The capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an often-misunderstood place. Though sometimes sardonically nicknamed Rio, the name Riyadh derives from the plural of the Arabic word rawdha, which means garden. Okay so it may not have an Amazonian jungle like its Brazilian counterpart but for thousands of years this city has been famous for the lush desert growth that would form after the rains. Indeed this fertile area, set in the heartland of the Arabian Peninsula, is historically famous for its palm trees, dates and orchards. Of course the city was much smaller then, so when you arrive and see the incredibly flat plateau of desert before you, know that somewhere in the midst of all of that sand is the historical garden of Arabia.
The city has experienced almost incomprehensibly high rates of population growth. In 1960 there were only 150,000 inhabitants, nowadays there are over 5 million and counting. The fact that financially speaking Saudi Arabia is by far and away the most important country in the Middle East, with Riyadh being its capital as well as commercial hub, this city can be considered as one of the most - if not the most - important in the Middle East.
So for those that wish to do business here, and there are many, the choice of a good hotel is not as varied as you might expect. There are some older establishments scattered throughout the 15 municipalities, but the Olaya District is where you really want to be. This is the commercial heart of the city, where you can find two very respectable hotels, some entertainment, dining and a variety of shopping options. The two hotels are a cinch to find, simply look for the city’s two skyscrapers. The one that looks like a giant can-opener is the Four Seasons set in The Kingdom Centre, and the one with a globe on top is the Al Faisaliah Tower set alongside the Al Faisaliah hotel. Both are situated on Al Tahlia Street. Both are sound choices however if you want truly bespoke service, then the Faisaliah is your best bet.
The Faisaliah Hotel, which is operated by Rosewood, was designed by Sir Norman Foster, built by Saudi Binladin and opened in February 2000. Since then it has proven to be a huge hit with the city’s visitors becoming a beacon to the discerning business traveller. Though business travel remains a largely male-dominated affair the government did relax a law that forbad women from checking into hotels without the accompaniment of a husband or male family member. No doubt this was the driving force behind constructing the Faisaliah’s women’s spa, adding to their wide roster of facilities. When it opens it will be the first of its kind in Riyadh.
At the moment the hotel has a total of 224 keys although it is currently developing an all-suite wing in place of its former residences. Here they plan to add a total of 106 suites ranging in size from 65 to 525 square metres. Wolfgang Pachler, managing director of Rosewood’s two properties in Riyadh, conferred that there were never enough suites in the original design, which explains their current plans. Business certainly seems to be good. While the rest of the world’s hospitality market is suffering, the Fasialiah continues to enjoy a steady 80 per cent occupancy rate, presumably much to the envy of their Dubai based competitors at least.
One of the comments that stuck firmly following my meeting with Mr. Pachler was, “We are not trying to reinvent the wheel here; the intention is atmosphere. The real magic comes from service.” And this sums up the Faisaliah perfectly. As you enter the hotel, the lobby is cosy rather than impressive. The rooms are spacious and well appointed with rich fabrics, mahogany wood and marble settings. Internet is available via Ethernet, the bed is comfortable and the bathroom superb. Yet I wondered how it was that with such a grand establishment the in-room entertainment still relied on old cathode-ray televisions. Look beyond this and you realise that every day the fresh fruit basket is replenished, the cleanliness was impeccable, the bathroom towels were super-soft and if ever you order something to the room it comes so quickly you wonder if they ran. It is really is all about the details.
Of course the principal unique selling point is the dedicated service they offer and as Pachler affirmed, “We are the only full butler service hotel in the Kingdom.” No small matter at all. With the introduction of dedicated 24-hour butler service, the Faisaliah has elevated the art of personal service to new levels in Saudi Arabia. Each room has access to these butlers, largely Malays, Indians and Filipinos, and you really can call at any time of the day or night.
If you decide to eat away from your room, there are five restaurants to try. I only tried four of those five. There is La Brasserie where I had enjoyed a huge top quality buffet breakfast everyday. Il Terrazo serves very tasty Brazilian barbecue – I believe they call these churrascarias. Cristal is a new French international restaurant – its service was the best of all and I loved the Wagyu steak. Finally I visited The Globe, which is encapsulated in the golden geodesic orb that tops Al Faisaliah Tower. This is where you simply must head to gain a unique perspective of Riyadh. Take it all in while enjoying a fine Cuban in the only cigar lounge in the country. If that doesn’t suffice you can even take a stroll around the public observation gallery set 240-metres above the city.
One other strong suit in the Faisaliah’s deck is its enormous conference hall capabilities. The hotel has approximately 6,300 square meters of meeting space including the largest public column-free space in Saudi Arabia. You can throw a large-scale exhibition, hold an international conference or celebrate an elaborate wedding here, and you could probably do them all at once!
All in all I had a wonderful stay at the Faisaliah. The only negative experience was the hotel car entrance, which is very narrow, normally always crowded and terribly managed. The result is that you have to wait for around ten minutes for the valets to bring you your car.
That small criticism aside, if I had to describe the hotel in a word I would say it was ‘sound’. The issue I had was that I kept comparing the Faisaliah with the other Norman Foster designed hotel I visited recently, the Dolder Grand in Zürich. An unfair comparison I know. Yes for Saudi Arabian standards the Faisaliah is absolutely outstanding. But some part of me wishes that they had built a hotel that could have been the best in the world not just in Saudi Arabia.
