Shurakaa Al Khair Hotel

The room had a lot of flies, a broken cupboard rod, no glasses, and a sagging mattress that felt as if it had no wood in it. The pillows looked as though they had no cotton, even worn out. When cleaning vacuumed, it didn’t remove any dust. Why don’t they put tea and coffee in the room? The WiFi signal was poor, and people gathered annoyingly in front of the elevator, but nobody offered any guidance.

We had a pleasant stay. Supervisor Noor, room service staff member Usman, and receptionist Lama were all helpful and polite.

Going to Haram is all downhill, and on the way back you can take any Dallah shuttle bus since this is its first stop. The receptionist was humble and kind, and helped with parking too. The room was below average and not properly maintained. There were also house flies in the room and on our floor, though I don’t know why. I didn’t complain since we were only there for a few hours.

It’s a budget hotel, so expect the basics: a room, washroom, and free shuttle to Masjid Al Haraam. The furniture is old but fine for resting, though the AC wasn’t working well. There’s a barber shop and restaurants at the hotel. Al Haraam is a 15 to 20 minute drive; a taxi costs 20 to 30 riyal, or you can take the free shuttle, which is sometimes delayed. Good value for the money, as long as you keep expectations modest.