Nurai Island

As a mother coming to this hotel was something I looked forward to for a long time. We booked a one bedroom bungalow with promising privacy and a swimming pool. Just before 7AM we were woken up by a terribly loud drilling sound. It was so loud that I practically jumped out of bed. Needless to say, sleeping in and relaxation was gone out of the window. We called the reception and they promised to stop. It didn’t stop and continued endless to the point that around 10AM we gathered our belongings and left the room. Outside, staring at our “private” pool were several workers on the roof so enjoying the pool or the beach was out of question. The hotel manager offered us a free lunch which we respectfully declined because we came to relax and to sleep in not to have a mediocre free meal at over AED 3800 per night. I simply asked for another stay when the construction was over and we could get exactly what we paid for. I wasn’t interested in anything free- what I expected was for the management to simply refund us the money for the stay they couldn’t provide, move us to another villa away from the noise or offer a complimentary stay in the future to make up for a ruined holiday. None of these options were offered, none of our emails were answered and at this point we have decided to take this further. Yes, construction is something that will end eventually and this post may feel irrelevant. However, this is not about construction- this post is about terrible customer service when a client who paid in full and paid premium is placed into a situation where no resolution is offered and any discomfort is not something the hotel is willing to take responsibility for. Inna situation where room is paid at check out - I would have never paid but because prepayment is required the hotel has nothing to lose. This is not luxury - this is ignorance and if you are looking to spend your hard earned money - I would look at other options where your business is valued, appreciated and where from the moment you step inside the hotel and up until you leave - everything is catered to ensure you have a pleasant stay. Very disappointing and frustrating at the same time. UPDATE: After about three weeks and a couple of email exchanges our stay was refunded. We hope to come back for a different experience.

Pros: - beautiful rooms, modern amenities and big private pool - pizza restaurant was good - some staff were very helpful and friendly - big breakfast selection Cons: - extremely expensive for what it is. Didn’t feel 5 star - other food was average - half of the facilities were closed - chair and loungers at the beach and pool didn’t have cushions - slow internet - the pool was advertised as heated, but ours was extremely cold for majority of the stay - the bikes were rusted with flat tires - had to call multiple times to get someone to check the pool

I just got back from Nurai Island Resort and I'm impressed. The variety of food was really good, and the service didn't disappoint. The resort has a lively feel, thanks to its colorful decor and chic furniture. It's a bit on the expensive side, but the cleanliness and well-organized setting justify the cost. Definitely a good pick for a luxury escape.

Really unpleasant and very disappointing experience. Unfriendly staff, with poor communication skills. Not worth the money at all. Average breakfast with average rooms. We rented a 2 bed pool villa and our pool had broken marble bits which led to our kids scar their legs with lots of bleeding… Not a luxurious hotel feeling due to private owned villas being located in the hotel with a lot of construction site and noise… We tried the two restaurants, the Lebanese seafood restaurant was average . The Mexican restaurant DUSK was super expensive and definitely not worth the money. Overall don’t expect anything luxurious and definitely not coming back to this hotel.

Our experience started when we got to the welcome centre and we were told by the lady to quickly get on the boat. She said that the people on the boat have been waiting for us and are not happy. This was not a very warm or nice welcome to the welcome centre. We got straight off the plane and had a transfer booked through Nurai island so we didn’t think we were late or had a specific time to be there by. As far as I’m aware the boat goes across every 30 mins, therefore we would have been happy to wait for the next one, and had a warm welcome. We then reached the island and were shown some restaurants on the way to our room by the bell boy. After that we weren’t sure where to go or what to do. We weren’t given a map or welcome information regarding the island. Throughout our stay we had to find our own way around the island, we also had to go to the reception to get our own map of the island when we asked for it. When I arrived to the reception for a map of the island, the receptionist said ‘did you not get a welcome pack’ and we said no we didn’t. He then just gave us a map. We knew nothing about the bikes, and it was only when we saw some children riding them that we rang reception to ask for a bike for our son. Whilst we were there we walked over to the spa, we were shown around the spa and then when we went into the massage room overlooking the ocean, there was a huge boat & crane outside the window. The price you pay for an experience was again taken away from us, therefore we didn’t have a massage that we wanted whilst we were there. Even the lady showing us around seemed a little embarrassed and closed the curtain. It was advertised that we would have a butler throughout our stay on the island. We were never introduced to one and didn’t see one the whole stay. We had complained on the second day and even after that we had no sight of a butler. So you had advertised something and we had been sold something that we didn’t actually receive. We did not receive the service that was advertised. The service during our stay was far from 5 star, and this is not what we expected. We therefore, had a very unenjoyable stay at Nurai island after spending a lot of money on this holiday.

I had a terrible experience at this hotel. Firstly, the cleanliness was appalling; we discovered tiny bugs all over the bathroom floors. Additionally, the buggy service was consistently late. The worst part was when they cut off the water supply for the entire night, a shocking 10-hour ordeal, and didn't bother to inform us until it was too late. The overall value for the money I paid was abysmal. The food was dry and tasteless, and the service was simply terrible. I would strongly advise against staying here.

One of the worst experiences, my stay at the hotel was extremely disappointing. We were unexpectedly kicked out early without compensation or immediate refund, they promised us a free ride to Dubai but couldn’t find a car to pick us up. Additionally, the rooms were not clean and looked worn out. A thoroughly unsatisfactory experience overall.

We had a one bedroom pool villa, it was nice with plenty of space for 2 adults and 2 kids. The view was great from our room 117. I don’t really know how to sum up this place. It is not 5* luxury that’s for sure. It is a bit of a mess in places and the service is very average. The beer selection is poor and there are random giant fibreglass sandals and sunglasses everywhere which is really tacky. There is plenty of construction on the island even though the operator promised me there wasn’t when I was booking. The food is fine, the pizza at Smokin Pineapple was actually very good. The Mexican Dusk restaurant was rubbish and it was so expensive it made my eyes water. For simple fajita for four people and a basic bottle of wine we spent nearly 2000AED!! Ridiculous premium for being on an island. The kids club was good, nice enough staff and the kids loved the playground and water park section. This was a great asset if not a little quiet and sad. Breakfast was nice and had loads of options. Once you got over the sound of construction and land reclamation all around you, it was quite a relaxing weekend I suppose but it really depends on what your expectations are. Think of it as glamping and you will be happier. A few suggestions to management: - don’t charge guests who booked through an agent for the boat ride to the hotel, it really sours the first interaction and comes as a surprise to most - if you’re going to charge so much for food and drinks, it needs to be better