During our Umrah trip this past December, we stayed at the Conrad Makkah. The hotel opened last summer and appears to be a Category 8 Hilton, with award rates being 70,000 points per night. It’s located in the Jabal Omar area, next to the Hyatt Regency, Hilton, and Marriott hotels. While all four hotels are in identical towers on the same street, I think the Conrad Makkah had the best views, since it has an unobstructed view of Masjid Al Haram.
- How to Book Umrah Travel With Points and Miles
- Etihad Business Class San Francisco to Abu Dhabi Review
- Conrad Makkah Executive Lounge and Al Mearaj Restaurant Review
December is a busy period in Mecca since the weather is cooler. Room rates were initially around $400 per night. Thanks to the Hilton Winter Sale, we secured rates of $300 per night – a terrific value for an Arrival Miles redemption!
While writing this review, it occurred to me that most of you will never get a chance to stay at the Conrad Makkah. Hopefully you’ll enjoy reading this review and get a feel for what it’s like.
Uber from Jeddah Airport to the Conrad Makkah?
While Uber services Jeddah’s airport, passengers have to take a cab to a different terminal in order to meet the driver in the designated spot. One of the Afghan luggage guys negotiated a rate of $90 with a Yemini driver we met outside. Since UberXL fares were $140 each way, this was a bargain.
Conrad Makkah Lobby
The lobby at the Conrad Makkah was absolutely gorgeous. Really, if I wasn’t there for Umrah I would probably just sit in the lobby all day long and stare at my surroundings…before getting escorted off the premises.
The lobby also featured a cart with complimentary water and dates. During this trip, I became kind of obsessed with dates. They were everywhere and of all the different varieties, the ajwa dates were probably my favorite.
Conrad Makkah Check-in
I had booked two standard rooms in addition to a Haram View Suite for our four-night stay at the Conrad Makkah. The reservation was made less than 18 hours before we arrived, so I was surprised when they upgraded all of our rooms to Haram View Suites. We were checked in by Hanieh, a Saudi local who was an absolute sweetheart. Anytime we ran into her during our stay, she was nothing short of nice and helpful.
Hannah apologized for not being able to accommodate our request for three adjacent rooms, “since we only have two suites on each floor.” Everyone agreed that having a suite with an awesome view was a nice trade-off for not having adjacent rooms. They did manage to give us two suites next to each other and one on a higher floor.
Conrad Makkah Haram View Suite
I was not prepared for the incredible view when we walked in. The curtains were pulled back and there right in front of us was Masjid Al-Haram.
The suite itself was stunning from every aspect – the decor, lighting, and even the doors with their intricate carvings.
The staff sent up an extra bed that fit perfectly next to the living room desk.
The living room was stocked with complimentary snacks: A tower of delicious baklava, a bowl of fruit, and small plates of candied fruits on the desk. The housekeeping staff always offered to replenish all of these items, but we only took them up on it once. Refilling two trays filled with sweets was a dangerous game – even if we did walk almost five miles every day.
The living room featured a nice little media center, with a TV, lots of power outlets, two USB ports, a Nespresso machine and four free bottles of water.
Shortly after our arrival, I discovered that the rooms were outfitted with a speaker system that broadcast the Adhan from Masjid Al-Haram. When it woke me up at ~5 AM every morning, I did not mind because the muezzin at that particular hour had the most calming, peaceful, beautiful voice I’d ever heard. It didn’t wake me so much as it gently lifted me out of sleep.
Conrad Makkah Haram View Suite Master Bedroom
The master bedroom in the Haram View Suite was spacious. It was furnished with a King bed, floor-to-ceiling windows, and plenty of storage space.
There was closet space on both sides of the bathroom doors. There was sufficient storage space for the three of us sharing the room.
The bathroom was also large, with a shower to the left, the toilet area to the right, and a large double sink in the middle. The two types of bath products (one was vegan) were very nice.
It’s worth noting that Hilton does let guests choose between multiple brands. If you’re not particularly fond of the bath products you find in your bathroom, you can use the Conrad Concierge App to request alternatives.
Conrad Makkah Housekeeping
The housekeeping staff not only did a superb job at cleaning our suite, but the housekeeping manager came by every evening to ask if it had been done to our satisfaction.
In the evening, they would walk up and down the halls, spraying a very pleasant fragrance. When they saw a woman walking by alone, they always looked down out of respect. Overall, this hotel gave off an extremely safe vibe and they tried especially hard to make women feel at ease.
Conrad Makkah On-Site Doctor
On the day we left for our trip, my sister got an especially nasty cough that just kept getting worse. I called the concierge to find out if there was a doctor or hospital we could visit nearby. He informed me that we could either visit the hospital in the Abraj Al Bait complex across the street or wait for their on-site doctor to arrive at 9:00 AM that morning.
After specifying who was sick and what was wrong, he informed me that the doctor could either come up to the room with a female nurse or we could go to his office. My mom and sister went to the doctor’s office and reported a positive experience. He gave her medication, a shot, and prescribed her antibiotics that she was able to pick up at the pharmacy inside the building.
The doctor’s visit, along with the medication, cost just $60. And no, you can’t charge your doctor’s visit to the room to earn Hilton points. I asked. 🙂
While my sister was at the doctor, I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find a staff member carrying a tray of ginger tea and honey. It was from Esra’a at the Hilton HHonors desk, who also included a hand-written get-well note, which I thought was very thoughtful.
For the next few days, whenever we ran into a staff member at the hotel, they asked about my sister’s health: The hotel manager, Esra’a, Hanieh, and the Hilton HHonors manager. At every turn, the level of service at this hotel was superb.
Overall, the Conrad Makkah is an awesome hotel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great hotel experience in Mecca. In an upcoming post, I will also review the Conrad Makkah’s Executive Lounge and Al Mearaj Restaurant.
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