Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Sheraton Deira Hotel in Dubai

Posted on May 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Sheraton Deira Hotel (exterior)It is really tiring to drive back and forth to Dubai. So last weekend, we decided to sleepover in Dubai to maximize our time with my mother-in-law who is visiting UAE for few weeks.

I opted for Sheraton Deira Hotel Dubai located in Al Mateena Road. It just few 3-5 minutes drive from my mother-in-law’s home. Besides the hotel requires the lowest points to redeem a free night stay. I will write more next time on how to get free night stays.

In hotels – you really get what you pay for. Well, that’s what I learned for the last few years.

Parking. The hotel does not have a private parking area for the guests though there is a free valet parking for guests staying in the hotel. There is also plenty of paid parking areas at the back of the hotel.

Accessibility to transportation. Sheraton Deira Hotel Dubai is situated just beside the main road. There is a bus stop just few steps away from the hotel and taxis are easy to find.

Of course, you can always ask the concierge and they are more than happy to assist you.

Room amenities and facilities. We stayed in room 455. I believe it was their non-smoking floor because the sign was everywhere, almost in every door.  There is really nothing fancy in the room.

Sheraton Diera Hotel (Bedroom)

Sheraton Deira Hotel

You will notice that they upgraded some facility in the room like the TV screen, furniture and the bed but the rest are old.

Here few unpleasant things I discovered.

  • The old telephone unit beside the bed was very dusty, really dusty.
  • The door has a double lock and the top area of it was full of dust.
  • They have free tea and coffee in the room but the kettle was a slightly rusty – inside the kettle and on the edge of the mouth.

The hotel has basic room amenities – tea, coffee, shampoo, , conditioner, lotion, shower gel and soap. And, free 2 bottles of water.

Sheraton Deira Hotel (bathroom)

Sheraton Deira Hotel (Bathroom Amenities)

Service. The receptionist who assisted me during check-in was very helpful and friendly. Actually, I found their staffs, in general,  to be friendly, smiling and helpful.

Food & Beverage. Too lazy to go out again, we ordered room service for dinner. We ordered a Phad Thai and some Hammour. The food was good but it was slightly cold when delivered to our room.

Sheraton Deira Hotel (Phad Thai)

Phad Thai & Hammour for dinner

Sheraton Deira Hotel (Hammour)

I really haven’t explore the other facilities in the hotel. All I could say is that Sheraton Deira Hotel Dubai is an old property. So lower your bar of expectations in that aspect.

Sheraton Deira Hotel (Corridor)

Corridor in the fourth floor

However, they really have great staffs – very friendly and helpful. Personally, I believe that it is the service that sets apart the hotel from those crappy ones mushrooming everywhere.

Yes, if there is opportunity, I will stay again in this hotel.

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Review: Ibis Deira City Centre Hotel

Posted on April 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

I had the opportunity to stay in Ibis Deira City Centre Hotel early this year. I heard of this hotel brand but I haven’t stayed yet in any Ibis hotels before. Ibis is actually under the umbrella of Accor (the same management that runs hotels like Sofitel, Novotel and Mercure).

Ibis hotel brand across the globe is always associated with economical room price, a good value for money when travelling.

I happened to be in Dubai for a training early in February and it seemed the city hotels were full. The room rates were very expensive even those budget hotels. Later  I learned from a friend that there was a big city event. This explained the fully book hotel situation in Sheikh Zayed Road and Deira area.

As the purpose of my Dubai trip was to attend a 2-days training, I wanted to have a walking distance accommodation from the training venue. That’s the reason I landed in Ibis Deira City Centre Hotel.

Anyway, I checked-in late in the afternoon. The lobby was busy. There were significant influx of people (I assumed they were hotel guests) ranging from  backpackers to business individuals. There were also travelling families and some transients whom I believed were sleeping over to catch their flights the next day.

I didn’t have any expectations but still I was surprised after entering my hotel room. It was bare but equipped with basic necessities that travellers would need.

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Nothing fancy or extra in the room. There was the comfortable bed and pillows, TV, electric kettle for coffee / tea, small cup board and bedside lamps.

