I stayed here for 5 nights and will definitely stay again - this will be a spectacular hotel once the staff work out all the kinks as they are still in pre-opening stage. Importantly, the senior staff from GM, to Exec Assistant Mgr to Director of Revenue are all excellent, welcoming and resolved the many issues we had - some big and some small. They are true hoteliers and are why I will come back again (the owners of the property too are excellent people with great vision). The team was so friendly and fixed things - that's how it should be. Problems arise but how they are fixed are important. Here's some of the good (and bad). 1) the hardware of the property is gorgeous. If you can afford it, definitely stay in a St. Regis Suite. It's 100-110 sqm and worth the money. My son said it's one of the best designed suites he has ever been in 2) the food and beverage team are excellent. The quality of the food is good and they remembered everything my son and I eat - from extra nuts and berries to avocado. Food is tasty and service in all of the restaurants we dined in was excellent 3) location is good and attached to Via, a new happening mall with lots and lots of great food choices. We ate in the mall from french to Indian to salads. Easy to get into the city and get to the sites so a great location. 4) Housekeeping was great. I never noticed housekeeping In a positive way but the housekeeping here is excellent Mid 1) gym is ok, not huge. It's reasonably good with lots of fruit and water which is great but the dumbbells are weird. They go 4 kgs, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and skip the 10 etc. That was hard for me to progress with weights properly. They also didn't have heavy enough plates for the barbells or a rack to put the plates when not using. They had an odd storage bin. I could get a decent enough workout but not an excellent one Bad 1) Butler service and concierge are mixed into one team and do everything - from recommending tours to fixing IT issues. Too many of the butlers don't have enough Saudi experience. Thus, they had too many things to do and not enough local experience which made it difficult sometimes for them to help us, from recommending a restaurant to booking a tour. I ended up asking the front desk staff most of the time for recommendations as they were all from Saudi and knew the local market better Every butler was friendly (except one who I actually fought with. I don't think I've ever fought with a hotel colleague before) but didn't have the right training to recommend restaurants, sites and fix IT issues. But in a few months, with practice, they'll be great. I had terrible internet connectivity issues and one butler said originally said everyone has this issue (not true) and then said the telecon company said it was my phone and thus ”out of his hands”. That's not the right answer. Eventually after 20 hours the internet issue was fixed but after far too much anger. The butler even told me to leave the hotel and fi
- Guest User
The debut of the St. Regis brand into Saudi Arabia, The St. Regis Riyadh opened in November 2023 as part of a compact, high-end mixed-use development in the western part of the city. As a brand enthusiast who happened to have work in the Diplomatic Quarter across the road, this new hotel was a natural choice for my quick trip to Riyadh. LOCATION: As referenced above, The St. Regis Riyadh forms the hospitality component of the new VIA Riyadh project, a small, luxurious development housing shops, restaurants and the hotel. Located in the western part of the city directly adjacent to the famous [or infamous, depending on how you look at it] Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, and across the Jeddah Road thoroughfare from the Diplomatic Quarter [an affluent, checkpoint-guarded residential district where the majority of embassies in the Kingdom are located]. The property is approximately 15 minutes away [on a good day] from the central artery of Olaya Street, where one can find many businesses, shops and eateries. King Khalid International Airport [RUH] is located approximately 40 minutes away by car, although this time can extend dramatically if one is caught in the city’s notorious traffic. ENTRANCE/LOBBY: The overall VIA Riyadh development is low-slung, and designed in a modern, Najdi-inspired look to pay homage to the local surroundings. With the hotel situated inside, the guest room floors only extend up three stories and contribute to a very intimate feel - fitting given the low room count of only 83 units. The hotel has a dedicated driveway and entrance at the rear of VIA Riyadh; this is important to note, since many Uber/taxi drivers are unaware of the hotel and will most likely drop you off on the Jeddah Road side of VIA Riyadh, which means you have to cross the central courtyard and enter the hotel from the terrace entrance. Signage isn’t clearly available within the courtyard, so I got lucky when I turned right and found the hotel on that side. The property’s driveway entrance is a discreet one, with a simple glass doorway and branded awning opening onto the beautiful lobby with sit-down island reception desks to the left, the lobby lounge straight ahead, and the rest of the lobby, lounge and St. Regis Bar [read: dry] to the right. A wave-shaped chandelier curls and unfolds above, and sets the tone for a refined stay ahead. Upon check-in, I was greeted by an energetic Saudi team member who acknowledged my Titanium status, informed me of my upgrade from a standard room to a St. Regis Suite, and provided information about the property. I was offered assistance with my luggage and an escort to my suite, which I declined given my travel with only a carry-on, and was shown to the lifts to the left of the reception. ROOMS: I was assigned a St. Regis Suite on the first floor, which was located off the elevator landing. A tall door opened onto a landing with a guest washroom on the right, and a table and artwork on the left that in turn led to a open-plan r
- Guest User
