Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh

The in house restaurant is fantastic, and its staff are excellent. The hotel itself is easy to reach by metro, with clean, mostly well equipped rooms. Every staff member I dealt with was friendly, professional, and helpful, easily the best part of the stay. I was there for 6 weeks, though for the price and reputation I expected more, and there are better options. My main problem was the internet. It was ridiculously slow, video calls kept getting unstable, and uploading or downloading work files could take all night. The steam baths were also unpleasant. They smelled strongly of chloramines, like old swim gear left in a bag. I raised it with management, who said the water was filtered, but the smell was still unmistakable. I would avoid going in. The rooms need updating. There were no USB sockets or spare power outlets by the bed for charging a phone, and mine could have used a fresh coat of paint. The shower took about 15 minutes to get hot, which was frustrating when I was in a hurry. Weekend nights were extremely noisy, with people coming to party and poor noise management. Street races were happening too, outside the hotel's control, but they could at least manage the noise from inside. A separate floor for guests seeking quiet or weekend party guests might help. I couldn't get a proper night's rest on weekends. The men's gym was closed for renovations during most of my stay, so men and women had to share the women's gym in alternating hours. Those hours didn't work with my job, even though I'd paid for equal access to the facilities. I also had to share the second floor pool with families and screaming children, and there was no shade over the water. The ladies' pool was on the top floor, shaded, and had a floor with no kids. That felt offensive. For what they charge, I strongly suggest looking into other options. The way management handles the guest experience feels too focused on maximizing profit.