mentalist

Just a heads-up for those considering the Hotel Jebel Hafeet Mercure Grand offer with Cobone. Some friends of ours drove all the way to Al Ain last week only to be refused access because they were not formally married.
http://www.cobone.com/deals/destinat...-uae-7-4-13-en

kaz lou abu dhabi

Just wondering who would pay 444 aed to stay in the 70's anyway. offering free zoo tickets when its only 15 aed each isn't exactly a selling point either. The hotel is obviously sticking to its 70's rules (even though still totally legal and within their rights to enforce this unfortunately)

miuser2

Did they ask them to produce a marriage certificate? Why was there any suspicion that they weren't married in the first place?

The Dean

Different surnames?

miuser2

Could be that simple I suppose. My wife doesn't use my surname, fortunately it has never been questioned when checking into a hotel in the region but I suppose we are old enough and with kids in tow that it's unlikely to come up. We don't carry around the marriage cert so we'd be hard-pressed to prove it if asked!

Sandboy

is informally married ok ?

Norm_uk

The most common reasons over here are different surnames and/or different nationalities. I've never heard of anyone being denied a hotel room though...if they are really married they could kick up a huge stink, get the management involved and really cause some good PR for the hotel.

Most hotels will not even ask, especially 5 star establishments. I've never heard of anyone being turned away before.

N.

mentalist

American guy with a Kenyan girlfriend (both Afro and mid-30s), so the different nationality passports may have been a factor. Also, no kids. When we go, we are usually asked for passports or IDs, but would never even consider carrying marriage certificates. I have certainly heard of non-married couples being refused rooms in Dubai, but usually where one is European and the other not.

Boomhauer

Do they not think different nationalities / ethnics could be married to each other?

mentalist

They seem to frown upon the concept over here. You should see the looks we often get!

Norm_uk

Not usually - they are some incredibly racist people out there. Add the fact that stereotypes of various expats are closely followed by many as gospel truth and it is what it is.

N.

jam25mack

We had something minorly similar in Fujariah last year. I'm pretty sure they asked us (me honky Brit & her Brindian - both with UK accents). I think we were saved by the other receptionist recognizing us from our multiple previous stays.

It seems to be somethings that goes around in phases. Sometimes they are not bothered and others they are mega arseholeish.

Meow

That shouldn't be the case as most Arabic women don't take their husband's surname.

Perhaps they just looked excited about a night in a hotel room?

mentalist

As the couple concerned have been living together for more than three years, I doubt it. My guess is that it was simply colour prejudice and that the hotel receptionist would not have checked if they had both been white.

Yoohoo

Looks like cohabitation in hotel rooms is only a problem in Al Ain. Emirates Airlines occasionally will positively insist on it!