Before making my booking at Mena Plaza Hotel Al Barsha, I called on Monday evening to confirm whether I could check in using a valid digital copy of my passport, as my physical passport is currently under renewal (it still has over three months of validity). The receptionist was polite and said she would check the policy and call me back. She later confirmed that a valid digital copy would be accepted.
The booking was made under my fiancée's name using my email address, which has never been an issue before. Since my fiancée would not be present at check-in, we called again to confirm whether I could check in using a copy of her Emirates ID. The same receptionist confirmed that this would be acceptable.
Today, we called once more simply to ask about the check-in time. A different receptionist, Angela, answered and informed us that I would not be able to check in unless the booking name was changed. Although this contradicted the information we had received twice before, I later realized she was simply following the hotel's policy, and I called back to apologize for raising my voice during our conversation.
The real issue was my conversation with the supervisor, Mohammad Shamaa/Gomaa. Instead of helping resolve the confusion created by inconsistent information from his team, he was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. He repeatedly said that if another receptionist had provided incorrect information, it was "not his problem," and that he would simply cancel the booking. He interrupted, raised his voice, made sarcastic comments, and even stated that customer reviews "change nothing" because he alone decides whether to promote or terminate his staff.
What disappointed me most was not the initial misunderstanding, as mistakes can happen. It was the supervisor's attitude and complete lack of professionalism. A supervisor should know how to handle customer concerns with respect, empathy, and accountability. Instead, I felt unwelcome and dismissed throughout the conversation, and at no point did he apologize for his behavior.
I genuinely appreciated the professionalism and kindness of the first receptionist, who tried her best to assist us, as well as Angela, who was simply following procedure. However, the management, particularly Mohammad Shamaa/Gomaa, should seriously reconsider how customer complaints are handled. His behavior reflects poorly on the hotel and leaves guests with a very negative impression.
