Aloft Abu Dhabi – Beware the Gym.

For some reason, Tripadvisor doesn’t put up all my reviews. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern or reason given, some are approved and posted and others just disappear.

It’s an annoying customer experience because I take the time to think about the reviews I write and offer my time for free to create content for Tripadvisor, only for it to vanish.

So while a hotel review might seem out of place on this blog, at least I know it will be published and seen by those who want to learn about the ‘Aloft’ Hotel attached to ADNEC in Abu Dhabi.

The Starwood Hotel group, like others, is trying to create different experiences for different customers. Apparently, the Aloft hotel brand is aimed at Millennial travellers, so it’s a bit edgy and high-tech, with all the things that hotel customer experience designers think a Millennial traveller would want. I’m not a millennial, so please read the following comments through that lens.

Perfectly located for ADNEC – In fact. Part of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center complex, so you never have to leave the building.

A little bit different – This could be a positive or a negative, depending how you see things. The lobby area has plenty of comfortable seating, though the music is a bit loud if you are trying to have a meeting or do a phone call. There are some funky touches like a fusbal table and pool tables – which makes things a bit different.

Nice view of the sunset –  There is a large outdoor eating area and bar on the 12th floor which allows for a good view of the sunset. In the winter months, it’s a nice place to relax at the end of the day.

Early Check-In – Perhaps it was because it was quiet, or perhaps because I am an SPG member, but even though the advertised check in time was 3pm, they checked me in at 11am. This is a nice touch, especially if you have travelled overnight to get somewhere. Nothing worse than a hotel that makes you leave your bags and tells you to come back later to check-in.

Large 24 gym with good equipment.

Gym 24hours right above room 401. Yesterday I talked about the customer experience not being thoroughly tested. There are 12 floors in the hotel, the Gym is on the 5th. That means that at all hours, weights are being dropped on the floor of the 5th floor and onto the roof of the 4th floor. There are rooms right under the gym! I doubt that the marketing team or the management of the Aloft Abu Dhabi have every spent the night in room 401, so they wouldn’t know what bad experience it is.

All separate bills, couldn’t put on the room. Not sure if this was an Aloft thing or something specific to the hotel, but had to make payments for food and drink as I went and not put it on a single bill. Annoying for expense keeping.

A nod to green, but not in practice.  In a city where water is at a premium, it makes sense to advise guests of the amount of water that it takes to wash towels and sheets, but this is washed away when 3 minutes of water goes straight down the drain while the water gets hot.

There are a bunch of little things that also make the overall experience a bit rubbish. Things like, no extractor fan in the bathroom, the towel rack being too far to reach from the shower, the media center not working, the main restaurant feeling like the food court of a shopping mall.

The week before, I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in Kuwait. It’s also a business traveller concept by the Starwood group. For a Gen-X traveller, the Four Points ticked more boxes (though was significantly more expensive).

If you are attending an event at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, then the Aloft hotel is not bad – just avoid the rooms under the Gym.