My wife and I with our one year old daughter are planning to go for Umrah in March Insha Allah.
What are some hotels that you would recommend to stay in Mecca and Madinah? I know that the 5 star hotels like Intercontinental or Hilton are the best, but I think they will be a little out of our price range. We’d like to be in a place which is mid-priced, close to the mosques and is clean and presentable. Also, we don’t want to be in a place where we have to share the room or bathroom with anyone else. Is it better to make reservations in advance on sites like Expedia, or would we find better deals at the hotel in person?
Based on your personal experience, what are the hotels that you would recommend or to stay away from?
Also, please let me know if you have some tips about transportation to Mecca or Madinah via taxi. I’ve heard that there is room for bargaining, but what are the average rates I should expect to pay each way?
We went for Hajj when our son was 1 1/2 years old so can kind of relate to what you are planning Inshallah.
The hotels we stayed at were part of the package so we didn't really have any say in it. Also during Hajj it is next to impossible that you get a room that you don't share with anyone else. Even at Hilton, etc.
For Umrah it is different because you get to decide where you wanna stay and if you go off-season you would be able to get your own room. Generally speaking the rule is: The closer the hotel is to the Masjid-ul-Haram in Mecca and the Masjid-ul-Nabawi in Medina, the more expensive it is.
You will not be spending much time in the hotel anyway, Inshallah, as you will try to spend as much time as possible in the Masjid. I can definitely not recommend the hotel we stayed at in Mecca because that was pathetic. But then, I wasn't there for the hotel, I was there for something else. So it didn't matter to me that much. :)
The hotel is definitely a secondary. InshaAllah we plan to spend as much time at the Masjid also.
But because of our daughter, I think we would definitely want to stay close to haram in case we need to go back and forth. And it is because of her that we want a nice and clean hotel to avoid germs or other things which can effect her health.
Unless someone has good personal experiences that they can share, I may just bite the bullet and go with Hilton. This way I don't have to waste too much time on this thing.