Hayat Al madinah Hotel

The hotel rooms I was shown after arriving were filthy, tiny, and badly kept. The bathrooms were dirty and the beds unusable, so I couldn't stay even one night. I had to pay for a private hotel myself, which added expense and stress as soon as I reached Madinah. Getting to that point had already been awful. I came from Calgary after a grueling 33-hour trip, tired but expecting an easy check-in. Hotel staff said they couldn't find my Booking.com reservation, and even after I showed the reference number several times, they wouldn't honor it. I was left stranded. The disruption also made me cancel my rooms in Makkah to avoid more problems, wrecking my travel plans. A journey for Umrah that should have been peaceful turned into a stressful, exhausting disappointment. Booking.com gave me no support at all. Its “Reserve Now, Pay Later” option felt unreliable, and there was no solution, apology, or compensation. I believe other travelers shouldn't rely on Booking.com for reservations in Madinah or Makkah, since this could happen to anyone. I've filed a formal complaint with the Saudi Ministry of Tourism about both the hotel and Booking.com. Maybe nothing will come of it, but I hope this review warns brothers and sisters planning Umrah or Hajj so they don't go through the same thing. Stay away from Hayat Al Madinah Hotel and don't book it. Save your money, time, and peace of mind. This hotel was a disaster, and Booking.com can't be trusted in these cities.

The room decor and lighting were nice, the beds were comfortable, and the washroom was spacious. But there was no Wi-Fi or hair dryer, and the room had no automatic card system to turn on the electricity. The shuttle service wasn't good, and road construction made the trip to Masjid Un Nababi very far. There were only two small elevators, each holding about 4-5 people.

During my visit in feb 2026, construction had closed the direct road to masjid al haram. Apart from that, it was a nice, clean hotel, with good staff and a good location.

They promised shuttle service to Haram, but didn't provide it. The rooms and room service were disgusting, and staff didn't seem to care about helping guests. Reception wouldn't even answer the phone. I was extremely disappointed.