Banyan Tree AlUla

Staffs were great, exceptional service. They have daily activities that travellers are free to join, nice breakfast. Highly recommended 🫶🏻 I can say that this is a good place to unwind. ☺️

World class facility, hotel rooms, and hospitality with astounding views! Definitely recommend!

I had an exceptional stay at Banyan Tree AlUla 13-14 Dec staying at Royal Villa 403, 2-Bedroom Private Pool Villa 305, and 3 Ashar Tent. The rooms were beautifully designed, very comfortable, and well maintained, with excellent food throughout the stay. The overall atmosphere was peaceful and luxurious, making the experience truly relaxing and enjoyable. Every detail reflected high standards of quality and comfort. Special thanks to Rofi for his outstanding service. From check-in until the end of my stay, he was always attentive, responsive, and extremely helpful, making the entire experience seamless and memorable.

I first stayed at the Banyan Tree Al'Ula 2 years ago, and I ranked it in my top 3 hotels globally. It surprassed all of my expectations. And that visit was during the middle of Summer, when it's cheaper + also harder to provide good service in the heat. So I decided to go back and take my partner, thinking I'd show them one of my favourite hotels - and during winter when prices are up to 4x more expensive. To my horror, this was the biggest fall in standards of a hotel I’ve witnessed ever. And I don’t think anything was really done to make up for these experiences we encountered despite talking to the manager on duty. 1.⁠ ⁠ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE - driver was nowhere to be found, he was busy on a personal call so unable to be reached by the number provided. He didn’t welcome us or apologise for being late. Didn’t explain the welcome amenities (Arabic coffee + dates) in the car either. This greatly contrasts to the arrival I had 2 years ago where a local Saudi guy welcomed us and explained the surrounding area. Given the hotel charges a substantial premium for its transfers over a taxi, this should be rectified immediately - it sets the first impression. 2.⁠ ⁠⁠LOST BAGS - we had to follow up getting our bags to the room and deal with the delay. 3.⁠ ⁠⁠SWIMMING POOL CLOSED - we weren’t advised of this and given its “under renovation” and has been for four months despite no actual renovation work going on, I found this to be quite misleading given it’s a key part of your hotel. We were given a room upgrade supposedly because of this + that we were returning guests to one with a pool, which was appreciated, but this should have been communicated and I don’t understand if the pool is actually being renovated at all. It's a key sell for this hotel so be aware. 4.⁠ ⁠⁠COMMS W STAFF - the replies to their WhatsApp were sporadic and often times I had to follow up 3-4x on the same item. Last time I was here we had a dedicated staff member looking after us, which I would expect at this price point of *** a night for their most basic room. One staff member I asked to organise a taxi - he only wanted to offer me a hotel car. He said too difficult to get a taxi and he failed to get one. When I texted the taxi company, I got a reply within one minute - showing he either didn’t want to help or only was going to help with a hotel provided car. This again contrasts with the help their team provided 2 years ago. When we asked a team member the day before for bikes, this was ignored and not delivered. The next day I followed up again to say all bikes were used and only got them several hours later. Why aren’t there enough for each villa? 5.⁠ ⁠⁠ ROOM UPKEEP - the main sliding door broke and could not close, and the door handles on 2 other doors fell off within us entering the room - showing the rooms aren’t being upkept well at all. 6.⁠ ⁠⁠BREAKFAST SERVICE - this was the biggest let down - I saw their manger arguing loudly 2x in the restaurant at breakfast in front of guests. No one told us about the à la carte menu until I asked remembering it from 2 years ago - only to then be told half the dishes weren’t available and the staff had no clue which ones were. Had to remind staff 3-5x for our orders, and to get cutlery. A total shambles. The only highlight was *** at Harat, who I remembered from 2 years ago, who continues to offer what I consider a 5* service experience. Really so sad to see such a great hotel fall from grace in what is one of the world's most beautiful spots. I'd only recommend going once these issues have been resolved, otherwise it's not worth the price point - go to *** instead and save some $ and get better service.