Diyafa Al Mukhtara Hotel

The lobby was clean and newly designed when we arrived, and two kind men at the front desk showed us to our rooms. There's a small corner shop for snacks, though it doesn't have many options. We stayed in rooms 901 and 902. Room 901 is the disabled room, with a very large, clean bathroom. The room itself was a little small but still manageable. It had a tea set, TV, plenty of storage, and lights. The rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable overall, the people were nice, and the elevators were always available. I've read reviews saying service was bad, but that wasn't my experience. We did ask room service for a pillow and waited an hour, but it arrived. I think there's a restaurant on the second floor. I didn't try it, and it didn't look the best when I saw it, but that's about what you'd expect from a 3-star place. Wi-Fi was fine in 901, but shaky in 902. It may depend on whether your room faces the street. The mosque is around an 8-minute walk, or 5 if you're faster, and the general food district isn't far. After reading the reviews, I expected a lot worse than what I got. Either way, I'd get to the mosque ASAP.

We stayed eight days. For a budget hotel, it's okay, especially since we already knew how much hotel prices in Madinah were soaring. The lifts were fast and never delayed. The location is a bit distant. It's an easy walk to the men's section, but the ladies' gates are far away. The hotel doesn't provide wheelchair service, so we got one from the haram and used it. The rooms were cramped, and we saw a cockroach. The bed linens were dirty, so we had to use our own. Room service was done once, after we asked. The TV didn't work, the fridge was chilly, the kettle was dirty and burned, and the wardrobe door was broken and difficult to use. The windows were dirty too. The walls were very thin, and we could easily hear people chatting in the next room, which disturbed us while trying to sleep. There are a few desi restaurants nearby, but their food was below average, so you have to look farther around for somewhere to eat. The hotel's name and location were confusing on Google Maps, and delivery riders often got confused because the map showed a different name. I feel like there are better options nearby at this price.

Housekeeping was basically nonexistent. We had to clean the room ourselves, empty the trash, and keep things in order without help from hotel staff. Even the room key caused problems almost every day. After two days I had to deal with the owner again, and he was still arrogant and unprofessional. We arrived in Madinah after a long, tiring bus ride from Makkah, hoping for a little peace and the warm hospitality we had heard about in this holy city. Instead, the owner, who was at reception, rudely told us to come back after 4 PM for check-in. There was no courtesy or refreshment, just irritation and a dismissive manner. We asked to wait in the lobby and sat there for three hours. When we came back at 4 PM, they asked for our visa documents, which we showed right away. The way we were spoken to made us feel like we were begging for a favor instead of paying customers. The owner's attitude stayed arrogant and unwelcoming. This wasn't the experience we expected in a city as blessed and respected as Madinah. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone looking for respectful service and basic hospitality.

The hotel's location next to the Haram was the only good thing about our stay. The room was extremely dirty, with hairs on the bed, even though I expected only basic cleanliness from a 3-star hotel, not luxury. It was so unhygienic that my family couldn't sleep, and we checked out early to book somewhere else. My son developed spots on his body after staying there, which worried us a lot. I'd strongly advise others to stay away.