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- Hotel Review: Hilton Makkah Towers
- Photo review: Haram the best mosque of all for Muslims
- Hilton Hotel review of the lounge, rooms, location, staff and hospitality
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Please note that the hotel has changed its name to Millennium Towers Makkah and it is no longer a Hilton. The property has not been updated so the rooms look similar.
We were staying in the Hilton Towers in Makkah since this was the best value for money and points. I saved approximately £2,500 just by paying by points and I will write more about it soon. The Hilton Hotel and Hilton Makkah Towers are attached to each other but they have different features. I managed to get into Hilton Hotel as well and I will share with you photos from all their rooms as well as information that can help you decide where you want to stay.
Hilton Towers is the property that offers a small kitchen and it is very family friendly since the rooms are big. One thing I really loved is how close it is to the Haram’s entrance.
Reception for Hilton Towers is underground near the parking area. The hotel is separated by six towers and each has its own entrance. This can be totally confusing for the first few days and we did get lost a few times. However, once you get to know your way around it is super easy.
Check in
Upon arrival, I was checked in pretty efficiently. I had booked 6 nights and each night had a different confirmation reference which confused everyone. There was, of course, no problem with it. I have mentioned this many times but the reason why I do this is in order to have the flexibility to cancel a night if for example, my visa didn’t arrive on time. I was recognised as a Hilton Gold member and I was informed about my free breakfast. I had booked a Haram view room and I really wanted the highest floor possible however it seemed that the hotel was fully booked. I was asked to go in the next day and see what they can do. My room was located on the 13th floor of 22 floors in Tower 5 the closest to the Haram and I did have some Haram view.
I was really impressed by how spacious the room was. I had a welcome basket waiting for me and some Arabic sweets which was a nice touch. There was a double bed, a dining table and two very comfortable sofas one from which you can see the Haram. I was in Paradise. It was definitely my favorite part.
The room was clean and nicely decorated. It seemed that they have taken good care of their rooms even though this is not a five-star property by European standards. I found that Saudi hotel’s standards are one below European or some other Middle Eastern hotels. However considering that Hilton is one of the oldest properties in Makkah they have done a good job preserving the hotel. What I would have liked is a little more wardrobe space. Considering that this is a family orientated hotel and rooms the wardrobe space was a little on the small size. Most people come here for one or two weeks and they do have clothes with them. So a little extra space would have been perfect.
The windows of the Hilton Makkah Towers all have shades which cannot be moved, so your view can be obstructed in a way. My favourite part was the windows since I was in a corner I had two windows in my room one looking towards the Haram and one towards the Hilton Hotel. Once you level the shades it is easy to see outside and there is plenty of daylight. I loved the light in the room. 🙂
Kitchen
There is a small kitchen with a stove, sink and a fridge. If you have a family and small children I can see this being used for warming milk or cooking meals.
Bathroom
The bathroom was spacious with the standard Hilton amenities. There are signs of mould and I would say it needs a little bit more care or even a small fresh -up. Size-wise was great and there was always hot water and good water pressure too.
Literally only steps from the entrance of the Masjid this hotel is awesome.
Hilton Makkah Tower hotel from the outside
My biggest problem with the hotel was their internet. I was actually pretty upset since it was almost nonexistent. I did complain the next day to the duty manager who said “The hotel is fully booked and it’s slow”. This really got me on the wrong side. I had promised my readers some quality photos and videos which was virtually impossible to upload with this internet speed. Even opening a google page was a mission. I did post some photos of Makkah and each photo took 20minutes to upload. This was crazy! Such a big hotel and having this problem. If I was to pay for the internet I would demand my money back.
I did tweet saying that the Internet is deadly slow without tagging the hotel or Hilton brand. However, somehow Hilton Help found out about it and they logged a complaint with the hotel. In the morning I received an email from the hotel to contact the duty manager. He wasn’t very happy about it but they did offer me complimentary lounge access in the hotel since the internet there was better. I did have a chat with the manager and of course I was not the only one to complain about the slow internet. I think they are working on upgrading their system and I hope that this works.
This was definitely a surprise I didn’t expect and I am not sure how or why they decided to offer me lounge. I guess being Hilton Gold did help. I will write more about the lounge and the Hilton Hotel later since there are so many things and I want to keep this short.
So would I go back to Hilton Makkah Towers?
Yes, I would. The property is one of the closest to the Haram entrance, literally less than 2minutes from my room to the entrance. You can’t beat this! Also, the room was very spacious and I did have a good view. Let’s not forget that we are there to worship Allah and for me, the proximity to the mosque is more important. Was I upset about the internet connection? Definitely and I will be prepared next time. I will know that I might not have the best access and I will have articles ready for the blog before I travel. This way I won’t have the pressure and be upset if I cannot update as much as I wanted. I really hope they fix it, though.
I know the Clock Tower has newer rooms and better view, however, one thing I noticed it how busy it becomes close to the entrance during prayer time. It literally can take 10minutes to get into the masjid. There are so many people standing, passing for the mall and going for prayer that it can be extremely hard to move.
This property offers exceptional value for money and I believe it is one of the best Hilton point redemptions EVER. I saved real cash and had a 5-star hotel next to Haram for less than the price of 3-star hotel. I was only a few minutes away from the Kabah and this is what really mattered the most.