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In the bathroom – just towel, tissue, hairdryer  and a 2-in-1 shower gel & shampoo.

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In the evening, I was too tired to go out for dinner so I opted for room service. Nothing grandeur to expect. No dining trolley, cutleries or plates. Instead they served the food in aluminum plate, salad in plastic container and plastic fork, spoon and knife.

I realized that this is how they cut the cost and in return they have reasonable room price.

It is a good  and comfortable place to stay specially if you are on a tight budget or for an overnight stay only. Do not expect any extra amenities that you usually find in big hotels. 

You will not be disappointed in the service. It is good, there is standard, like what you can expect from branded hotel chains.

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Review: City Season Suites in Deira, Dubai

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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It has been a while since I drove around the area of City Center. For Abu Dhabi dwellers, Mall of Emirates or Dubai Mall is always the preferred shopping venue because of the accessibility of the location.

As I drove around last month, I was surprised that the opposite of Deira City Centre Parking is now a stretch of hotels – Ibis, Novotel and City Season Suites. Maybe my astonishment is just a revelation of my long absence around this area.  The hotels in Dubai are really mushrooming everywhere.

Anyway, I drove through this stretch for couple of times. I was actually looking for City Season Suites. Coming from the opposite side, I already noticed their big sign but as I drove, I could not find  their parking entrance. I was advised that they do not have a valet parking service for guests.

Finally, I found a small sign of ‘City Season Suites’ at the backside of the hotel.  I assumed it was the parking entrance and I drove down the basement of the building. And yes, it was their parking area!

At the reception while waiting for the check-in, the staff offered me an orange juice. Shortly I received my room key and I headed to the fourth floor where my room was. To my surprise with a tinge of disappointment, the room given to me was very spacious for single occupancy. It has very spacious living room, twin bed and a master bedroom.

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(bedroom & spacious living room)

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That room is good for family but not for solo guest.

In the morning, I was looking forward for a hearty breakfast in their restaurant. The waitress at the entrance was unwelcoming with no smile and greetings at all. Then I looked around in the buffet section, quite a good selection, and a petite Asian lady who has a lovely smile greeted me. I asked for the egg omelet and she said that she would arrange for it. I didn’t see any live cooking station in the restaurant so I thought it was not being offered.

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(The restaurant for breakfast)

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As a property, the hotel is good. The facilities  and amenities are good except for the quality of their shampoo & conditioner. It really tangled  my hair badly. I regretted that I didn’t take with me my personal hair shampoo and conditioner.

The service (from reception, bell boys and waiters/waitresses) I experienced was really poor except for the petite Asian lady in the restaurant.

If ask, I will not stay again in this hotel.

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Movie Experience in Vox Cinema – Marina Mall

Posted on January 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Popcorn

To beat the Christmas longing and homesickness last December 25, hubby and I headed to watch a movie – “The Hobbit”. We were excited because a week prior we watched already the making of “The Hobbit”.

I was more appreciative when watching the movie because I understood the hard work and effort they put into the production in order to create amazing effects. Though there were some scenes that didn’t excite me anymore because I knew already the tricks they did to come up with those scenes.

Anyway we watched the movie in 3D in Vox Cinema in Marina Mall.

The ticket is AED 60 per person and it includes disposable 3D glasses. They have a good waiting area that serves as restaurant too.

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(Disposable 3D Glasses)

And of course, the cinema experience is not complete without the popcorn, right? So we ordered for cheese flavor along with the nachos. For the first time I kept on munching the popcorn until it was over. I am not fond of popcorn at all and oftentimes the bucket of popcorn is consumed solely by my hubby.

Inside the cinema – it was clean. Chairs were comfortable and in good condition. The last row is VIP seats where the charge is more for extra comfort. The audio and visual aspects of the cinema were excellent too.

My conclusion – our cinema experience was really great. I just hated the ending of the movie. It keeps you thinking what’s next. There are more to unfold in the story. It seems that we have to wait for the sequel then.

