Raffles Makkah Palace, an exclusive all-suite hotel, known for its unmatched views of the Holy Kaaba, the Grand Mosque and the holy city, maintained its leading position in the Saudi luxury hospitality market this year as it collected a string of international hospitality and tourism awards.
The hotel won at the World Luxury Awards 2021 in the categories — Luxury Cultural Retreat and Luxury Destination Spa — and at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2021 in the category — Makkah’s Leading Hotel in Service Excellence.
Moreover, Raffles Makkah Palace has ranked first on Booking.com in 2021, with a score of 9.0. The hotel achieved this recognition based on the reviews of site users and owing to its innovative “Emotional Program,” which promises to deliver harmony, pleasure and serenity through its three core pillars — Harmonious Design, Nutrition for Pleasure, and Serenity Rituals, distinguishing it from other luxury hotels.
In previous years, Raffles Makkah Palace garnered several international honors, including at the Haute Grandeur Award in the categories — Best All-Suite Hotel, Best Hotel View, Best Hotel Suite in Saudi Arabia, and Best Women’s Spa in the Middle East.
Ahmed Erieba, hotel manager for Raffles Makkah Palace, said: “The awards we received reinforce and strengthen the leading role of Raffles Makkah Palace on the Saudi Arabian hospitality landscape, due to our unique and distinctive service. It proves that we are keen to enrich the guest experience in line with the targets of the Raffles Guest Service Program, one of the programs developed to achieve the goals of Vision 2030.”
With a prime location, just steps away from the Grand Mosque, Raffles Makkah Palace draws in millions of Muslims visiting Makkah every year. The hotel is part of the Abraj Al-Bait Complex, which houses the fourth-tallest freestanding building in the world — the Makkah Clock Royal Tower. The tower, which is 40 meters high, can be seen from 17 kilometers away.
Raffles Makkah Palace offers easy access to King Abdulaziz Gate, the main entrance to the Grand Mosque, and provides a unique residential experience.
The hotel has 214 luxury suites with pivotal features such as in-room speakers to hear the adhan directly, a 24/7 personal butler service, and four fancy restaurants offering a variety of world-class cuisines. The suites are designed in a lavish and comfortable residential style, ranging in size from 80 square meters (one bedroom) to 170 square meters (two bedrooms).
Drawing inspiration from the heritage, culture and faith of the Middle East, the Raffles Spa is based on the transformation philosophy embodied in the lotus flower. The flower is a symbol of kingship in the ancient Middle East and religious perfection in the ancient Far East.
The lotus journeys from bud through blossom, to the radiance of full bloom, creating beauty and purity at each stage, transforming and enlivening, appealing to every sense. The spa’s treatments are inspired by these three stages of change — bud (body), blossom (beauty), and bloom (full experiences) — and allow guests to mirror the stages of the lotus’ complete transformation. This is done through art, architecture, custom music, tea, traditional food made using local ingredients, as well as aromatherapy.
