Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Four Seasons, Riyadh

1 Dec 2005 by business traveller

What's it like? Opened almost three years ago, the Four Seasons dominates the Riyadh skyline – hardly surprising as the hotel occupies 18 floors of the prestigious 99-storey and 300 metre high Kingdom Centre, one of the tallest buildings in the Middle East.

Driving here from the airport, everything seems normal until you approach the hotel and encounter the extra security precautions characteristic of Saudi Arabia. An armed Humvee is strategically placed by the hotel's entrance, which itself is set back from the main road. There's a security checkpoint where a guard opened our vehicle's bonnet and boot and checked the contents. Then it was a drive through a multiple chicane with concrete blocks – designed so that anything larger than an SUV can't approach the hotel's lobby – and my driver negotiated these with care.

At reception I had to surrender my passport while I was checking in. It was returned to me an hour later and the receptionist recommended I carry it with me at all times during my stay.

Where is it? On King Fahd Road, right in the centre of town. The hotel is linked to an upmarket shopping mall where among the hundreds of retail outlets you'll find familiar names like Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and the Body Shop. Security personnel screen people as they walk between the hotel lobby and the shops and vice versa. The remainder of the Kingdom Centre is taken up with offices, but on the 99th floor there's a Skywalk open to guests and the public, which links the centre's twin towers and provides spectacular views.

How many rooms? A total of 249 rooms (including 32 suites) on the 30th to 48th floors of the Kingdom Centre tower.

Room Facilities I occupied room 3204 on the 32nd floor. It was very spacious and well insulated from outside noise. The room was decorated in shades of light grey and blue with a huge marbled bathroom, separate shower, in-room safe, high-speed internet and all the other luxuries you would associate with a top business hotel chain. I had little spare time to watch TV but I did notice that CNN could be viewed; on my last visit 10 years ago CNN and BBC channels were difficult to receive in Saudi.

Being on the end of the building, my room was peaceful. However, two days into my stay (I had arrived on a Thursday) I was woken by noise caused by "essential maintenance work". A note from management informed guests that the work would be completed by Saturday afternoon so I decided not to request a room switch (I was leaving on Sunday night). Unfortunately the work continued on and off throughout Sunday so I was unable to rest before my late-night flight home.

Restaurants and bars During my stay I enjoyed lunch at The Grill, an informal outlet which is located on the first floor beside the pool and specialises in Middle East mezzah, grilled items and salads. The food was fresh and beautifully presented. Other outlets include the more formal Quattro for Italian cuisine and Seasons, which is a upmarket coffee shop with Lebanese and Oriental buffets.

Business and Meeting Facilities The hotel has a 24-hour business centre with private offices, workstations and three boardrooms along with the usual facilities. Wired or wireless internet is offered in the meeting rooms.

Leisure Facilities These are extensive: the gym is open from 8am to 11pm, the outdoor 25-metre pool from 7am until dusk and the spa from 8am until 10pm.

Price Full rate for a standard room is SR1,150 (£179) with rates of SR2,300 (£357) for an executive suite and SR3450 (£535) for a superior suite.

Verdict A well-located and smart hotel with luxurious accommodation and facilities, convenient shopping next door and friendly staff. But my stay was marred by the maintenance work (why allocate that room knowing the work would be taking place?) and I was surprised to be asked to pay (at check-out) a SR15 (£2.30) fee for internet access in the business centre which I had never used and for which the hotel had no signed chit. The charge was waived under protest.

Contact Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, PO Box 231000 Riyadh, 11321 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, tel  +966 1 211 5000, fourseasons.com.

Alex McWhirter

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