Banyan Tree AlUla — Hotel in Medina Province

Banyan tree experience

Payment: When the trip was arranged we had to pay one year in advance with no option to refund, however they just sent us an email with QR payment code and no formal explanation or introduction of what this is. At first I thought it a scam and when I ignored it. They kept sending the same QR code with no explanation every day Checking in: they took all our luggage’s and after checking in they had misplaced some of my friend’s luggage’s. From a 5 star hotel standard they should be attentative to these details Key not working: We checked in early so they were nice enough to let us check in early for 3 of the villas. I had to wait in one of my friends villa. When my room was ready they came to get me but when I arrived at my villa my key was not working. Turn down service: on the first night there was no turn down in our room so No notification or communication: They put coats in our room but there was no note explaining what it was so it was not put into use Buggy service: When we called buggy service, we were told they will come in 15 min. And everyday it will be 45 min wait making us late for our scheduled appointment At breakfast at harat:, the waiters couldn’t remember the orders of whom belongs to who. And just randomly approach us and said out loud. I expected from 5 star Banyan tree that the staff would be properly trained and in accordance to the rest of the world banyan tree standard

• Dinner at Harat: On our 2nd night dinner, we were not given a choice for our dinner. Even if it’s a set dinner we should have at least 2 choices for people to pick. We were not notified of what we were having and the food just came out. We had two small pieces of salmon and some people are allergic or not prefer fish. The chef came out and said “well you’re having salmon and that’s what we prepared for you” we had to make her understand that not everyone eats fish and we should have had a choice of at least 2 set for everyone to choose from. Pool experience: While trying to take photos at the pool, my friend was reprimanded for stepping on the edge, while children were seen jumping off restricted areas without consequence. This inconsistency was concerning. Service at the pool: My friend was able to charge her bill to her room, while I was asked to pay immediately, despite both of us having similar bookings. This inconsistency reflected internal management issues that should be addressed. Next day, when we wanted to go to the pool they told us the pool was closed for a week due to emergency malfunction. We were only there for 3 nights and there are no other things to do in Banyan Tree, so we asked for an alternative and their suggestion was to go to another hotel pool to purchase a day pass on our own expense . They offered no alternatives or any other form of compensation at first until we made a point that this is unacceptable. In the end they did offer an alternative but these things should be addressed with care and options if they are having issues with their facility. I moved to Habitas Alula for one night and right away when we arrived we were served water and juice. They quickly loaded my luggage into the car and drove us to our caravan. Once we were there they quickly checked us in and showed us a tour of the place of the facilities and settled us in. Habitas service was amazing compared to banyan tree. And the funny thing is we were in the caravan section and their service topped banyan tree 5 stars. Their buggy service came within 3 min. Their restaurant food was good and service was excellent. They didn’t forget anyone orders or mixed it up. We talked to a few guests at Habitas and they have actually stayed at Banyan Tree a few days before and they went to visit habitas just to see and they decided to move to Habitas afterwards because they even said the service at Banyan Tree was not up...

I recently stayed at Banyan Tree, and unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected. The main attraction—the rock pool—was closed during our stay, which was incredibly disappointing. It’s hard to justify such high prices when the facilities we were looking forward to were inaccessible. At the very least, a discount on our room night should have been offered.

The alternatives provided were not acceptable. Each staff member gave us different information, leading to confusion about what options were available. We wanted to visit MyHabitas to use their pool, but they were fully booked. When we asked to check it out, we were told we had to pay a minimum spend, which should have been waived under the circumstances. We ended up having an overpriced mediocre lunch there.

Service inconsistency was another major issue. Upon arrival, the concierge assured us we could book tickets to Hegra later that day. However, when we tried, we found out the tickets were sold out, and we ended up waiting four hours to get in. Interestingly, the ticketing office mentioned that Banyan Tree often provides incorrect information to guests about tours.

While some staff members were great—like the friendly Philippine girl at breakfast and one attentive bellboy—the overall service lacked attention to detail. The resort itself had no proper program of experiences or activities. When we asked the concierge what to do on-site, he casually suggested we "relax and sleep," which felt dismissive.

Our villa was visually stunning, but the wear and tear was disappointing. We noticed many scratches and signs of neglect. The bathroom amenities were not luxurious and felt poorly curated. For a high-end resort, thoughtful touches like a pool bag or sun hat should be standard.

We were celebrating an anniversary, and while the team did a bed decoration, the effort felt lackluster. A small sweet plate from the lobby sweet corner and fruit basket were provided, but no one acknowledged our special occasion upon arrival, which was a missed opportunity for engagement.

The arrival experience felt rushed and transactional, likely because staff were uncomfortable discussing the pool closure. It was disappointing that Banyan Tree couldn’t deliver a memorable experience.

Additionally, we left our sunglasses in the room. Despite lingering in the lobby until 9 PM, no one thought to return them to us. We only realized they were missing at the airport, highlighting a lack of care and attention to service detail. You could have emailed or called us as the room was checked and cleaned as you claimed you were full house and couldn’t extend the late checkout not even for 30min.

Overall, Banyan Tree offers stunning facilities and brilliant architecture, but the service is lacking. Without improvements, I fear they may lose guests to upcoming competitors like Aman. I cannot recommend this resort based on...

I recently stayed at Banyan Tree, and unfortunately, my experience was far from what I expected. The main attraction—the rock pool—was closed during our stay, which was incredibly disappointing. It’s hard to justify such high prices when the facilities we were looking forward to were inaccessible. At the very least, a discount on our room night should have been offered.The alternatives provided were not acceptable. Each staff member gave us different information, leading to confusion about what options were available. We wanted to visit MyHabitas to use their pool, but they were fully booked. When we asked to check it out, we were told we had to pay a minimum spend, which should have been waived under the circumstances. We ended up having an overpriced mediocre lunch there.Service inconsistency was another major issue. Upon arrival, the concierge assured us we could book tickets to Hegra later that day. However, when we tried, we found out the tickets were sold out, and we ended up waiting four hours to get in. Interestingly, the ticketing office mentioned that Banyan Tree often provides incorrect information to guests about tours.While some staff members were great—like the friendly Philippine girl at breakfast and one attentive bellboy—the overall service lacked attention to detail. The resort itself had no proper program of experiences or activities. When we asked the concierge what to do on-site, he casually suggested we "relax and sleep," which felt dismissive.Our villa was visually stunning, but the wear and tear was disappointing. We noticed many scratches and signs of neglect. The bathroom amenities were not luxurious and felt poorly curated. For a high-end resort, thoughtful touches like a pool bag or sun hat should be standard.We were celebrating an anniversary, and while the team did a bed decoration, the effort felt lackluster. A small sweet plate from the lobby sweet corner and fruit basket were provided, but no one acknowledged our special occasion upon arrival, which was a missed opportunity for engagement.The arrival experience felt rushed and transactional, likely because staff were uncomfortable discussing the pool closure. It was disappointing that Banyan Tree couldn’t deliver a memorable experience.Additionally, we left our sunglasses in the room. Despite lingering in the lobby until 9 PM, no one thought to return them to us. We only realized they were missing at the airport, highlighting a lack of care and attention to service detail. You could have emailed or called us as the room was checked and cleaned as you claimed you were full house and couldn’t extend the late checkout not even for 30min. Overall, Banyan Tree offers stunning facilities and brilliant architecture, but the service is lacking. Without improvements, I fear they may lose guests to upcoming competitors like Aman. I cannot recommend this resort based on...