سمأ الرفاع 1

I stayed for more than six months. The neighborhood was very quiet, with a mosque right across the road. Rashid Mall and Carrefour were each a 10 minute walk, Nesto was 5 minutes by car, and the baqqalahs were a bit far on foot but no more than a 5 minute drive. Fool was a 10 minute walk, a coffee shop was 5 minutes away, and Khobar Corniche took 15 minutes by car. There was plenty of parking outside, though the indoor parking was tiny and hit or miss. Hunger Station delivered here. The price was affordable, my room was cleaned three times a week, and laundry service was available. A kettle was provided, with a microwave and electric hob available on request. The biggest problem for me was the very slow internet. I asked for it to be improved, but nothing was done. Communication was also hard because most people didn’t speak English. Traffic added about 10 minutes to the commute if I left for work around 6:30am or came back at 4pm. It was lighter at 6:00 and 3:30pm. The fridge-freezer was fine for a few days, but too small for a longer stay like mine. The furniture and finishings looked old and shabby and could use an update.

It looks very nice, and the service was good.

My reservation through Booking.com was confirmed, but when I arrived they told me the hotel was full and that nobody had checked out because everyone had booked in. That’s on management. Why book through Booking.com if this can happen?

They kept calling from 1:30 AM, trying to get me to leave. The receptionist was incredibly rude, and when I asked which way Mecca was, they said they didn’t know. There were no signs showing the direction either. They didn’t provide drinking water, so I had to buy it from their store for half a riyal. There wasn’t even a prayer rug at reception, and the furniture was old. I wouldn’t stay again. If I could rate it below one star, I would.