Erfad Hotel-Riyadh

The rooms themselves were lovely and well kept, and the cleaning staff were friendly. But the hotel’s communication was difficult and felt really unprofessional. I booked through booking.com, where prepayment wasn’t required or even available. Afterward, the hotel contacted me several times saying I had to pay in advance or my room would be canceled at a stated time on arrival day. The time changed with each message. They also asked whether my booking was confirmed, which seemed very odd. Surely they should know that, or how are they managing the rooms? At reception, the staff seemed uninterested in European women and were rather listless and unfriendly. The Saudi male guest, by comparison, was greeted cheerfully.

The photos looked really appealing, but the Ramadan Iftar buffet was disappointing. There wasn’t much variety, and some of the food didn’t taste good.

Getting in and out is a bit difficult right now because of roadworks around the hotel. The price also felt higher than I expected for this brand. I hope they add a few more touches to make the place feel more special.

It’s a clean, nicely located hotel, and the breakfast has enough variety to suit most tastes. A good choice if you’re on a limited budget.