We arranged our trip to the haram with haj and umrah and we specifically inform them that we were looking for a hotel within walking distancebut unfortunately we were misguided by the tour operator . On arrival at 11.30 a.mwe wanted to attend the jummah salatbecause that was our only jummah in madena as our rooms was not ready we begged them for a place that the family can have a washed and a change of clothing we were directed to the female toilet in the lobby which was filthy and strong smell of urine when we mentioned to the receptionist we were then directed to the men toilet for the ladies to have a wash and changed which was imposible for them. I have to stop other man using the toilet while the ladies is having a changed for jummah. The male had to get dressed in the lobby infront of others people . When i asked to speak to the hotel manager he refused to speake to us. We finally attend jummah without a bath.. We were given one room around 5p.m but while were waiting for the rest of the group to have there allocated rooms we found our belonging is back in the lobby without telling us whem we inquired we were told that their is a flood in that room but apparently there was an arab man with his family waiting to be given a room and I believed our room was given to him. At 6p.m we were still waiting at the lobby to have the rest of the rooms which was still not ready we were told to wait in the the lobby and the receptionist would inform us when the rooms will be ready unfortunately the receptionist went off duty without informing his next on duty and we have to repeat our problems and finally we were given our rooms.The rooms was not cleaned properly , it was very dusty,and the mini bar was empty. I found the the checkin staff has a lot to learn and particularly how to respect visitors and i find it very hard to believe how they lies to people and facing the haram. I believe that the hotel cater more for the shia brothers and sisters. I would never set foot in this hotel again and hope that the management of this hotel that notice.

Our stay at Madinah Movenpick was part of a 5 day trip to the Holy City. The booking was done through their website, which automatically included the "Pay Two & Get One Free" (pay for 2 nights and 3rd night is free). The per night charge is approx. US$106 (SR400). The online booking mentioned upon check-in we would have the choice to either upgrade to a better room or include daily buffet breakfast. Actual check-in didn't give any such option & the buffet breakfast was included. Airport pickup & drop-off was available with additional cost of around US$13 (SR50) per trip, which is easier than haggling with the local taxi drivers. Options are available of renting a car from the airport (Avis, Budget, local chains), but you need a valid credit card & driving license. Since our stay was going to be focused on visiting Haram, we decided against getting a car.

We stayed in a supposedly superior room giving us a 1 King Bed which was actually more like a queen-size with a good-mattress & soft yet firm pillows. Found a few marks on one of the table lamps, but overall the room was clean, the toilet well-lit, but the room could've done with a larger window to let in a little more sunlight. Mini-bar was empty upon check-in and stayed that way (gave us a chance to grab our own snacks from outside), which brings us to the location of Madina Movenpick.

The location of this Movenpick hotel is ideal, as it's a little out of the way from the other hotels, yet still not too far from the Haram. The disadvantage of this is the lack of grocery shops & eating outlets in the nearby vicinity where you could buy water/juices/snacks to stock up the mini-bar or get a quick take-away, save for Al-Baik's Fried Chicken & Nuggets. And we really did miss having good fast-food around, specially after coming back exhausted in the afternoon/night from Haram. The Solution, order room service; menu has limited choices but overall prices seem reasonable (SR 35 = US$9.3 for a club sandwich served with french fries - inclusive of service charges). We did see a new small shop open up on the last day of our visit, selling soft-drinks, water and biscuits mostly. The other problem with the location which other hotels like Dar Al Taqwa & Madina Oberoi don't have is the female entrance is so much closer than Madina Movenpick. Our approximate daily walking distance was 300-400meters, whereas the others offer 50-100 meters. Staying at the Oberoi or other hotels on this side of the Haram you are greeted to the street hawkers on a daily basis at every step of the way to Haram, which can be annoying. Fortunately for Madina Movenpick, you get a clear path.

Breakfast choices seemed bland and repeated throughout the week with boiled egg, scrambled egg, sausages, chick peas, jams, cereals, breads, croissants, tea/coffee & three choice of juices. The loud recorded sounds of a cleric's religious sermon in persian from the neighbouring persian restaurant was a little annoying during breakfast, but when the hotel's major clientele is from Iran, it makes sense to dedicate one restaurant for their cuisine & pilgrims. DIdn't get a chance to sample the evening buffet which had some good meals on offer, price was SR85/person (US$22).

The Air-conditioner's fan started acting up & making strange sounds when used at maximum speeds on the last day of our visit. Maintenance asked us to use it only on medium, which was still acceptable in the hot May weather (Hi: 43C/109F).

Free internet was available in the lobby, but due to our schedule we didn't get a chance to sample it. Wired high-speed internet was available in the room, but was a little costly (can't recall exact price). Free under-ground parking was available to guests with cars but didn't seem enough for high-season.

