"I normally don’t write negative reviews, especially for a hotel I was genuinely excited to stay at. I had been looking forward to experiencing one of the Shangri-La hotels. Unfortunately, due to the recent war in the Middle East, I had to postpone my travel plans since my return flight to the U.S. would have routed me through Dubai.
When I first reached out to the hotel, they seemed accommodating. However, after a lot of back-and-forth communication, they ultimately decided not to issue a refund because the reservation was non-refundable. I then asked whether they could at least provide a credit for a future stay, since traveling through the Middle East during this time simply does not feel safe. Unfortunately, they were unwilling to offer any flexibility and subsequently ignoring my emails.
I made it clear that I had no intention of canceling my stay and was only doing so because of these unsafe and uncertain circumstances, including not knowing whether airspace in Dubai would remain open. Despite explaining this, the hotel still chose not to make an exception.
Because of this, I am extremely disappointed with the level of customer service. The room itself was not particularly expensive—around $200 total for two nights—so this was never really about the money. What upset me most was the lack of empathy and willingness to accommodate a guest dealing with an unpredictable and potentially unsafe situation.
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