Novotel Dubai Al Barsha

After a disappointing stay earlier this week at another 4-star hotel in Tecom, I decided to try Novotel Al Barsha for the weekend, mainly because Swiss Butter Steakhouse is inside the hotel. My friend Hannah and I checked in with a mix of curiosity and hope for a better experience. The hotel does seem busy, which contradicts what some other guests have said. To their credit, we were given our room right away at check-in. I had booked a Superior Twin Room and specifically requested a higher floor for a better view. I also accepted a smoking room, understanding the compromise, but the overwhelming smell of smoke in the hallway left me wondering: shouldn’t a 4-star hotel manage this better? Upon entrance, to our surprise, we found a joined single bed instead of twins. We called reception, hoping to move rooms, but they offered to just separate the beds. Regret hit when we saw how small the single beds were! Honestly, if you’re tall or on the bigger side, this setup will not be comfortable—especially if you’re staying with friends or family. To add, the bed’s mattress clearly needed flipping, as there was an obvious slope that made it uncomfortable to sleep on. Adding to the unfortunate, despite being on the 25th floor, there was no view to speak of—something we were really looking forward to. It felt like a missed opportunity, especially given the hotel’s location and our specific request for a high floor. The bathroom was another letdown. The tissue holder was almost broken, the materials inside looked cheap, and the toilet bowl was not properly cleaned, with visible brown markings—pretty gross for a 4-star hotel. Thankfully, the bathtub was at least clean, so that was something. On the bright side, the highlight of this hotel is definitely their spa and pool. We were given discount vouchers for Soul and Senses Spa, and my masseuse, Shatria, did a great job. The pool is a decent size and clean, while the sauna and steam room were perfect. The health club overall is the ace of this place. For breakfast, I agree with other reviews—it’s decent. The restaurant was packed in the morning, but the vibe was good. However, they don’t escort guests to tables; you just find a seat yourself, which is fine but felt a bit unpolished. One odd thing I noticed: while housekeeping did try their best to fulfill our requests—like providing coffee capsules and water—there was no creamer for the coffee and tea. Even 3-star hotels provide that, so it was a first for me (maybe it was just the standard). Despite these minimal disappointments, I still try to see the positive side of this hotel and did my best to take decent photos that you may see for reference. Overall, it seems like this hotel mainly caters to group tourists, which makes me wonder if they’re sacrificing quality for quantity. I hope they work on improving their services, including room quality, views, and attention to detail, so they can leave a better impression of Dubai for future guests.

Good place

From the time I checked in and was allocated my room, I had to call for house keeping, it had smelly towels that the poolside use on the bed, no towels in the bathroom and when opening the shower door, grime and dirt went everywhere and the sink was blocked. The hallway carpet was dirty for weeks and was not hovered. Number of times I had to call for house keeping due to my room not been cleaned or if there was not enough towels. My Overall experience for a 4 start hotel was very poor and the staff need to be more competent. When talking to front dest reception regarding my check out time being extended to the latest, I still get calls telling me that I missed my check out time, like come on staff, get it right the first time! I will not be recommending This particular Novotel branch. Such a pity.