Raffles The Palm Dubai

We chose Raffles the Palm for a 2 week rest in a quiet luxurious majestic setting . The hotel does indeed have a very large swimming pool surrounded by manicured gardens . On probably the best beach on the Palm . Its very attractive and so the hotel sells hundreds of day passes to non hotel guests . For the last 2 weeks the pool and beach area was absolutely packed . Yes i know the first week was a public holiday and the second week was an enforced holiday due to the storm . Should hotel guests though really be in competition every morning to get a sunbed before 100s of day guests arrive . On some days especially week ends the beach staff could not cope . I am not surprised its busy , weekend child passes are 100AED about £10 a day . No wonder the pool is packed full of children . Its very cheap for locals and even better if you are staying in a cheaper hotel . It was a relieve every evening for the hotel to be quiet again after all the day guests went . The hotel though does make good money from this even if its at the hotel guests expense . The hotel also makes good money from weddings and events . On Saturday 13 April there were 2 weddings . One was in the ballroom nothing wrong with that . The other one was on the lawn in front of the palm view rooms . It was like a rock concert with a giant stage , speakers & light rigs . The music from 5pm until 11pm was deafening . You could not eat outside because you could not hear your self speak and in the room you could not hear the TV even on full volume . Again this is the hotel making good money at the hotel guests expense . Any other 5 star hotel would pre warn guests that they have an outside event that will indeed take over & disturb your expensive holiday . There was another outside event for ticket holders on Saturday 20 April so its probably a regular thing . On a good note the rooms are spacious and luxurious . The hotel interior and exterior is very grand too . The Italian restaurant on the beach has excellent food and service but the wine is over the top expensive . The botanical bar on the six floor is top notch with great service and the best views . Its not advertised so mostly empty , shame . The main restaurant has really good food and the outside area has a nice setting . Inside though it has no ambience and not as good as other 5 star Dubai venues . The staff everywhere from reception to house cleaning are excellent . I think though the hotel should focus on the hotel guests more and not on outside events & day pass visitors . Raffles The Palm should be luxurious and exclusive . Read less

This hotel falls far short of its advertised service standards, operating more as a money-making scheme than a genuine hospitality provider. Upon arrival, I discovered a significant price drop on booking platforms for the same dates, indicating overcharging tactics. When I requested to adjust my stay accordingly, I was bombarded with empty promises of VIP treatment and other perks, none of which materialized beyond a late checkout and a dubious $10 anniversary cake for an unspecified occasion. Traveling with my family, including a one-year-old child, our experience with the half-board option was particularly disappointing. Despite the basic nutritional needs of a young child, we encountered constant hurdles when trying to obtain suitable meals outside of the set half-board offerings. Requests for simple items like yogurt, vegetables, or mashed foods for the baby were met with inflexibility, forcing us to pay exorbitant prices for adult meals just to feed our child adequately. Despite raising these concerns repeatedly during our stay and at check-out, promises of follow-up from management were never fulfilled. Two weeks later, I'm yet to receive any communication from the hotel. In essence, this establishment's only remarkable feature is its outrageously inflated prices. Beyond that, it fails to deliver even basic standards of service, making it a regrettable choice for any discerning traveler. Read less