"Traveled to Riyadh with family and experienced the best of hospitality at the Mandarin Oriental. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted and taken care of. Lost luggage, changes in reservation, and more, the team handled every change with grace. The biggest thanks for Ashad, Hassan and Eliya for making every meal a family occasion. Your warmth was welcome every morning. Chef Shakeer, Chef Riyas and Chef Nisam went above and beyond to make our favorite Indian food for us for breakfast at request. We truly couldn’t recommend the experience more!"

"Our first suite was facing a +10 lane road. The windows have almost no acoustic insulation. In the second suite the air conditioning acted crazy and the showers were broken. The hotel is not qualified to use the name Mandarin Oriental. Except the service and the breakfast were great."

"Rooms are very dated (faded carpet, no hot water in shower despite two requests, all decorations from the 1970s as far as it looks) but beds are firm and support an okay nights sleep. Getting out of loop at hotel can take 20-30 minutes in the afternoon, just budget accordingly. Concierge partners are very poor. In my case did not speak English, spent 90 minutes each way driving to sites that were closed on the day we went, and created untruthful statements about Saudi culture and regulations. I’d recommend anywhere else."

"The hotel has a very central location in Riyadh, right next to one of the signature towers in the very center. It is not located in the actual tower, but in two buildings to its left and right, the right one housing the suites and the left one the main reception and breakfast. The latter is truly amazing in terms of buffet and a la carte options. We got an upgrade to a suite, unfortunately at the ground floor facing the driveway. With ear plugs, we could sleep well. The suite was large and well equipped, and came with a butler service that we didn’t use. The service was very good, with help of the concierge we made it even into Riyadh fashion show which took place in the spectacular globe, normally a restaurant in the adjacent tower. We didn’t eat there but the view is so spectacular that it would be probably worth it. The concierge was very helpful with many tips, and organized us a private trip to Edge of the World."

"Female business travelers heading to Riyadh: I recently stayed at the Mandarin Oriental and was struck by the glaring disparity between the men’s and women’s gyms. The men’s gym was expansive, filled with high-quality, modern equipment. The women’s gym, on the other hand, was about a quarter of the size, with outdated and minimal machines — a setup that seems to assume women don’t require the same quality or intensity in their workouts. What’s especially disappointing is that many women traveling to the region for business — often senior executives and professionals — are highly wellness- and health-conscious. This kind of unequal facility design feels completely out of step with the clientele the Mandarin Oriental claims to serve. I hope the hotel reconsiders and upgrades the women’s gym to reflect the same standard of excellence and respect it offers elsewhere on property. Until then, female travelers should be aware of what to expect."