On the 29th floor of Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel is where my room is. It was 10pm already and I was relaxing in my spacious room with a beautiful view onto the brightly lit Sheik Zayed Road. The room is filled with amenities, class and finesse. I was happy to stay in this calm hotel for the next three days in the city of life.
When the taxi stopped in front of the hotel three doormen ran for help. A fourth opened the door showing us to the reception. The room was prepaid so we only had to sign a paper. The hotel hosts a spa, a pool, a smoking lounge up on the 50th floor, a restaurant and a cafe down the open atrium.
Room 2903 it is. Two queen sized single beds, a proper working desk, a radio station, mini bar and Nespresso machine, a long clinch and two individual sofas. The bathroom has all the needed amenities, a shower and a bathtub. Look out for the little details, how the amenities are all presented in carton boxes. Even slippers are presented in a box. Behind the cupboard is an ironing board, a safe, drawers, a praying mat, an additional pillow and towels.
That same night we went up to the bar for a drink and a quick bite. I ordered the tasting platter and I wish I hadn't. Before discussing the food, I have to mention the house music feels like a washing machine running at full speed in my head. The ambiance is dimmed, the space is tight, and the blue light is disturbing...
The calamari is over crunchy and extremely salty, the meat balls aren't tasty and feel like they ae not made with the best quality meat, the fried chicken have more garlic in them than chicken and an excess amount of salt. The bruschetta is tasteless. The plate is surely not worth 90 dirhams. Not recommended at all.
A relaxing sleep, four pillows and a large bed in this room that's soundproof. Everything follows the latest technologies where lights are put off by touch a section at a time. A speedy complementary Internet connection, a smooth air conditioning unit and we're in for a long night sleep.
The next morning I went down for breakfast... A tiny dining room filled with hundreds of hungry customers coming to eat as much as they can. A breakfast room that doesn't reflect the cachet of this hotel; I felt like if it was a family resort. Tables, sounds, cutlery clacking and food stations that are almost empty. Inside, a strong frying smell I personally didn't want to have on my clothes all day so I chose to sit under the atrium outside the restaurant.
On the menu, a labyrinth of buffets, a hot section, a fish bar, another for fruits, a live cooking section, waffles and pancakes, corn flakes, juice freshly squeezed, the Indian corner, fried stuff, jams, cheese and croissants.
Empty plates, chaos, a bad smell and not enough waiters. I got myself a coffee jug, had to clean remains of plates on my table, filled a bowl of what was remaining of some fruits and tried to enjoy breakfast. This breakfast is surely not worth having.
After breakfast we were meeting a friend for coffee. The waiter approached us for the order, one of us asked for an espresso, the other for Turkish coffee and she moved... So I didn't even have the chance to order a thing. At night, of the same day, we decided to have a drink at the bar, but the experience was horrid. The service was the rudest one can imagine, took thirty minutes for the waiter to approach us, a serious look on his face, he was not welcoming at all. This hotel has a serious service issue!
Again the second night in the room was pleasan... I can still feel a strong water pressure while showering. I was not impressed by the food but the rest was as good as I expected it to be for another booking at the Jumeirah Emirates Tower.
