"RIZWAN the valet supervisor is a star performer. Very kind and oriented to serve the client. We will definitely come back mainly for the exceptional customer experience"

adrian ch

"Don’t be misled by the name “The Palms” — this is not a getaway vacation destination. It falls short of expectations.

1. Check-in Experience

At around USD 300–400 per night, the place is overcrowded and completely lacks any sense of exclusivity. There was no warmth or sense of welcome at check-in — just a rushed, transactional process. No one bothered to ask about late checkout, and there was no apology or acknowledgment for the failed SNA upgrade. They mentioned they had “kindly” assigned a room on the 18th floor, but it wasn’t the kind of upgrade worth mentioning — nothing remarkable at all.

2. Service

No welcome amenities were provided. Even a 4-star Marriott property offers a simple welcome fruit plate, but here there was nothing — not even a welcome letter. It’s not something that truly matters, but in most hotels, at the very least, the guest’s name appears on the TV screen as a small gesture of hospitality. It was surprising to see that a so-called 5-star hotel showed no such effort or attention to detail.

Turn-down service was also awkward — staff literally rang doorbells along the hallway to hand out chocolates as if distributing rations. Quite ridiculous.

That said, the concierge team was truly professional — they were the only bright spot. In particular, Igor was outstanding: humorous, genuinely friendly, and highly professional. His warm service was the only thing that managed to lift our spirits during the stay. I’m adding one extra star to this review solely because of him. However, it’s almost sad to see such a capable staff member working under a hotel that doesn’t match his standard.

3. Room Condition

The rooms feel like a marble-covered business hotel — no distinctive design, just an old structure with a simple touch of renovation.

Towels were thin and rough, more like low-grade beach towels. This issue is quite serious and requires urgent improvement.

Even from the top floor (18th), the view was obstructed by nearby buildings. Perhaps the suite or sea view rooms are better, but there’s hardly any “wow factor.”

4. Hotel Facilities

Frankly, very disappointing.
The lobby is tiny, there’s no executive lounge, and most facilities operate independently — Aura needs a separate reservation, and even the Kyma private beach requires booking and may be closed for private events.
Restaurants at Palm Gardens aren’t even managed by the hotel itself.

The hotel connects directly to a mall, which is filled mostly with mid-range brands and offers nothing particularly worth shopping for — far from the sense of Dubai luxury. Perhaps that’s why the hotel lobby ends up feeling more like a taxi pickup area than a true luxury entrance.

Even guests driving cars with very low ground clearance or of high value are charged AED 500 per day for valet parking, which is absurd. During our stay, we visited five other 5-star hotels in Dubai, all of which offered complimentary front-entrance parking even to non-guests. According to the staff, this fee is “standard practice” in Dubai, but it felt more like an excuse to justify the hotel’s limited space rather than a legitimate policy.

The pool is extremely small and fully exposed to surrounding buildings with zero privacy.

Breakfast tasted fine but lacked sufficient selection. The so-called “wall of donuts” felt gimmicky. The F&B team clearly needs to refresh their concept to align with modern hospitality standards. Honestly, if breakfast weren’t included, I’d have preferred eating at the mall next door.

5. Overall Impression

Unless you’re attending a conference, business meeting, or dining at one of the F&B facilities, honestly there’s absolutely no reason to stay here!

This hotel falls below the 5-star standard and leaves a lingering sense of disappointment."

J K

"Perfect is defined by you, your experiences and life style.

If you’re not used to this life style then I guarantee the word perfect doesn’t come close to what you’ll experience.

If you are then you’ll understand when I say your every need is catered for.

The service is better than it gets! Every member of staff we came across was incredibly polite and welcoming.

There are 3 pools and 1 off site (shuttle service)

2/3 onsite pools (1 gets sun all day, not the best view, 2nd pool great for laps but doesn’t have as much of the sun.

3rd pool is the sky pool which isn’t really apart of the hotel but has amazing views of the palm.

off site pool is Kyma ! It’s great, with even better pool service and better food! You’ll love it! There’s a shuttle service to and from.

We had a really relaxing time!"

Joshua Head