Abu Dhabi groom sues hotel for AED 100,000 over high temperature in wedding hall

In Abu Dhabi, a groom sued a hotel for AED 100,000 (approx. $27,200) after his wedding reception was held in a hall where the temperature was uncomfortably high. The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court (Primary) dismissed the case, ruling that the dispute fell under an arbitration clause in the contract, according to a report by Emarat Al Youm.

The complaint
According to court documents, the groom filed a civil lawsuit against a hotel company, seeking AED 50,000 ($13,614) as a refund for the wedding reception contract and an additional AED 50,000 in compensation for the damages he allegedly suffered. He claimed that the hotel failed to uphold its contractual obligations on his wedding day, stating that the temperature inside the hall was excessively high and the quality of food provided was below expectations, factors that caused him distress during the event.

He said he had repeatedly attempted to resolve the matter amicably, asking the hotel to refund the amount and compensate him, but the company declined. The groom supported his claim with copies of the signed contract and email correspondence with the hotel.

In response, the defendant’s legal representative submitted a memorandum requesting that the court dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction, citing the existence of a valid arbitration clause in the contract. The defence argued that the dispute should be referred to arbitration as per the agreed terms and asked the court to order the plaintiff to bear all fees, expenses, and costs.

The court’s reasoning and ruling
The court noted that the wedding contract, on which the plaintiff based his entire claim, included a specific and explicit arbitration clause under the section titled “Governing Law and Dispute Resolution.” This clause stipulated that any disputes arising from the contract would be settled through arbitration under the jurisdiction of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Since the defendant insisted on enforcing this clause and raised the objection before presenting any substantive defence, the court found itself barred from considering the case. The judges also noted that the groom’s lawyer’s argument — that the hotel had not insisted on arbitration earlier during legal notice exchanges or before the Alternative Dispute Resolution Department — was irrelevant, as the defendant raised the objection in due time before the court.

Accordingly, the Abu Dhabi Commercial Court ruled the lawsuit inadmissible due to the arbitration clause and ordered the groom (plaintiff) to pay all court costs and attorney’s fees.