Al Bateen Residence

We spent 3N here through air bnb. The location was great, and the views over JBR were excellent.

The view is beautiful and the apartment looks nice, but the stay was very frustrating. I agreed to arrive later so the place could be cleaned, yet it was still dirty when I got there. Food crumbs were on the floor and sofa, the bathrooms hadn’t been properly cleaned, and the trash was still full. Communication was poor before and during the stay, and getting a response after reporting these problems was difficult. There wasn’t even basic shampoo, and the hot water wasn’t working properly. Because of the cleanliness, missing amenities, and weak customer service, I wouldn’t stay here again.

Apart from a few problems, the place is mostly good. The open showers send water everywhere, leaving the wood floors and the whole bathroom wet. The TV remote didn’t work either. We asked for help, and they replaced the remote but did nothing else, so the TV was basically useless. There are also a lot of unnecessary light switches.

The only real advantage for me was the view, especially of the beach and sometimes the Dubai Eye. Otherwise, after 15 months in a middle-floor one-bedroom facing The Beach by Meraas, I found the building very disappointing. The gym was poorly equipped and maintained, so I used it only once. The pool, which was why I moved in, had unreliable temperature control, reaching about 38C in summer and around 21C in winter, while ideal temperatures are 28C to 30C. Cooling is inadequate in many flats. There is one fewer AC than rooms, so my bedroom had one but the living room relied on a weak duct. This was especially uncomfortable in peak summer. Build quality is reasonable but inconsistent. Some ocean-facing two-bedroom units reportedly flood in rainy weather because cracks eventually appear in the ceilings, so I’d avoid those. The finishes are close to awful. Standard tiles look cheap, absorb grime and stains, and often keep faded marks despite steaming, mechanical scrubbing, and different chemicals. The space is poorly used too. Wash basins are extremely shallow, bathtubs are narrow and shallow, bidets are tiny, while the toilets themselves are disproportionately large. A trench around many bathtubs leaves water on the floor after showering. The entrance wastes a lot of space, and the main door is thin, light, and not firmly fixed. Winter drafts make it shudder constantly. The balcony door is poorly sealed, creating a sharp, nonstop whistle in strong winter winds. There’s also no pedestrian path at the building entrance, which is shared with the Double Tree by Hilton, so reaching it means dodging cars. The so-called beach is just a mediocre strip of sand beside very salty water. The high rent doesn’t match the quality. If beach access is essential, renting may still be an option, but I wouldn’t buy here. For buying in this area, I’d look at the upcoming Address Residences Jumeirah Resort + Spa next door, the yet to come La Vie, or the expensive 1/JBR instead.