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Posted in Life in Abu Dhabi, Reviews, Shopping

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How to Send a Parcel in Abu Dhabi Post Office?

Posted on December 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I still love the old ways – receiving postal mails or gifts. There is this tiny flare of excitement as you open the envelope and unfold the letter. The sender’s choice of stationery, the handwriting of the sender and the color of the ink – all of these seem to embody the soul of the person who is sending the letter.

Isn’t it great to receive a postal letter from your love ones? Well, as long as it is not about troubles, bills or bad news.

Anyway, my sister has requested me to send a gift to her boss in Canada. It is actually a souvenir (a Burj Al Arab figurine). Since they haven’t meet yet and most likely will not be meeting soon, she decided to mail that souvenir to her. You may wonder what she does as why they haven’t meet yet. My sister is working online.

So I wrapped carefully the figurine with bubble wrap and placed it in a sturdy box. Then I sealed the box properly and pasted the address label.

I oftentimes go to the post office located near Madinat Zayed in Muroor Street because it’s the closest to my home. I recommend going there late in the afternoon like after five because the queue is less compared in the morning.

I visited the place a couple of times and it was always in the morning. There was always a rush, a crowd and long queue.

Anyway, there is a small reception desk  in the left corner as you enter the main entrance. Just tell the gentleman that you want to send a parcel an he will give you a priority number.

You have options either to send it express or just the normal post. Since my parcel was fragile, I was asked to send it through Empost (the express one). Then I completed the form and declared the content.

Actually, I didn’t seal the other end of the box just in case they would check the content but while waiting I saw one gentleman (his box was five times bigger) and it was totally sealed. They didn’t ask him to open it. So I guessed that there would be no checking of the box contents.

While waiting for my turn,  I sealed it completely.

They charged AED 130 (US$ 35) for that parcel bound Canada and it weighed around 0.6 kilo. I remembered during the time that my sister inquired, they charge AED 130 for parcels that weigh 1 kilo or less.

Then they gave me a receipt with alphanumeric details on it. I came to know in their website that you can actually check online the status of your parcel. Just enter the alphanumeric data in UAE post track and trace site and you will see the details from the day it was posted until its current status.

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Watching the Dubai Fountain Show

Posted on December 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

You will know that something is great because the news travels very fast. It will be the subject of conversation everywhere from within your circle of friends to a stranger you meet in the bus.

This is how I came to know about the fountain show in Dubai Mall. My curiosity aroused because I had been asked many times if I already watched it. This was like two years ago.

And finally, we watched the fountain show (shame, only after 2 years!). After a long walk and window shopping in Dubai Mall, we headed to the fountain area. It was past six in the afternoon.

The fountain was showcased as it danced “gracefully” with the beat of the music. It lasted for about 15 minutes and there was really a crowd anticipating for every show. But don’t worry, there is a show every half an hour in the evening. If you didn’t manage to find a good spot to watch, then you could wait for the next show.

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(Late Afternoon Dubai Fountain Show)

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A week after we stayed in Ramada Downtown Dubai where we had the privilege of watching it in the evening from the top (32nd floor). And wow, it was great! The lights were stunning as it contrasted with the darkness of the night.

Night

(View from the 32nd Floor)

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Burj Khalifa (World’s Tallest Building) Tour Experience

Posted on November 28, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Over 800 meters tall. 200+ storeys making it the most number of floors ever in a building. High-speed elevator travelling at 10 meters per second. These are just few interesting facts of the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa.

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My family and I had the opportunity to experience the Burj Khalifa tour in October. We were rushing to the meeting point which was in Dubai Mall (next to Cafe Court) – ground level as we were a bit late.

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In the lobby area, we were welcomed by a glass replica of Burj Khalifa. The wall behind was plastered with interesting facts about the other notable tall buildings around the world.

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After few minutes, we were advised to proceed to the main entrance where the tour would begin. Just a heads up – they have strict security policies. There were metal detectors and luggage x-ray machines. Click here to see the prohibited items.

While on the walkalator which led to the elevator area, we were entertained with visuals reflected on the walls depicting the country’s old way of life and its transition to the modern world.

