Palette - Top Stars Hotel

房間還可以，設施有點陳舊

We booked this hotel knowing we wouldn't spend a lot of time in it and it would be a place to sleep. We found the things we wanted to see in Abu Dhabi were pretty spread out but this was central enough to it all. The hotel is located about 30 minutes from Zayed International Airport and Yas Island and about 15 minutes away from the Saadiyat Cultural District with all its museums and the Galleria area. There are some dining options and smaller stores nearby but it is a short drive away from some better options. We booked a room with a king bed and had a good stay in it. The room was small but considering the price we felt it was well appointed with a mini fridge, coffee/tea station, small TV and a closet. The pillows were pretty comfy and we felt we had a good night's rest when we stayed. We booked a non smoking room and so did our cousin but it seems that despite what our booking website showed the smoking is allowed in many of the rooms. They did spray our room with a deodorizer before we got in and we felt it helped. There are enough plugs throughout the rooms and there was enough lighting even though it only came from the table side lamps. The area is very active and late into the night and my wife found it a bit noisy, had issues sleeping and needed to use ear plugs but I found it was quiet enough and had no issues falling asleep each night. We didn't need AC during our stay in February because our room was the right temperature for us but there was a thermostat on the wall. The bathroom had lots of room and a good sized bath tub. The shower felt great and offered good pressure and plenty of steam. They had shower gel, shampoo and body lotion that are restocked each day. The ventilation could have been a bit stronger because the condensation from our steamy showers left the floor damp. Thankfully there is daily housekeeping to help with this issue. There aren't any amenities at this hotel other than a small business centre. There are some restaurants nearby to grab a quick bite but we had to drive a bit to go to places we wanted to try. The parking nearby is all paid but is free between 11:00pm-8:00am and we were lucky our first night getting a spot right in front of the hotel with Unais' help but the second night we had to park about a block away. Parking costs 2 AED per hour but there are special rates for longer stays like 24 hours. We felt this hotel was convenient for our stay in Abu Dhabi because we didn't want to spend a lot on a place we wouldn't spend much time in. This met our needs perfectly.

Nothing good to say about this hotel. To start off, staff are downright rude, judgmental and very unhelpful. To start off, upon arrival I asked if they can assist with parking as we have already circled several times around the nearby areas surrounding the hotel and did not find a single spot for us to park in the paid public car parking spaces. Was told by staff to keep looking around and farther even though there was an available spot they have blocked off and reserved right in front of hotel entrance. It took my partner at least another 25 minutes to find a parking spot that is 3 blocks away from the hotel. The check-in process was a tedious and painful process like pulling one’s teeth as everything seems to be done manually and verified using printed files in daily file folders even though everything was already pre-paid and I have given them the relevant booking reference numbers. The two Filipina front desk agents kept chatting to each other in their own language (very unprofessional and only one of them is attending to guests both waiting to check-in and check-out while the other just seem to be organising some paperwork. And speaking of check-out, the process was just as painful as the check-in as they don’t seem to trust their guests because they will make you sit and wait while they send housekeeping staff to thoroughly check and inspect your room for loss and damages (Tip to future guests considering this hotel: please inspect and note the condition of your room before you get comfortable and report any damages or they might make you pay for something you are not responsible for). The reception desk and waiting area is very small that all conversations are heard by everyone. One couple was charged an extra AED100 upon check-out for an alleged “black stain” that housekeeping found on their bed. Quite an embarrassing and humiliating experience being stood there in front of other guests who can hear the entire conversation! The room itself was very small and much not worth the price they are charging for. There is a small window covered with filthy, dust-covered black out curtains which doesn’t even do the job well as the curtain rails are broken so there is a big gap where sunlight seeps in making it impossible to have a sleep in once the sunshine hits your face. All amenities provided in the room are scarce (2 small bottles of water and a few pieces of instant coffee, powdered coffee creamer and tea sachets. You’re out of luck if you wanted milk in your tea because there is none provided. I called reception to ask for extra bottles of mineral water as surely 2 small bottles is not enough for 2 guests staying in the room is enough to last a full day but the response I got was that they only provide 2 complimentary bottles per room per day and I want more then I would have to buy it outside or they can connect me to the number of the nearest Baqala (mini grocery store) for delivery. The mattress of the king size bed we have in our room was a little bit too firm for our liking and the pillows are quite the opposite (too soft). The bathroom was very tiny that the door will almost hit the vanity as you close it. Overall, a very unpleasant stay and giving it a rating of 1 star is being overly generous as it deserves less.