Pharaohs Inn Deira Hostel

An Unacceptable Scam: Do Not Book - Pharos Inn Sheikh Zayed Hostel (Al Barsha Location) Booking Platform: Goibibo Stay Duration Booked: 6 Nights (Prepaid in Full) Overall Rating: 0/5 This review documents a deeply stressful and unacceptable experience that amounted to a complete scam. Prospective guests are strongly advised to avoid this establishment. Location and Non-Existent Check-In: The address provided (Al Barsha area) was nearly impossible to locate. The building has no discernible signage for the Pharos Inn, and following Google Maps leads to a property with no visible reception or lobby. Upon entering the building, there was no staff member or office available to assist with key collection or check-in. After realizing the complete lack of operational management, I spent two hours searching for contact, finally speaking to building cleaners and other guests to get a caretaker's phone number. The caretaker eventually arrived, but the two-hour delay following a long journey was completely unacceptable. Unhygienic Room and Misrepresentation: The issues compounded immediately. The caretaker demanded an unexpected 50 AED security deposit. Once inside, the room shown was drastically different from the images advertised on Goibibo and was in a deplorable state: Hygiene: The room was visibly dirty, messy, and had a strong, unpleasant odor. Facilities: The washroom was unhygienic, unkempt, and only provided hot water, lacking basic sanitation standards. Furthermore, the booking was made expecting a proper hotel room with an attached, private toilet. The actual facilities provided, which appeared to be a form of shared or extremely basic transient housing, were completely inadequate and not what was advertised. While this setup might be reluctantly acceptable for a single person seeking a cheap alternative to a typical dorm or bunk-bed hostel, it fundamentally violated the terms and nature of the room I had specifically reserved. Refund Denied and Prepaid Loss: Because the accommodation was clearly misrepresented, dirty, and unusable, I immediately requested a full refund for the seven-night, prepaid booking. The caretaker flatly denied the refund request. Despite the facility being a gross misrepresentation of the advertised service and the check-in being non-functional, I was forced to abandon the reservation and lost the entire prepaid amount. Conclusion: This establishment operates under deceptive practices, offering non-existent customer service and unhygienic accommodation that does not match online descriptions. I was forced to quickly secure alternative accommodation at an additional expense. This place is a scam and should be avoided at all costs.