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

We had had read quite a bit about Dubai and we decided to stay in an atmospheric, typical place away from all the glitzy steel and glass hotels of Dubai that look and feel like any other luxury hotels anywhere on the planet. After a bit of googling, I found the XVA Gallery and thought that this would be the... more

I've stayed at XVA twice and my wife's stayed there four or five times. It's a combination of art gallery, vegetarian restaurant and boutique hotel, located in the miniscule but atmospheric "old city," near the Creek. We love it: it's the only place in Dubai with any charm. The staff are friendly and helpful (up at 4am to carry luggage... more