For once, this review is a small infidelity to Starwood for IHG. Forced infidelity, since the customertakes in charge directly the costs related to this reservation, by paying the hotel on invoice.

So there’s no need to talk about the choice, it is imposed on me and on the 20 consultants of my team.

Booking

I did not make the reservation myself, the assistant to the general manager did it for me. I received a confirmation from my client, and emailed the hotel directly to have my reservation changed to include my IHG number, which was done promptly.

No proactive upgrade was made to my reservation prior to my arrival at the hotel.

Arrival

A car from the hotel was waiting for me at the airport, a driver waiting at the exit just after the luggage carousels.

I was promptly taken to the property which is located between the airport and the city center.

I am astonished by the size of the building, I expected to find a twenty floors tower and it is finally a kind of American motel which appears to me.

The5-star signin front of the hotel contrasts with the interior of the lobby, which concentrates bad Middle Eastern tasteand cheap gilding.

After a short wait, I do the check-in formalities. My status was confirmed and I was given an upgrade to an Executive room. My 14 night stay is also confirmed but no credit card is taken, probably because the stay will be fully paid by my client.

Room

My room is located on the 1st floor of the property, with a view on the garden. Although I can see the Executive  sign on my bedroom door, I can hardly tell the difference from my colleagues’, except for the bathrobe hanging in the bathroom.

I am however pleasantly surprisedby the room. Although very simple, the colors are harmonious and the whole is rather functional.

The bathroom is quite small and the toiletries are terrible. I will use the products “collected” during my previous stays in my toilet bag.

To finish, a video tour:

Hotel facilities

The hotel has anoutdoor swimming pool (which is difficult to use because the outside temperature is close to 50 degrees) as well as tennis courts.

The gym is accessible from the pool. During Ramadan, the hours were very limited, and the opening was at 4pm. It is therefore impossible to use this room in the morning as I like to do traditionally.

Theair conditioning works very poorly in this place, and the machines are dated, even if they work without problems. The way to the gym is not very pleasant because it passes through the back kitchens of the hotel with strong smells accentuated by the heat.

Restaurants

This is one of the weak points of the hotel, especially when you stay there for so long and you are French!

The breakfast, although varied, is not very appetizing, and above all, seems to lack freshness. It is served in one of the hotel’s lounges again considering the ongoing Ramadan at the time of my stay.

Dinner during this period is an absolutely similar buffet every night to celebrate the breaking of the fast called Iftar. The buffet items, although diverse, are of mediocre quality, and I’m not talking about the lousy desserts (except for the fruit salad and some types of oriental pastries with orange blossom).

The room service is less traditional but much more qualitative. It was sometimes possible to use the room service card in the restaurant.

Departure

The departure formalities were not smooth. The hotel wanted to charge all team members for room service meals, even though the unit price was much lower than the Iftar buffet. After discussion, the matter was nevertheless settled, but this kind of incident does not encourage people to return.

Conclusion

A frankly mediocre property, at a prohibitive price… Business travelers, run away!