After a great personal recommendation from a friend and cross referencing on the XVA website and Conde Naste, I was so excited when I reserved at this chic artistic oasis in Dubai. The room in which we stayed is no where to be found on the website, was anything but chic, the bed was woefully uncomfortable, the decor included a... more

I read through all the comments, and i was astounded!! Those who rated XVA anything under a 4 star obviously don't know how to appreciate quality, art, style and a little bit of something different from the conventional hotel. XVA is anything but your average hotel. The staff are courteous and the service is remarkable! The location, though not situated... more

Wow! I love the Arabic with a twist style of this place. The staff became my friends. Really wanted to stay longer but the place was fully booked. Advice, book ahead. Have lunch here if you can. You should check out the gallery and have dinner with a movie in the courtyard under the stars. I read about it in... more

This is a very charming property, no questions asked. But by no means is this a boutique hotel, there is no reception or hotel staff - once the gallery/ cafe closes at 7pm (or for the weekend) guests are left to themselves. Do not expect the usual hotel amenities. The staff is very charming, but not terribly professional (e.g. we... more

what can i say? Our "deluxe" room here was the biggest disappointment on our trip to dubai. Fortunately the hotel only had a triple room for ONE of the two nights requested. We were at another very nice hotel, but i wanted a "real" boutique experience in the historic part of town at the end of our stay. Our room,... more

Stayed here overnight on a Friday night, wanting the old quarter experience but would not recommend it as service was non existent. It seemed like they were closed and just opened for us. Didn't see a soul, including any staff until it was time to check out. Had opted for the Deluxe room which was OK but a/c was not... more

Friends and I stayed two nights at the XVA Gallery Guest house in the quaint neighborhood of Bastakiya in Dubai, UAE. While the gallery itself and traditional architecture of the guest house were the real selling points, the rest of the amenities were sorely lacking. 1) Beds are horrific! My bed was nothing more than a sheet of plywood with... more

or at least the single rooms are. I'm currently writing this from the hard slab they call a bed in room 5. I was totally sold on the other reviews in here and the hype this place has gotten from Time Out, Lonely Planet, et al. As usual the hype is overrated. I agree with the others on the friendliness... more

It was a beautiful place, very interesting contemporary art scene, we had a super room (1), felt exotic. We stayed for 4 nights and enjoyed it immensely. Staff really great, helpful, lovely breakfast. Exactly what we wanted, mostly same comments as the more detailed feedback given before this one (but Bastakia Nights restaurant, which is walkable, around the corner, did... more