People interested in visiting the religious sites of Madina are lured by locals to drive them around the sites and pay something upwards of SR100 (US$26) --- haggling might get you down to SR70 (US$18). This seems reasonable if you don't want the hassle, but if you are willing and have the time, get a good travel guide, rent a car for a day & visit the sites yourself. We did just that with directions from the hotel concierge (who barely spoke english, but could draw the way). Most of the sites have road signs as long as you can get near them. Additionally, you get a chance to discover the small city of Madina which has grown immensely over the past couple of years to sport the latest in shopping malls, eating outlets & entertainment activities.

Shopping for men/women/kids/baby wear can be done at Centrepoint which is situated on the ground floor of the hotel. For the gold market and Bin Dawood (departmental store), you would have to cross the Haram (approx 400meters).

Overall, the staff from the concierge, reception, room service, house-keeping and even maintenance were all very friendly & helpful. Even if not all of them are able to speak good english, they seemed to try their best to understand and help out. We requested a late check-out and were pleasantly surprised to not even hear a word after having crossed the agreed upon time by well over an hour. The staff was very accommodating and seemed delighted to help in any way possible.

Alhamdulillah it was a great stay for us. As for all hotels in Haramain, if you are booking through an agent it is better if the representatives are present when u check in or at least they are a phone call away. We stayed in a four bed single room. There were no pots and the elec. Stove was disconnected as some people had earlier tried to dry clothes on it and it has proved hazardous thus majority of the hotels have disconnected electrical stoves. But they gave us an electrical kettle on request and if needed one can buy a small electrical stove from bin Dawood supermarket in the basement. Taxis are available from the front gate but if you plan to go for visiting the historical sites such a masjid e qiblatain and Quba, Uhad mountain etc book a car , some of the guys speak English, Urdu etc if u r not a native Arabic speaker. A 2.5 hr journey costed us SR. 100 in a Toyota Camry.

Haram is one step away from the hotel. For men the nearest is Umar Bin Khatab gate which is left from the hotel once you enter the haram gate and ladies can walk straight ahead and enter into haram. For Ziarat e rauza e rasool ladies can only go in fixed timing and through the gate in front of Dar ul Taqwa hotel which is farther left from Movenpick or another gate which I don’t remember the name but is on the baqi side of the haram..

Few tips:

1. Do your research and reading before flying to Makkah and Madina from an authentic book.
2. Janat ul baqi grave yard is opened for men after Ishraq in the morning and after Asar in the evening. The path to the grave of Syeda Ayesha (Radhiallaho anha) has been blocked as a group of apostates tried to desecrate the grave in 2009 and shouted slogans against Abu Bakar and Umar (Radhiallaho anhum).
3. Bring along emergency medicines and antibiotics.
4. If there is a need for medical emergency then Al Ansar Hospital (Mustashfa al ansar) is just 4-5 minutes drive from Haram e Nabawi. The treatment and tests are free for people on Ummrah visa.
5. Please turn off your cell phones or at least the ring tone as it is a grave sin to play music in front of the Prophet (Sallalahu alliahe wasalam)grave.
6. Cameras are not appreciated inside the haram. Women are not allowed to carry cell phones with camera inside the masjid e nabwi.
7. Trip from Makkah to Madina costed us SAR. 400 in a Toyota Camry. Another option is to travel by SAPTCO bus which operates regular and VIP buses to Madina Munawara on daily basis. The SAPTCO terminal is near Hilton Hotel.
8. It is sunna to buy something from the Uhad site, so one can buy some dates etc from the vendors.
9. It is advisable not to waste time in shopping as there is a lot of munkarat including intermingling of sexes. One can buy something from the street vendors on the way to the hotel with the intention of helping the poor folks of Madina.
10. One should observe the Sunnah of the Syedna Mohammad (Sallalahu allihae wasalam) more strongly in the city of Madina
11. Both Brother and sisters must lower their gaze as due to a huge crowd and males and females walk the same path to and back from haram.
12. Please remember me, the whole of ummah esp the weak, the oppressed and the mujahadeen in your prayers.

Our flight arrived 14 hrs late in Medina and even though our booking started from the previous day (payment made in advance), we were told on arrival that our booking was from the next day!! and to make matters worse, none of the reception employees spoke good English which made communication nearly impossible. When I asked them to allow me to call the local Umrah agent, I was told to make the call myself!! and then to make matters worse, one day before our actual check-out, the front desk called to tell us that we should check out today as "their system shows" us to be leaving that day.
Not a word of apology from any member of the management even after admitting that they were wrong on both accounts. I would not recommend this hotel unless finances dont permit a better choice like Hilton, Intercontinental or Oberoi.