virtualaris

Planning to go for umrah in Saudi and trying to look for thread about IHG in Saudi but didn't find any. Perhaps anyone got recent experiences with properties below:

Jeddah:
- HI Jeddah - Al Salam
- IC Jeddah
- CP Jeddah
- HI Jeddah Gateway

Makkah:
- IC Dar Al Tawhid Makkah

Madinah:
- IC Dar Al Hijra Madinah
- IC Madinah-Dar Al Iman
- CP Madinah

It seems that most of the properties are dated, except CP Madinah and HI Jeddah Gateway. So perhaps any FT-ers been there recently ? Thanks!

FinalCallDXB

For the Jeddah properties:

HI Al Salam is extremely dated and in need of significant investment. It is, however, clean and I have always had good service experiences there - the staff are very friendly and can't do enough for you.

CP and IC are next door to each other. CP is more modern but IC is perhaps a little more polished. IC is a little retro but well maintained - it has a certain 70s Arabia vibe that I enjoy. Restaurants in both are good by Saudi standards.

HI Jeddah gateway in brand new. I haven't tried it yet but it is the same owner as the HIs in Riyadh, Al Khobar, etc so I expect it to be competent.

virtualaris

Thanks to FinalCallDXB for your kind info.

Finally I booked on these properties:

Jeddah:
- CP Jeddah; saying there will be no upgrade when staying on reward night but promised me to allocate me to better room

- IC Makkah: not sure why, the hotel didn't reply me back after the hotel is full (I've booked it already)

- IC Madinah: booked on reward nights but my reservation has been modified and upgraded to one higher category.

ballencrieff

Expecting to visit Saudi for work in the near future. I'm curious to know whether the Saudi IC's will upgrade Ambassador members as a matter of course. And if so, is it a one-level upgrade or could it even be higher than that?

I dropped out of Ambassador recently and wondered whether it was worth rejoining it just before I head to KSA.

Anyone got experience of visiting Saudi IC's as an IC Ambassador?

ballencrieff

For future reference, I'm happy to confirm that IC in Madinah do recognise Ambassador status with the usual benefits (upgrade, welcome gift, etc.). I got a two level upgrade, but it is quiet season I believe.

IAN-UK

… with an update on IHG's Jeddah portfolio

Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza are situated close together by the Hamra Corniche (the "original" corniche). Both hotels show their age, but the CP wins every time for me. The IC tends to treat the Ambassador business as something it can brush off with an imperceptible upgrade to a higher floor (etc), no breakfast, of course no lounge; but the CP make an effort to bring happiness to the stays of Spire/Diamond guests. Both hotels usually hover around the same price.

Holiday Inn al Salam is situated in the demolition zone of south Jeddah. The hotel has a reprieve from demolition, but i can't believe it's long for this world. Friendly staff, but the low price reflects the stained carpets, grim pool area and the failing aircon. PIA is going to have to find somewhere new for crew accommodation…..

There's a Crowne Plaza al Salam, nowhere near the south Jeddah location of the Holiday Inn. It's north of the city, near the airport. The price has always put me off, so i can give no view of the hotel.

Holiday Inn Gateway is a delightful new(ish) property which treats status guests well. it's out of the centre by the airport and the Mall of Arabia, and can be bizarrely expensive (not always reflected in the points required for a room).

lamphs

How much happiness at the CP? Doing a RTW. Jeddah is the one place where a chain hotel maybe helpful. I am only a Platinum. The delta between a regular king and a club king is $40/night. Is it worth it? (Also, strangely, I noticed the 'club' rooms include lounge access, but there is an extra charge if I want a club room with breakfast. The lounge is not open for breakfast?)

(And I did send an e-mail using the address on the hotel's website. It was kicked back - 'only accepts e-mails from pre-approved addresses'.)

IAN-UK

Oddly, I've used the club lounge for breakfast but not in the evenings; there wasn't any extra charge. The IC has a more evolved lounge regime, but club comes at a significant premium over regular rates. Odd about the emails!

If you are visiting the city as a tourist the Hamra corniche (where these two hotels are) is one of the best places to be; the other is the newer corniche to the north, where the Hilton rules - but comes in with quite a hefty price tag.

If it's just a break in your journey, there's the HI Gateway close to the airport which punches above its weight.

lamphs

My e-mail went through anyway and I had a response this morning. The extra charge (24 SAR) is if I wanted to have breakfast in the restaurant in lieu of the lounge. Looking at the reviews, the restaurant breakfast looks quite good for an additional roughly 6 USD.

Also, strangely enough, IHG and VISA have a partnership - an additional 15% off. My Chase IHG card is a MasterCard. I guaranteed with a VISA, but I'll try to pay with the Chase MC.

I was unable to get breakfast at 24 SAR with the VISA partnership rate. Breakfast became an additional almost 100 SAR. Maybe I'll be able to buyup at check-in.

Yes, the Hilton is quite proud of itself!

'll report back in March.

MichaelA380

The same applies for Mastercard - there are currently two promotions I am aware of (could be more covering other regions as well): i) 15% off BAR in Middle East, Africa & Maldives, ii) 15% off BFR in South East Asia, Korea, Japan, Micronesia, Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific