of a previous guest who had been moved! (Even scarier, my husband only realized this the next morning; I'd wondered why he'd showered again after already showering the night before…) So, we went to the guest relations manager to raise the issue. She explained that the room originally assigned to us had a leaking air conditioner, so this was a last-minute change. Okay, I can accept that reason, but I'm still upset about the inconvenience and anxiety this whole situation caused us. What made it even worse was the attitude of the hotel's supposed highest-ranking manager that day, the front desk manager – a gentleman in a white robe. When we suggested discussing a refund, he flatly stated it was “out of discussion” and told us to contact our booking platform to resolve it. He claimed the hotel didn't want us to wait too long at the front desk for check-in, which is why they made the spontaneous decision to change our room. If that were truly the case, the hotel should have informed us honestly instead of arbitrarily changing rooms. When I pointed out that they should have asked for our opinion and explained from the start, the gentleman in the white robe started rambling, saying everyone has different perspectives and stances, and the hotel was just doing what it thought was right. Again, the bottom line of running a hotel is respecting and understanding your customers, not making decisions for us as a matter of course. At this point, I, who hadn't been very angry initially, started getting emotional. Regarding our concerns about the hygiene issue of un-changed bedsheets, the gentleman in the white robe's explanation was astonishing: "We are a big group like Jumeirah; it's impossible for there to be hygiene issues or for us not to change bedsheets." His comprehension and logic were truly limited. Finally, regarding the hotel's hygiene and facilities, there were flies and many ants in the room, and hot water took ages to come out. I strongly advise everyone to run from this place. There are so many better hotels at the same price point, or even lower, that you could choose from.

The room was very new and clean, exceptionally well-maintained, and the bathroom was spacious. The lagoon room, with its balcony overlooking the inner lake, offered a unique and interesting experience. The hotel breakfast was also excellent.