Then we were ushered to the high-speed elevator. As there were certain maximum number of persons allowed only, it resulted to a queue – but don’t worry you will not wait that long.

No question, the elevator was really travelling in high speed. We timed our travel from the observation deck (124th floor) to the first or second floor (not so sure about this) and it took us only approximately 1 minute.

The highlight of the tour was the observation deck wherein you could enjoy the aerial view of Dubai. It has glass wall panels and wooden floor. Honestly, I could not stay long standing close to the glass walls as I was terrified with the height. The observation deck was like a round plate attached to the main structure of the building.

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(the observation deck and the view from the 124th floor)

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After taking few pictures for souvenirs, I decided to go back and stay in the main building. Though you could still enjoy the view, it was not great as in the observation deck.

The cost of the tour is AED 100 (USD 27) per person if you purchase in advance. You can easily buy it online. On the day of the tour, don’t forget to bring the receipt print out and the credit card used to purchase.

Ticket for immediate entry will cost AED 400 (USD 109) per person.

The tour took us almost one hour. It actually depends on you because you can stay as long as you want in the observation deck.

There were souvenirs for sale too. We had our family picture taken with the aerial background of the city. It looked like my hubby was falling off from the cladding. Well of course, he didn’t take that risk! It was just a byproduct of Photoshop (lol!). The price tag of that souvenir was AED 300 which includes the softcopy and additional background photos.

We really enjoyed the tour specially my Mum and sister who were just visiting UAE. It was worth the experience and thrill.

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Posted in Family, Outdoor Activities, Reviews, Sightseeings, Travel

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Ramee Guestline Hotel (You Get What You Pay For)

Posted on November 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Two days before our check-in we decided to cancel our booking in Towers Rotana in Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai because it was a bit far from Dubai Airport where my family would fly out.

So I was looking for alternative place to stay. I landed in AsiaRooms website and found a reasonable rate for Ramee Guestline Hotel located in Al Rigga Street in Dubai. The area is closer to the airport compared to where Towers Rotana is.

My perception about Ramee Hotel is it’s a budget hotel. Thus there are no high hopes.

On our way to the hotel, I called them asking for their exact location as our driver was not that familiar in Dubai. While talking to the telephone operator, I got irritated because her explanation was vague. She talked as if I knew all the corners of Dubai by heart. I wouldn’t be asking if I know the place.

Anyhow, we found the hotel.

The lobby is small and congested. It is a bit dark too. On the ground floor there are three outlets – a coffee shop, Filipino Bar and a pub.

Our rooms were not ready when we arrived. I requested for connecting or adjacent rooms but it was not available. Then I requested for internet connection unfortunately it was only available on selected floors.

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As it was our priority, I agreed not to have adjacent rooms as long as we could access the internet.

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The hotel is really old, no doubt about it. I felt that the room where we stayed was haunted (lol!). The toilet flash kept on flashing like every 10 minutes. The door was not closing properly. Cold shower was not working.

In the evening we could hear the noise of the band that was playing in the bar on the ground floor though it was not really that loud.

The only advantage of this hotel is its location. It’s next to the Rigga Station (Metro Train). The street is lined up with various fast food chains, banks, supermarket and money exchange centers. Also, it is walking distance to Al Ghurair Mall.

Personally I will not recommend this hotel. The service was really horrible. In fact, I kept complaining to my hubby about the poor service. After awhile of hearing my complaints, he simply told me to stop whining because we get what we pay for. Indeed!

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Review: Ramada Downtown Dubai Hotel

Posted on November 20, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Thanks to my good friend, Gina, who hosted our stay last month in Dubai. We had a wonderful stay at Ramada Downtown Dubai Hotel and it was a perfect accommodation because it was closed to Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. Our schedule for that weekend was a tour in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building. We stayed in their 2-bedroom suite in 32nd floor and it gave us a stunning overlooking view of the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. It has a balcony too but I didn’t have the courage to hangout there because I was feeling dizzy (and dreadful about the height).

