Dammam Deep Dive...

Second time for me staying in this hotel. Though it is far from the airport, it is right in the Business park, so you trade proximity for proximity. At the entrance, there are two sliding glass doors. You can only walk in on the right side as the left side has been disabled due to a security requirement. So when you walk in sliding glass doors, you have to immediately turn right to go through a body scanner. There is no one there to monitor it but the requirement of security has been met, Saudi style. Front desk is not facing the entrance and a big pillar hides reception area but once you find reception the staff are courteous and knowledgeable with one overlying caveat that goes not only for NOVOTEL but every other hotel in the country - not one woman to be seen working. Hopefully soon Saudi will begin to be less strict and allow the better half of their population some freedom to begin to work, at least. Anyways, this is not a condition that is fault of the hotel, only that lots of people continue to hope that soon the rules in Saudi will soften so that women can take jobs even in the hotel reception.

The structure of the Novetel is a big square with a huge atrium area in centre. The rooms are built around the atrium, half looking into the atrium half looking to the outside of the square. Not much difference between the two styles of rooms. The layout is nice and I was surprised to find a live plant located in the washroom - nice touch. Beds and bedding were smelling clean and with medium hardness and easy to adjust to and fall asleep in a minimal time.

Channels available is not even worth talking about - several English movie channels to balance out myriad choices of Arabic, Chinese, and Hindi channels. Most of my time spent on computer, rather than reviewing TV channels when I travel. Hence the priority for me is excellent connectivity and this hotel had it - both in Room and in Lobby after checking out and waiting for my ride.

Once again, since I was there during Ramadan, the restaurant timings followed the Ramadan timings - not open from sun up to sun down and open to offer Iftar meals from sunset to about 8pm then closed and only open again from 12 midnite to 3 am which they call Sohoor timing, even though Sohoor is supposed to be the morning meal you eat just before you go for morning prayers. All a bit confusing for the Kafer in me but I decided, easiest to adapt to the timing rather than order special room service for post dawn breakfast and predusk supper.

"When in Rome, we do as the Romans do...." ("When I am in Rome I fast on Saturday..."), St. Ambrose, 387AD.

The hotel feels comfortable both in the lobby and in the rooms. I rather like the Novotel in Dammam compared to many of the other hotels available in the same area.
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