Makkah receives visitors and guests in large numbers in the holy month; many of them stay in hotels near the Grand Mosque to be able to view the Holy Kaaba from their rooms.

Makkah hotels witness their high season in Ramadan, and people are willing to pay the price to enjoy an easy and comfortable Umrah with a stay that is close to the Grand Mosque.

Arab News undertook the mission of recommending five hotels near the Grand Mosque after receiving numerous requests from readers to find luxury hotels in Makkah. In no way do we claim that these are the best; the only reason these hotels are recommended is because they are all close to the Grand Mosque.

Raffles Makkah Palace

The hotel has a superior location within the iconic Abraj Al Bait complex (clock tower), directly neighboring the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba. It offers easy access to King Abdul Aziz Gate, the main entrance to the Grand Mosque. Residents can also enjoy a grand spread of Oriental, Mediterranean and Western cuisine favorites with classic specialties that are very true to their origin. The iftar and suhoor are at Al Qaser, along with other restaurants. The hotel also features an Islamic library with 2,000 books, special lounges and exceptional secretarial services present at the business center.

This Ramadan, the hotel offers the opportunity to their residents to enter a draw and win five fully paid nights at the Raffles Praslin Seychelles – to be announced at the end of the holy month.

The hotel prices are available upon booking or request.

For more information, please visit: www.raffles.com/makkah

Dar Al Tawhid InterContinental Makkah

The hotel is located in front of the Grand Mosque, giving most guests uninterrupted views of the Muslim world’s religious center. It has easy access to the Grand Mosque through the King Fahd Gate. A number of holy shrines, including the Jannat Al Moaalah Graveyard, is a short walk or taxi ride away, as are the Touwah Well and the Central Business District.

The hotel has 600 rooms with prices that start from SR5,400. The hotel offers their residents and visitors iftar and suhoor at their Tayebat restaurant for SR350 per guest. Dar Al Tawhid also offers snacks, coffee and tea at the Zamzam café.

Dar Al Tawhid offers their guests “Insider experiences,” which are packages created by the hotel concierges that help guests to experience the city as the locals do. They range from boat tours to islands off the coast of the Eastern Province to visits of ‘Qalaa’, the fortified castle in Al Ahsa.

For more information, please visit: www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/overview/makkah-daraltawhid

Mövenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar Tower Makkah

Mövenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar Tower is part of Abaj El Bait complex, the most luxurious landmark in Makkah. The tower is facing King Abdul Aziz Gate of the holy mosque in Makkah and overlooks the Kaaba.  The hotel also has access to the biggest shopping mall of Abraj El Bait.  The hotel consists of 1,200 rooms and suites, which give it a wide variety of choices for groups and individuals to enjoy Ramadan in style. The room price range starts from SR900.

The hotel offers their residents four restaurants with a capacity of 1,200 seats to accommodate an iftar (from Maghreb to 11 p.m.) and suhoor buffet (from midnight to 4 a.m.). There are also four stations placed in the lobby arranged with light snacks to break the fast for hotel guests before they go for prayer.

Mövenpick offers an attractive package for Ramadan that starts from SR1,035 per person in a double room including iftar for the first 20 days of Ramadan. Another tailor-made package is ready for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

For more information, please visit: www.moevenpick-makkah.com

Elaf Ajyad Hotel

Elaf Ajyad is part of Elaf Group of hotels and is located only 300 meters from the Grand Mosque. The group has six hotels located in Makkah with rates from three to five stars.

The hotel has 354 spacious rooms, suites and apartments providing a variety of accommodation types with prices starting from SR800 per night, which go up in the last ten days of Ramadan.

The hotel offers their residents an iftar open buffet and suhoor for SR80 per guest in all three restaurants. Guests can enjoy snacks and Ramadan drinks at the garden café located in the lobby of the hotel.  The hotel is holding religious Ramadan seminars at the Zaytoona conference room throughout the holy month.

For more information, please visit: www.elafgroup.com

Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel

Still in its first year of operation, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel, already won the World Travel Award for “Leading New Hotel in the Middle East region.” The hotel is located only a few steps away from the Grand Mosque. This 76-story hotel – one of the world’s tallest – is the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project.  Among its outstanding features is a 40-meter Royal Clock, visible from 17 kilometers away, which announces daily prayers to the Muslim world.

The hotel has 858 rooms and suites and offers iftar and suhoor at their restaurants, among others the Indian-inspired Baharat, the Lebanese-inspired Al Dar, and the locally inspired, rooftop Al Dira restaurant.

For more information, please visit: www.fairmont.com/makkah

Prices are available upon request. The day-to-day prices have to be confirmed by the hotel.

Source: Arab News
By RIMA AL-MUKHTAR
RIMA.ALMUKHTAR@ARABNEWS.COM