Retaj Albayt Suites

Br. Rasheed, Kaleem, and Lateef were quick to respond and really helpful. The whole team looked after us so well, and room service was available whenever we needed it. Our room had plenty of space for our family of six, and getting to the haram was easy from inside the clock tower. I'd definitely recommend staying here.

Our stay was peaceful and just fine, Alhamdulillah. The staff were friendly, and I liked the roomy duplex suite with four single beds facing the haram. The kitchen setup was incomplete, though there was a kettle and a basic set of items. Most of the things we asked for weren't available.

Check-in was quick, the staff were good, and even at busy times we didn't have to deal with crowded lifts. The hotel is right by the main entrance of the clock tower, facing Abdulaziz gate, and very close to Haram. Breakfast was excellent, the rooms were good, and there's direct access to the food court. There was no car parking. The washroom was too small and had a typical smell, with what seemed like a drainage issue. We couldn't get a city view either: the window faced a huge wall from another hotel, with no sunlight coming in. It made the room feel like a lockup, which was depressing. Still, the stay was good overall.

The hotel is only minutes from gates 89/90 of the haram, which was mainly why we picked it. It's in a tower with shops and food courts below, and we stayed in a six-person family suite on the 10th floor in December. The furnishings were good quality. There were six single beds, three downstairs and three on the mezzanine, plus a fridge and kettle in the small kitchenette. No pots or pans, though. The view was of the neighboring building, so our room got no natural light, which was annoying. There were two bathrooms, but the upstairs one had a flat floor shower that flooded, making it useless. Cleaning was another problem. Given the room's size, staff often seemed to try to skip it, and I had to stand there to make sure they did what I'd asked. Afterwards they'd linger and look at me awkwardly, I assume waiting for a tip. Mafi fulus cuz. The bigger concern was how reception handled an emergency. My father collapsed after leaving the toilet. I called and asked them to get help and send a doctor, but an hour or two went by and nobody came. When I went downstairs, they told me a callout would cost 900 SR, or suggested putting him on a trolley and taking him to a hospital on the floors above. I don't expect reception staff to be medics, and alhamdullilah, as a medic myself, I could rule out serious causes. But if he'd had a stroke, things could have been very different. You don't wheel a collapsed patient upstairs. They need at least basic life support training. The hotel is good apart from that, though a bit expensive. I guess the convenience is part of what you're paying for.