Dukes The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Eid Holiday Gone Wrong – A Very Disappointing Experience From check-in to check-out, the entire experience was disappointing and far below expectations. I booked through Agoda.com, where the check-out time was clearly stated as 2:00 PM. When I raised this at the hotel, instead of acknowledging the concern and taking ownership, I was advised to contact Agoda myself. If the information displayed on Agoda is incorrect, the hotel should work with Agoda to ensure the details are updated and accurate rather than asking guests to resolve the discrepancy. Guests book based on the information provided and should not be caught in the middle. At check-out, I was asked to pay the Tourism Dirham fee of AED 20 again, even though it had already been collected during check-in. When I questioned this, I was told to pay the amount first and that they would investigate and refund it later because they "did not have time" to check at that moment. The breakfast experience was also very poor. The arrival experience set the tone for the stay. It took nearly one hour just to gain access to the hotel parking area. Upon reaching the entrance ramp, the security staff turned us away without properly explaining the situation. A simple and polite explanation that the area was busy and a request to take a round and return would have made a significant difference to the guest experience. The check-in process itself took approximately two and a half hours, with each guest taking more than 20 minutes to be processed. Once we finally entered the room, we discovered that half of the TV screen was blurred. After informing the operator, one technician arrived to inspect it, followed by another technician who eventually replaced the television. This resulted in an additional two hours of inconvenience. To make matters worse, the room telephone was not functioning upon arrival. I had to reconnect the cable myself to make it operational. In total, nearly six hours of our holiday were wasted dealing with issues that should have been identified and resolved before guest arrival. Finally, when I requested the General Manager's email address at check-out so I could provide feedback directly, I was informed that it could not be shared. Instead, I was given a business card and told to email that person first, who would then forward the email to the PA, who might then forward it to the General Manager. Such a lengthy and indirect process is frustrating for guests who simply wish to have their concerns heard. Overall, this was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I have had. The issues themselves were concerning, but the lack of ownership, empathy, and hospitality from several staff members made the experience significantly worse.

I recently stayed at this property, and it was a deeply disappointing experience. It is clear that the hotel is completely unequipped to handle the volume of guests they are accepting. The entire stay felt chaotic, rushed, and far from a relaxing getaway. Here are the main issues we encountered: Frustrating & Lengthy Check-In: The poor experience started the moment we arrived. The check-in process took an incredibly long time. The front desk was clearly overwhelmed, leaving guests waiting in exhausting lines. Poor Dinner Variety (No Beef): Dining was a major letdown. The dinner buffet offered almost no variety in food options. Shockingly for a hotel claiming luxury standards, there were no beef dishes available at all. The selection was incredibly limited and subpar. Swarming, Overcrowded Pools: If you are looking forward to relaxing by the water, look elsewhere. The swimming pools were packed to capacity and completely overcrowded.

Very poor experience, food is very very basic with no varieties, staff is unfriendly. Worst experience ever

We had a very satisfying stay at the hotel. Melody and Nana from the reception made us feel like family with their warm and friendly hospitality. The facilities were amazing — the lazy river pool was so much fun, and the infinity pool was impressive and deep. The room was comfortable, and everything we needed was just one phone call away. The staff attended to our requests quickly and efficiently. We actually enjoyed our stay so much that we’re already booking another date to come back. There were still other pools and facilities we didn’t get to explore, so we’re excited to experience more on our next visit. Overall, it was a wonderful stay and highly recommended.

The worst hotel experience I’ve ever had in my life. We booked a suite with executive lounge access, and the second we arrived at reception, we were told everything was closed and that we needed to walk to another hotel just to access the lounge or even have dinner. Completely unacceptable for a 5-star hotel. The staff were extremely rude and unhelpful. Every reply was simply: “Yes, you are right, but we can’t do anything.” No solutions, no hospitality, nothing. The food was terrible — cold buffet items, badly cooked live grill, and overall very poor quality. The pool area was overcrowded to the point where you couldn’t even find a sunbed. Imagine booking a half-board package at a supposed 5-star hotel and still having to pay extra for water during meals. The hotel itself is very old and poorly managed. Honestly, this was one of the worst hospitality experiences I have ever had, and I would never recommend this hotel to anyone.