Conrad Dubai

Competition among hotels in Dubai is really stiff, so their service is incredibly warm and welcoming. They even took a photo with us and gave us a souvenir, though I couldn't quite figure out how to eat the dates. The room with the skyline view was huge, and the morning skyline was absolutely stunning. Breakfast was pretty standard; no Asian options, so I just stuck to omelets.

Our last night in Dubai at the Conrad was a huge disappointment. The front desk staff clearly discriminated against Chinese tourists and were very unfriendly towards families! We checked in with our child in the evening, and when he was walking around the lobby with his luggage, a male front desk manager saw him and, supposedly jokingly, told him he'd charge him for breakfast as punishment. We thought he was kidding at the time. Is that something a professional front desk would say? Turns out, they charged us for breakfast and an additional 500 AED deposit. If they don't welcome children, they should put up a sign so people can avoid it. We stayed at four high-end hotels during our trip, and this Conrad, under the Hilton brand, was the only one that charged for a child's breakfast and a check-in deposit. Afterwards, we contacted Ctrip customer service who said the check-in should have been deposit-free, and we still haven't received a refund since returning. The hotel's service attitude is the fundamental measure of everything.

Great location and a plentiful breakfast were the only redeeming qualities; otherwise, this place is a complete letdown. The so-called 'sea view room' in picture one is frankly laughable. The rooms were dusty, the shower pressure was barely adequate, various switches were unresponsive, and the curtains didn't even close properly – everything just screamed old and worn out. My elderly relatives, for whom I booked the room, even had a foreign man mistakenly knock on their door in the middle of the night. At checkout, a young woman next to me was arguing because strangers had entered her room and terrified her. How can an established five-star hotel fail to guarantee even basic safety?

The location is quite good. The buffet breakfast and dinner had very few options and didn't really suit my taste. The à la carte dinner on weekdays was much better. You can also watch the sunrise from here.

The hotel is right next to the metro, making it super convenient for getting around. It's just three stops to the Dubai Mall. There's a convenience store downstairs, and the hotel breakfast offers a great variety of options. The lattes are delicious, and you can even ask the staff to put them in a to-go cup.