Taj Exotica Resort & Spa - The Palm Dubai

Very disappointing stay – far below expectations for a Taj property. I stayed at Taj Exotica Dubai for one night on 18 March 2026 and the overall experience was extremely disappointing. First, the swimming pool water was extremely cold. I informed the staff both on the evening of March 18 and again the next morning, but nothing was done to address the issue. There was no follow-up or concern shown. At check-in, the hotel charged AED 1000 to my credit card even though my confirmed booking amount was way less than that. At checkout I was told the excess amount would be refunded within 3–4 days. This was not clearly explained during check-in. The breakfast experience was also disappointing. Although the stay included complimentary breakfast, it was not served as a buffet as one would normally expect in a luxury resort. Another issue was with the hotel facilities. The Raia Restaurant & Lounge on the 6th floor was not available on March 18. We were told it would open from March 19 because it was not a public holiday on the 18th. However, guests paying for a stay on March 18 should still have access to the advertised facilities. This limitation was never mentioned before booking. Throughout the stay, the response from staff to several requests was simply: “It will be available tomorrow.” Unfortunately, our booking was only for March 18, so that explanation was not helpful. I also had an uncomfortable interaction with security. When leaving the hotel, a security guard asked for our room number and offered to arrange a taxi. We declined. When we returned, the same guard again asked for our room number. While security is understandable, the interaction felt unnecessary and uncomfortable. It left us feeling singled out and embarrassed as guests. Another disappointing moment occurred during checkout. While packing, I requested an additional laundry bag to pack my shoes because we had already used the two provided earlier. The housekeeping staff member responded that he had already given two and gave us an irritated look, as if the request was unreasonable. For a luxury hotel, such a small request should not make guests feel uncomfortable. The final disappointment was when I asked to submit feedback about my stay. Instead of providing a proper feedback form, the staff simply handed me a blank white sheet of paper and a pen. Overall, the service felt indifferent and poorly managed. Based on this experience, Taj Exotica did not meet the service standards expected from the Taj brand.

Fantastic, wonderful, memorable

Beautiful location excellent and elegantly decorated rooms. We spend two nights at this resort whilst we were e waiting for our flights back to the UK. Everything is done so well and all staff are friendly. Due to the current situation with Iran there were only a few guests at the hotel so all The restaurants were closed apart from the Palm kitchen where the chefs made us what we wanted to eat. Mohamed in reception was very friendly and kind who brought us a delicious cold drink and garlanded us with a shell necklace on our arrival and helpful with anything we asked for throughout our stay. We enjoyed walking in the back courtyard which is decorated with colourful flowers. There is a gorgeous fragrance throughout the hotel which I loved.

All good good food good service

It was the best place we could have imagined to stay, in a normal holiday and especially in this special situation. We have felt very welcome from the beginning, all staff are really kind, the rooms clean, food delicious and the gym well equiped. Also the pool and beach area are perfect. We have felt safe in the hotel when the attacks started and were really happy that everyone was so helpful in this situation. Even in the garage, where we spent several hours, everything was done to comfort all the guests. We would fully recommend the hotel to everyone.