Very Disappointing
Oct 23, 2020 grghirst Cumbernauld, United Kingdom
We’ve been to Atlantis before. We visited in 2016 and had a good time. It was expensive but we knew it would be.
Having not been able to take a proper holiday this year due to current situation, we decided we’d have a Staycation and return to Atlantis. I booked the same style of room as we had last time as we were planning to go to the waterpark…
Read more
We’ve been to Atlantis before. We visited in 2016 and had a good time. It was expensive but we knew it would be.
Having not been able to take a proper holiday this year due to current situation, we decided we’d have a Staycation and return to Atlantis. I booked the same style of room as we had last time as we were planning to go to the waterpark so the room would serve as a base only. We weren’t planning to spend a much time there. No sooner had I booked, the relentless emails urging me to upgrade began. Sometimes, two a day.
Fair enough. It’s tough times for the industry and I get it. I should add, that most hotels on the Palm are offering good deals at the moment. There are no such offers at Atlantis. But I knew that when I booked so I can’t complain.
We arrived at around 10:30am in the full knowledge that we probably wouldn’t be able to check in until 3pm. This was no issue as we planned to take the kids to the waterpark anyway. However, the receptionist said she would try and get us our room straight away which we obviously appreciated.
It then took nearly 30 minutes to check us in but not before she persuaded me to spend an extra 550AED for the Imperial Lounge. How she sold it, was basically like an airport lounge. We could visit anytime during our stay for snacks and drinks. We asked her twice if it included alcohol and she confirmed it did. She said there were some premium spirits which there was a charge for, but everything else was included. Seemed like good value so we took it.
We were completely mis-sold. There’s a two hour happy hour in the evening where cocktails are complimentary and they serve some sushi and hummus etc, but that’s it. You can go and have tea, coffee and cookies at any other time. Entirely not worth it. Especially when the Fairmont nearby is offering a room for 800AED which includes an 800AED voucher you can spend on F&B.
I complained and they took 50% off the lounge cost. I don’t blame the receptionist, she’s obviously being challenged to push guests to trade up and she was very nice. But she clearly hasn’t been trained/ briefed, however you want to put it, on the Imperial Lounge.
For an industry, literally fighting for its life, there’s a feeling of arrogance and apathy at Atlantis. The waterpark are offering great deals on annual membership but the hotel seems bent on shaking as much out of its guests as possible.
We’ll go back to the waterpark as it’s a great day out and the kids especially enjoyed it. You can stay at one of the other premium hotels on the Palm, buy day tickets for the waterpark and spend half of what we spent for one night stay at Atlantis. Such a shame, as it’s a beautiful, quite unique resort. Most of the staff are very nice and attentive. Happy to help.
However, if the management of the hotel don’t take a look at themselves, I think it’ll struggle to survive. Bear in mind, visit numbers to Dubai are very low at the moment and an operation the size of Atlantis, I would assume needs to be three quarters full all the time to remain viable?
I’m sad to say, we’ll never return to the hotel. Left feeling very letdown and cheated.
Read less
