Al Kiram Hotel

Food places and a grocery shop are close by, and the hotel itself is good. But it’s a long way from Haram, and there’s no bus service there.

The listing promised a shuttle to Masjidil Harom, but there wasn’t one. We had to try taking another hotel’s bus, and when it filled up, they turned us away.

We booked expecting a bus for an Umrah trip because the hotel had advertised that service. On arrival, staff gave us different stories: one said there was no bus, another said it ran around the clock. Nobody seemed to know, and we were left confused. The rooms were in terrible shape. Everything felt old or broken, the furniture looked ancient, the bedding was uncomfortable, and the bathroom had rusty fixtures and clear signs of neglect. It seemed like nothing had been renovated for years. Service was just as bad. Staff didn’t seem to understand or speak English, and when I asked basic questions or for help, they laughed at me rudely. That felt disrespectful. The stay was technically free, but with so little comfort, basic amenities, or customer care, it still felt like a waste of time. I wouldn’t recommend it, even as a last resort.

We spent ages waiting in reception for the bus. It never came at the time we were told, and we ended up missing all our prayers at Haram because of the poor service.