3 months ago
I was looking ahead to my latest Riyadh trip with some trepidation after reading the mixed bag of reviews on this place, but it was a company-booked hotel and I needed conference facilities for a 2 day meeting that didn’t seem to be easily available elsewhere…The first pleasant surprise was arriving to a really smart reception, replete with patterned marble floors, water fountain, comfy sofas, and plenty of light and space. The second pleasant surprise was my room…although a ‘standard double’, it was large, sparkling clean, nicely furnished, and with a big king sized bed. So far so good, and pleasant surprise number three was the excellent buffet dinner at the restaurant. My colleague & I discovered a dazzling array of fresh salads (more than you would find at most upscale 5-star hotel buffet restaurants), a great selection of hot dishes including a superb Arabic mixed grill, and decent breads, desserts etc.I managed 2 sessions in the gym – which I knew would be good from other reviews – but that really surprised me. As a long standing Fitness First member, I’ve been to FF gyms that weren’t as large or well equipped as this one. It definitely ranks as one of the best – if not THE best – hotel gym I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot!The only drawback was the lackluster conference facilities. Sadly, like most hotel conference venues, none of the rooms have natural light, and in this case, the lighting was all soft and moody and semi coma-inducing come 3 or 4 pm each day. Coffee and refreshments at breaks were sub-par and served inside the room, which I always dislike as a facilitator. But otherwise the meeting venue was purposeful - although as noted by others, the Wi-Fi connection is patchy.A neutral factor for me were the staff – they’re mostly just functional operators with little engagement or customer service orientation, but I didn’t mind that. When I needed something I just asked, and in an environment like this I don’t expect to be wowed by charisma and ‘going the extra mile’.Regarding previous reviews here, there are some things I wouldn’t challenge – like references to construction and road noise – because I didn’t experience that (and I sleep with earplugs), but there are some I definitely would. The first is the assertion that the hotel is ‘old’ and the rooms are run down or decrepit. This just can’t be possible – the hotel is only 6 years old and as far as I could see, is in impeccable condition. The furniture in my room looked practically brand new, the public spaces are really smartly decked out, and the gym looks like it’s full of almost-new equipment.I’d also challenge other reviewers description of ‘bad food’. I ate here for breakfast lunch and dinner 3 times, and every time was something between very good and excellent. It’s true that some days my favourite main meal items weren’t on the buffet, but whatever was there was fresh and good. And for SAR 115 (roughly USD $30), it's value any way you look at it. Same goes for breakfasts (which were included in the SAR 600 per night room rate) – the buffet is extensive, has a full range of everything you’d expect and more. Plenty of fresh fruit, great cheese and Arabic dips / salad selection, boiled eggs and freshly made omelettes, some other local favourites like foul medammes with all the trimmings – and although I don’t eat them – plenty of bread and pastries. Even the ready made coffee wasn’t too bad, and if you don’t like it you can always stump up for a Turkish coffee or a machine made espresso etc. Being Saudi, there’s no music anywhere, and in the evenings there are few diners, so the restaurant can lack atmosphere - although there’s plenty of comfy booths so you don’t have to stare at any the other sad lonely business travelers!Previously I’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn Olaya, which is a seedy, run down dump, and the Novotel, which is clean and functional, but ‘basic’ compared to this hotel – and yet both are more highly rated on TA, which baffles me.I can't quite bring myself to rate it 5 stars, but it's a strong 4, that's for sure. As I say, a pleasant surprise all round!