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(View from the living room)

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Anyway, our room was remarkably nice – a master bedroom with spacious bathroom, a second room with the twin beds and a bathroom, a laundry room with washing machine and dryer, guest toilet, a kitchen with spacious fridge, microwave oven, bread toaster, induction cooktops, dishwasher, cutleries and plates, and basic cooking wares.

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(Master’s Bedroom and Kitchen)

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Not only that it has an amazing overlooking view, the room was very spacious too for family weekenders like us and there is a Spinney’s supermarket just few steps away from the hotel. As I mentioned in my previous post, having a nearby supermarket is always a plus point for me. Like for instance this time of stay, we ran out infant powder milk. Glad that the Spinney’s is just few steps away.

On the other hand, my mother and sister enjoyed their evening walking around because it has beautiful pathways surrounding the manmade lake and the bridges connecting to Dubai Mall.

Also, we have the opportunity to see again the fountain show in Dubai Mall but this time the view was better – it was overlooking. We just missed the music but the fountain show was amazingly beautiful from the top view.

Because of our hectic weekend schedule, we really didn’t have the chance to experience the level of their service except during our breakfast time in Orchid Restaurant in 2nd floor. We came at past 10am, not a very ideal time because they close at 10.30am.

After 20 minutes, the waitress came already to our table to notify that the buffet sections would be cleared in 5 minutes.

All in all the food was ok. The buffet selection was limited and the service was horrible. I mean the waiter and the hostess/waitress were actually very friendly and polite but it seemed the two staffs were not enough to accommodate the guests in their small restaurant.

We couldn’t find a clean table because all the available tables were not yet cleared though the guests had been gone already. At first, I thought we were not really served properly but then I realized that the guests behind us were also looking for a clean table to sit and dine.

The pool looks great from the top but again we didn’t visit their recreation area.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay in Ramada Downtown Hotel in Dubai. The location is very ideal, just walking distance from Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. The view is amazingly beautiful. It seems the poor service in the restaurant became insignificant as we truly had a wonderful stay in our hotel room.

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Rose Rayhaan Hotel by Rotana in Dubai

Posted on November 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

My family and I stayed (courtesy of my best friend) in the world’s tallest hotel – Rose Rayhaan by Rotana. This 72-storey hotel is situated in Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, UAE.

I think that one of the best advantages of this hotel is its location. It is walking distance to the metro stations which make it easier to travel to Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates. There are nearby fast food and supermarket shops too. As a frugal traveler, this is an excellent benefit because we have options to dine out or buy our needs like drinking water or baby milk from the supermarket.

As we all know, everything inside the hotel is costly. The price is tripled than the actual cost. A can of cola from the mini bar will cost around AED 10 per can when I can simply walk for few minutes and buy it from the supermarket for AED 1.50.

Of course, I like to enjoy the luxury that the hotel can offer during our stay but I am not too keen to pay the pricey cost of it (blame that to the frugal lifestyle that I embraced, lol.).

Anyway, back to Rose Rotana. Before checking in, I was actually expecting that the property has a grand lobby considering the fact that it is the world’s tallest hotel. The lobby failed my expectation because it is small, a coffee shop on the left and the reception on the right side.

Our room was ok, nothing extraordinary. I am not sure with the room type but judging its room size, it is just a standard room. As we have our 1 year old son, the kitchenette was a great help. There is a big fridge, microwave, kitchen sink and plenty of kitchen cupboards for storage.

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I personally like the unique shape of their bath tub and of course the usual “sleep inviting” bed of Rotana. I stayed in few Rotana Hotels in UAE and the quality of their bed has always been consistent. It’s soft and very tempting to lie down. lol!

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I think it is one of the trademarks of Rotana.

As the hotel is new, you can expect that the facilities are modern and in good condition.

I don’t have any comments with the other aspects of the hotel like services, restaurants and recreation facilities because we really didn’t use it. Most of the time we were outside the hotel thus my experience was constrained within the vicinity of the room and few phone calls to housekeeping and reception.

So far with my limited interactions to their staff, they were very friendly and polite.

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Posted in Accommodation, Hotel, Life in Abu Dhabi, Reviews