I went to Dubai for my 21st birthday, now I’m trapped in a warzone and struggling to get home to Blackpool

Caitlyn Machen, from Thornton, and her partner Dylan White, arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai on February 22, to celebrate the milestone. But, celebrations quickly became panic when the Fairmont Palm Hotel was hit in a missile strike.

Caitlyn and Dylan, who are staying at the nearby Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah, were on the top balcony of the venue when the Fairmont was struck on Saturday (February 28).

The 21-year-old told Blackpool Gazette: “There was a huge flash followed by a really loud bang, we all felt it in our stomachs.

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“At first, some people thought it might be the Ramadan cannons, but almost instantly people started saying it could have been Atlantis on The Palm.

“Even the thought of Atlantis being hit was terrifying but then we realised it was the Fairmont - which was even closer to us.

“We looked up and saw thick black smoke pouring over our hotel. Staff rushed us downstairs immediately in case there was a second strike.”

The couple ended up sleeping in the basement of the Hilton and their scheduled Emirates flight home on Sunday (March 1) was cancelled due to the closure of UAE airspace and Dubai airports. They now have “no clear plan” for their return to the UK.

Caitlyn said: “We’ve been told to contact Emirates to change our flights but we haven’t been able to get through. They have been terrible, but I understand there is a high volume of calls.

“A family member back home managed to speak to someone and change our flight, but there’s no guarantee flights will go ahead as the airport is reportedly under threat.

“The most frustrating part is that there are people calling Emirates from the UK and elsewhere concerned about ‘their holiday being cancelled’.

“I find it very selfish to be honest because they are hogging the phone lines and we are just trying to escape a warzone, at least they are safe in another country, the holidays should be the least of concerns.”

Caitlyn, who works in marketing, added that there has been “speculation” about the UK government arranging evacuation methods but “we haven’t heard anything official”.

She described the situation as “absolute hell,” adding: “Right now, we just want a way home. We’ve even looked at the possibility of driving to Oman to leave the country, but for now we’re being told to take it day by day.”

Caitlyn praised the Hilton’s staff for being “very helpful” in regard to safety and reassurance but noted that the hotel have been “upping their prices day by day whilst we are all scrambling around trying to pay for our extended stays”.

She added: “There are social media posts saying that the UAE are covering the costs, but our hotel is absolutely not abiding by this and it’s causing major uproar in reception, everyone is being told different prices as if it’s made up on the spot.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous, they have even admitted it themselves that there are no people checking in and the rooms are available, they just need to let us stay. The advice is don’t move stay inside so there’s nowhere to go anyway.

“We will absolutely be complaining about the hotel doing this, everyday we are running out of money, we can’t contact the banks and everyone is being ripped off.”

This current trip is Caitlyn’s second time visiting Dubai and she said she had been “so excited” for her boyfriend to experience the city.

She described how Dubai usually feels “like one of the most amazing and safest places in the world”, noting: “It’s very easy to forget how close you are to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East because the UAE feels so safe.”

The 21-year-old now feels “very different” about the UAE and said: “The thought of being caught in the middle of something like this is frightening, and at the moment I’m not sure if I would return anytime soon.”

Describing the current atmosphere, Caitlyn explained there is a “real divide” between people trying to stay calm and act as though everything is normal, and others who are “understandably panicking”.

She said: “I feel like I’m somewhere in between and it changes by the second. It’s tempting to go outside and try to carry on as normal, but every rumble or unfamiliar noise makes us want to run back inside and stay in the lobby.

“No one wants to stay in their rooms because they feel too high up, and the noises seem much louder up there. It’s also all over social media, and there’s a lot of misinformation spreading, which is only making the anxiety worse.”

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is advising against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates, with UK citizens in the UAE urged to register their presence.

A statement on Emirates’ website says: “All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 2359hrs UAE time on 4 March, due to airspace closures across the region.

“Emirates continues to operate a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights on 3 and 4 March. We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority on these limited flights. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified directly by Emirates or hold a confirmed booking for these flights.

“Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly. The latest flight updates will be published on our website.

“Customers are advised to check flight status, review the latest operational updates on emirates.com, and check their email for any notifications about changes or cancellations to their flights before travelling to the airport.

“We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”

Hilton has been approached for comment. The latest travel advice from the FCDO can be found here.