Stay Report: Hilton Makkah (Makkah, Saudi Arabia - May 2007)

Stay Report: Hilton Makkah
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Note: As an FYI, there are 2 Hiltons in Makkah – Hilton Makkah and Hilton Makkah Towers.  The hotels are located right next to each other (literally in the same building) but are geared towards different clienteles and have different approaches.  I have stayed in both and below are both reviews.  **note note:  My stay at Hilton Makkah was a couple of years ago, but I did recently go back and visited the hotel again (this time staying at the Towers).

I was traveling to Makkah as part of Umrah and wanted a hotel that was clean, nice, and close to Masjid Al Haram.  Even though I had requested a nice hotel, I was originally placed in a local hotel that looked more like a hostel rather than a hotel; I quickly got out of there and moved to the Hilton.  The Hilton is one of the most recognizable hotels in the area as it located right across from the Masjid Al Haram; the hotel is located right in front of King Fahad Gate 76 so it provides easy access.  In addition to the easy access to the Masjid, you also have easy access to shops and restaurants.  The first two floors of the hotel area a shopping plaza with shops, fast food outlets, and a grocery store; and surrounding the hotel you can also easily access other shops and restaurants.  This is a major plus point that everything is conveniently located; it is also a negative as the shops and restaurants bring in a lot of people so sometimes you have to cross through the rush to get to your hotel!

The lobby of the Hilton is located on the 2nd or 3rd level (depending on whether you count the ground as ground or first level).  As I said, on the first 2 levels are shops and restaurants, and on the 3rd level is the lobby to the Hotel.  Even though there is a LOT of noise on the first 2 levels, you do not hear that noise in the lobby.  The lobby looks very big, bright, and airy and also very clean and modern.  Check-in was efficient, I received my key, and took the elevator to my room. 

The room was located on the 9^th floor and overall it was a modern and nice, clean Hilton room.  As

photo courtesy of Hilton

you entered the room, on the right was the bathroom while on the left was a closet.  The closet contained a place for storage, bathrobes, slippers, and a safe.  The bathroom was very nice and contained a sink, a toilet, and a shower – all of which were nice and modern.  As you progressed further into the room, against one wall was the two beds with a nightstand in between.  Opposite from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  One of the best amenities of the room was the large window which faced the Masjid Al Haram, through which you could easily hear all the calls to prayer.  The windows did contain blackout blinds and curtains to block out the sunlight during the day.  Overall, it was a nice and comfortable room with beds that were extremely comfortable and provided a good night’s rest.

photo courtesy of Hilton

Free breakfast was included with the room, and the breakfast was offered on the 6th floor.  The breakfast room was nice and spacious; it was not a huge banquet room but also not a small dining area, it was somewhere in between that was a good size.  The breakfast was standard for the area with eggs, omelets, potatoes, Middle Eastern delicacies such as falafel and labneh, cheeses, olives, and bread.  Tea and coffee were also served.  Complimentary wifi was also available and the speeds were decent to check email and provide basic searches. 

Overall, it was a nice, clean, and restful stay at the Hilton Makkah.  The location in front of the Masjid was nice and convenient, and the hotel provided a good room with good service – and this complimented the location.  The only negative about the hotel is that you cannot earn HHonors points as part of your stay.  The stay will be posted to your account, but you cannot earn any points nor miles (that should be fixed!).