Balora Al Taj

The room was separate, which I enjoyed, and the hotel was on a straight road to Haram. It was farther than the agent had told us, though. Still, this became a memorable journey for me. I thank my Allah for blessing me with it.

The room itself was okay, but finding the hotel was a struggle. The name had changed and the map hadn't been updated, and the address on the card wasn't clear. I'm not sure if that's a Saudi issue or the hotel's. There's Wi-Fi only on the first floor, no control for the AC, and low water pressure in the bathroom. The price was 100 SR more than nearby hotels, so research this place and other options before booking.

The one good thing is that it's near the HARAM, about a 7-10 minute walk. The AC wasn't working, the rooms were too small, and the service was pathetic. Reception behaved badly and wouldn't compromise with customers. The staff are Arabic speakers only, with no Urdu or English, even though this is a Pakistani hotel. There are 12 floors and, I think, over 100 rooms, but only two lifts for guests, with room for 4-5 passengers each. The third lift is for staff. Sometimes the lifts didn't work. I was very disappointed and would never recommend this hotel or its staff.

Staff were incredibly rude, especially Naveed. They kept us waiting for hours without giving us a room, then told us to go do our umrah and collect it when we got back. Even after we returned, we still had no room. When we finally got one, the bed was covered in food stains and the room was filthy. I asked another staff member to clean it, but all they did was change the sheets. I've never had a hotel stay like this, and I don't understand how it's still operating. I wouldn't give it even one star.