This was one of the worst hotel experiences I have had in years of international travel.
We had a prepaid booking and arrived late in the evening, only to be denied check-in because I did not have my passport with me. My passport was accidentally left at my brother’s place, two hours away, but my husband had his passport and I presented a driver’s license with photo, which is a government-issued ID accepted worldwide.
If this hotel has a strict policy requiring passports for every guest, that should be clearly communicated in the booking confirmation or pre-arrival emails. It was never mentioned anywhere. You cannot enforce a hidden policy on tired guests at night and leave them stranded.
What made this situation far worse was the horribly rude and unprofessional behavior of the receptionist (a lady at the front desk). Instead of handling the situation with basic courtesy or empathy, she coldly suggested that my husband could go to the room while I stayed in the lobby. That is not just unreasonable — it is humiliating.
Hotels.com contacted the property directly to help resolve the issue, yet her attitude remained unchanged and dismissive. Even if the hotel chose to stick to its policy, there is a respectful way to decline guests. This was not it.
I have traveled to over a dozen countries and visited the UAE 7–8 times, and I have never encountered this level of hostility and lack of basic hospitality at any hotel.
