InterContinental accommodation in Medina

I am not going to deny all the good points despite one terrible encounter. - excellent location, near Haram - connected to a mall - a lot of shops and restaurants nearby - staff in general was good -housekeeping people are amazing! One shocking encounter is when I called the reception early in the morning as my old father had fallen from his bed and I needed someone to help me pick him up. The heartless man at the reception said there is no one to help. Later he did send someone and then I called again to ask them to help me call an ambulance and he said ‘isn’t the guy there already’? And i was like yes, but that guy is not a doctor! I need a doctor That cruel guy didn’t offer any help and said i’d have to call the ambulance using my own phone. Luckily, it was not a serious emergency for my dad at the end but imagine what could have happened. Maybe the staff needs to show more humility and be human instead of thinking about their reputation only! Absolutely traumatized by this experience.

We had originally booked another hotel but upon arrival there we immediately canceled our reservation and were looking for another hotel in the area ASAP, something clean, close to Masjid Nabawi and fairly priced.  We knew the name and brand; however, we saw two Intercontinental hotels and went with the one we felt had a slight edge or advantage. The hotel was built many years ago and we were informed that it is in the planning process of a renovation so we knew ahead of time what to expect. It has signature blue carpet and a 1950’s/1960’s vibe that I personally adored (almost out of a James Bond movie with Sean Connery).   Everyday we stayed at the hotel, it grew on us.  The view outside was heavenly mashAla.  Remember you can open the window haha some people I imagine think they can’t.  It such an experience and you have to do it.  Most importantly, however, the sweatheart staff and how accommodating they were, you forget you’re staying at the Intercontinental and imagine you’re at your friends house.  Again, We had an amazing window view and could see in the direction of Uhud.  All The cafe’s are right outside of the hotel, the mosque is literally right outside the hotel and down the walking path, maybe a 5 minute walk.  Plenty of pigeons to feed, affordable Ubers/ Taxi right outside, you can walk to Uhud you can walk to Quba, you can do it all.  And the best part, the check-in/help desk are right in front of you when you walk in to the lobby.   Side note: if you enjoy peoppe watching , you get a great view from your hotel room to the outside.  They have a coffee bar in the Lobby with free dates and Arabic coffee (world class) and this hotel served the best Breakfast and room service food I’ve ever had and I’ve been to 51 countries, aged 44.  It was even at par or better maybe than the Jabal Omar in Mecca we stayed at.  You absolutely cannot lose out by staying at this hotel.  If you have any issues pick up your room phone and dial any one of the prompts and someone will alleviate any issues you have.   The hotel executive management were world class and again treated me like a friend/family.  Based off our repertoire I’d come back to this hotel because Sister Khadijah and staff were so amazing mashAla.

Service is exceptional.Very attentive to any comment. Location is just opposite gate 329.Best for women's entrance to the mosque. Area of improvement-Breakfast same everyday.catered for middle eastern guest.Should have more varieties like Malaysian or Indonesian food. Next will be the toilet-shower in the bathtub is a huge challenge for some especially the seniors.Hopefully they will change it to shower room when they refurbish the room.