I had 10 hours to spend in Dubai.
My flight arrived later than scheduled and we arrived at the Al Khaleej at 2:00 AM. I had booked and paid for the room through a travel agent in Kuwait. Upon arrival I proceded to the front desk and presented my voucher. The night manager told me that there was no booking for me. They checked around the office and acted like they knew what they were doing. In the meantime a group of local tourists walked in. I am under the impression that they did not have a reservation. They were served while my wife and I stood there for half an hour.

Finally the manager said that they would give us a room. He told me that it could be my travel agent's mistake, or their reservation department's mistake. If they couldn't find the problem, I was told that I would have to settle the bill in cash the following morning. I was made to feel that I was lucky to be getting a room.

Come the following morning, we checked out without any problem. It had obviously been the hotel's mistake because my travel agent is not open on weekends and therefore could not have been contacted.

I understand that mistakes happen. I just don't feel that the staff handled the situation properly or professionally. The thought of paying for a room that I had already paid for bothered me a lot. I'm sure I would have had a more pleasant stay had the staff acted appropriately.

If you plan to stay at the Al Khaleej hotel in Dubai, make sure to check your booking and have all the paperwork to prove it. It would probably be worth it to call the hotel and confirm your room, and get the name of the person on the other end. That way you can have a worry-free holiday!