Sunday Marina View Apartments Hotel

This was my third visit to Marina Diamond View Hotel in two months, and the latest stay was a letdown. On my first stay, I was charged a 20 dirham tourism tax for a one-week booking. I asked to pay for four days and the remaining three later, and that was initially accepted. Then a staff member from another shift wouldn't let me check in until the full amount was paid. A month later I booked a week and extended for another week. I'd already paid five days of tourism tax, but they asked me to pay again for the remaining days. When I explained, a staff member I call “the lady” became aggressive and kept me from accessing my room until I paid the 20 dirham. The next day she brought security and maintenance staff to the room, shouting and making a scene. The washing machine in my room smelled strongly and unpleasantly. They didn't fix it promptly and offered no alternative room. When I complained to the manager about the staff member, she threatened to block my name from the hotel instead of addressing my concern. I was asking for my rights and respectful treatment, so that felt unfair. The conduct of “the lady” and the night shift staff member Malik was unacceptable. Most of the security and room service staff were great, and I hope the others are too, but I've seen many complaints about the same two reception women and the manager. When I said I could post a Google review, she told me, “This is My Business. I know how to answer you. You can do whatever you want.” I expected the manager to try to solve the problem and speak respectfully so a guest would want to come back. Instead, it felt like she was driving people away.

The pool and location were the only good parts. The breakfast was awful, and I can't recommend it to anyone. The whole hotel needs an overhaul, and they even gave us a room that wasn't accessible and needed repair. We booked five rooms with breakfast, one one-bedroom and four studios. The one-bedroom was spacious, but the twin studios were extremely dark. Definitely not a good experience.

Mario, the Filipino receptionist, was super rude and had no empathy. It felt like he didn't understand that his job is customer service. Staff need proper training, because you can't treat people this way. If the team won't provide the service expected of a hotel, they might as well have a security guard at the entrance instead of paying for a receptionist who doesn't do the job. This was my first and last visit, and with so many other choices in Dubai, I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The hotel felt stylish and laid-back, and I felt safe there the whole time. Check-in was quick, and the staff were friendly and ready to help. My room was modern, clean, and comfortable, with housekeeping keeping it in good shape each day. The Marina location made it easy to get to restaurants, cafes, and the beach on foot. The room view was lovely, especially after dark when the area lit up. I had a great stay and would come back to Dubai Marina.