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4.4
49,834 reviews
Saqib C., Apr 23, 2024
Really appreciated being taken to the customer service desk to check in as I am member and not waiting in the long queues. Also got upgrade on room which was nice. Thanks again will definetly consider this hotel when I come again.
Hatem S., Apr 22, 2024
Excellent stay, hospitality, staff are friendly and professional
Alaa I., Apr 22, 2024
comfortable hotel and good location
Ahmed E. N., Apr 22, 2024
Location outstanding ,service are very responsive,food is very good but may need to consider more food stations to absorb crowd in weekends. Negative issue long process of check in with limited front office team and long lines. Overall v.good experience that I hope to repeat. Thank you
H.i., Apr 22, 2024
Great stay at the hotel itself. Stayed there before hence booked again But booking was not straightforward - wouldn’t want to book directly again. Asked for card details for payment to be taken straight away but noticed nothing was pending from my card. Contacted them to be told it’ll automatically come out few days prior. All good. Day before I travel to Madinah, got an email regarding a link to pay. Didn’t have time to look into it as was packing and busy, and didn’t think it was legit as they already had my details…only to reach Madinah and receive an email that the rooms are cancelled (5 rooms may I add) - was very stressful and needed a lot of back and forth. Also, the price shown in gbp on their website was not accurate as I was charged £200 more overall! The real issue with Swiss as I’m sure many customers also feel as we spoke to them is the waits in reception. I have stayed in many hotels before but the customer service at Swiss (only in reception) is the worst. Even if you want your card replacing (takes 30 seconds), you stand in a queue of people checking in and booking their rooms which takes very long. They have so many computers but sometimes there’s only one or two people and the wait is very long esp with young kids or babies waiting with you. A separate counter should be for those who’ve already checked in. Our check in was at 5pm or so, but we arrived much later at 9pm - so they had plenty time to sort our rooms out. We were one big family booking under one name so expected to have rooms on the same floor as requested. Upon a very lengthy wait at check in, it’s finally our turn and we again request that the floors are on the same room. We had booked our parents a suite so the kids can benefit from having space and being around one another. The man at checkout said that there is no availability of five rooms on one floor but he’ll see what he can do. 20-25 mins later I believe, we are told that 3 rooms will be on one floor, and two rooms on another. We weren’t happy with this as the kids are too young to catch lifts and go to each others rooms. We again requested if this can be changed and he said to come back tomorrow. My husband then noticed on his computer that he had written a note on the booking not to change our rooms. When questioned why’s he’s written that, he said some excuse which didn’t make sense as to having four rooms on one floor (which we didn’t have). Anyhow, we then get told that 4 of the 5 rooms are ready, but the main room (the suite) isn’t ready - it is currently being cleaned and will be ready in approx 30 mins. As this is my parents room, we decided to delay our umrah until they get their room and have had time to put their suitcases in their room. 30 mins later, chase it up and no sign of a room. We are given an option of having it on a complete separate floor with different lift access to the remaining four rooms or wait longer. We decided we’ll wait somewhat longer (being told again approx 20-30 mins later) Hours pass by - we have still not gone for umrah as the room was not ready. The kids are getting agitated, tired…it’s now past midnight. I go to the ‘private room’ where my dad was with some of the managers and receptionists, and I voice my complain. ANY other hotel in the world would have apologised (as we are used to the standard, character and etiquette of people in UK) - but instead, this caused the opposite effect. We are told a suite is available which my father can have but it won’t be on same floor, but if we have a special request of wanting on the same floor then we need to wait. WE acknowledge this and fully agreed with this, but my point was HAD they told us it would take hours or more than the ‘30 mins’ promised to us as ‘cleaners have already been sent to the room’ - we wouldn’t have delayed our umrah. We would’ve taken everyone for umrah first then received the room. This wasted hours of our time. But without any acknowledgment that we had been lied to, the ‘manager’ insists that we need to FIX the problem and not talk about what’s happened and the only way to fix it is to accept a room on a diff floor or come back hours later. There was also an employee smoking in this room with a clear no smoking sign put up on the wall. We were feeling very uncomfortable. Anyhow, post umrah, my mum returns and they gave the suite on one of the floors we already had rooms on, although wasn’t the floor they originally told us. My brother (not knowing at all what had happened behind the scenes as he wasn’t present) went to speak to the manager as he wanted to upgrade to a haram view (which he was happy to pay for) and the manager without even checking said it’s not available. He also then requested a cot as he has a baby and again, he was told it’s not available. He then said you can’t change my room nor can you provide a cot?! The manager then says in a rude tone ‘it is subject to availability’ - my brother then tells us that it’s like he was already angry when I had asked for both things, and then I explained what had happened before. Like I said, you get treated or your requests get fulfilled based on who you are or what they think of you. Minutes later, my husband rings housekeeping as we also have a baby, and a cot was provided, no questions asked…when just minutes ago, the manager claimed there were no cots (with no attempt to even ask housekeeping) The reason of me writing a lengthy email is that my experience with speaking to the manager completely changed my mood, which spoiled the spiritual experience of umrah as this happened just before we were leaving the hotel. Pilgrims pay thousands to come and travel to Haramain, and make sacrifices bringing young kids etc - a little courtesy, politeness goes a long way, even if you cannot fulfil their requests. The point is not that the request wasn’t fulfilled…the point is they need to learn better managerial and conversation skills and get rid of the attitude. No one wants to waste time writing lengthy reviews, and no one wants to make complaints about hotels in the vicinity of Haramain, but if it allows them to improve their service and hence someone’s experience, then it is worth writing about. This issue is not just a one off. Go on booking.com and you’ll see multiple reviews of bad experiences with receptionists or managers. People usually conflate this issue with the attitude in the Middle East in general, but my experiences elsewhere have never been like this. We have just come from Madinah and paid much less at a hotel although that was the last ten days of Ramadan…and their check in process and general conduct was brilliant. I hope someone looks into this review and makes some changes into training the receptionists including the managers. There was no point complaining at the hotel as the issue was encountered with who was supposedly the manager anyway.
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