The hotel industry in Saudi Arabia is still learning to cater to foreign tourists, and this shows in many ways (one of the most obvious being the lack of a dining room in most hotels). This hotel is one of the better ones I stayed in during a Saudi tour. The setting if quite attractive, in an open desert area with a mountainous backdrop. Unusually for a Saudi hotel, the Shaden Resort is laid out in a series of quite dispersed units, vaguely disguised as traditional tents. They are fairly comfortable, although I and others in my group had difficulty getting the room keys to work. The restaurant food, as so often in Saudi Arabia, is somewhat monotonous and unimaginative. This is a pleasant property with a lot of potential.

This hotel has a management problem Al Ula is a magical destination that is well worth a visit. I would go as far as to say that it is one of the most memorable places we have visited However the Schaden Resort lacks decent management. The pool area is poorly maintained, and no service is available for refreshments The quality of food at breakfast and lunch falls well below the standard one expects from a resort of this price The bedroom is poorly maintained. The bedroom door does not unlock without getting staff help - staff are difficult to find. The shower does not work. It seems impossible to get help from staff. For reasons I am not clear, the restaurant is a long hike away from the bedrooms, and no transport is available. The hedge bordering our terrace has not been trimmed and so does no do the job that was intended This hotel is managed by Acor who should urgently investigate the management they have on site. It is in a good position but does not justify its price level

I was mistakenly charged twice by the hotel. The manager immediately said I would be reimbursed. 4 months later and despite numerous emails, I was not reimbursed. Very dismayed by this, given the high price and the ambitions of the hotel.

Shaden Resort AlUla Bad Experience 825728666 The Resort itself is in a superb location and the Staff at the reception are great and welcoming. However, the hotel is ran by Egyptians who know nothing about customer service or attending to the needs of the guests that came to experience 5 star service. The are rude, arrogant and continuously practicing ‘up selling’ without first sharing the prices of the service being provided. I had a very bad experience with them when they told me that we can sit you outside after dinner and light a fire for the cost of SAR 115. Then came the “up selling” where they started to offer you tea, coffee, some cakes and nuts which they said are included in the price of the fire. In actual fact you will end up paying a lot more than SAR115 because, although they claimed it included in the price of the fire, they still charged for them claiming that I requested the package, when I only asked for the fire. They claimed it’s a package and not included in the cost of the fire, however, when I asked them the breakdown the cost of each item that we were served, the sum of the individual cost was half that of the package; that’s when they were found out.

There are only a few hotels in AlUla and Shaden is one among them. It has a huge lobby isolated from the rooms. The rooms are like a resort complex, semidetached surrounding a huge pool and in the midst of nature, wonderfully landscaped by red sand stones. The rooms are large and spacious. They do provide golf carts from the lobby to the rooms. Breakfast is served buffet with live cooking station. They also have private villas with pool, ideal for families and small groups. The staff here are very friendly and polite, always trying hard to make every guest experience a memorable stay. It was a memorable stay!

Shaden's setting is quite spectacular and having stayed there twice now, I'm always wowed on arrival. The rooms are fantastic with effective aircon, comfy beds and a great bathroom. My only real negative point is that the service can be a bit hit and miss - but always friendly. One Filipino staff remembered me from my previous visit which I thought was really sweet! The pool is fantastic, with good wifi and the restaurant is good too. Great variety in options and excellent iced coffee!