The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

It's a great hotel, that is clean, modern and has excellent staff. If you're looking for a reasonably priced hotel that's not too far from Central Dubai, this is a great option

I recently stayed at The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Dubai. While my stay was not bad overall, I encountered several issues that made it somewhat confusing and uncomfortable at times. Upon checking in, the staff member asked if I spoke Russian or English, but unfortunately, he couldn’t communicate well in either language. This made interactions a bit challenging and confusing. The concierge who helped me with my bags seemed to linger in my room, giving the impression he was expecting a tip, which felt awkward. On my second day, which happened to be my birthday, the hotel kindly brought a birthday cake and some fruits to my room. However, the concierge’s presence while delivering these items again created a situation where it felt like a tip was expected, which was unpleasant. Regarding cleanliness, I was disappointed to find long hair in my bathroom. As a hotel owner itself (different country), I ensure that every room and bathroom is cleaned thoroughly to avoid such issues. Finding someone’s hair made me feel that the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned well, which was uncomfortable. Additionally, I expected to have basic amenities like toothbrushes in my room, but I had to call the concierge to get them. While this is acceptable, I believe that when paying a premium for a service, all amenities should be readily available in the room. The accommodation itself was quite good and met my expectations. However, during checkout, I faced another issue. The staff helped me order a taxi, but when I expressed my preference for a different service, they insisted theirs was better and started looking at my phone. This invasion of my privacy was highly uncomfortable. Overall, while the hotel offered a comfortable stay, the communication barriers, cleanliness issues, perceived pressure for tips, lack of basic amenities, and privacy invasion during checkout detracted from the experience.

nice room, friendly and helpful staff