Madinah hotel occupancy reaches 99 percent

Occupancy rate in hotels at the central area around the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah has reached about 99 percent, especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan, according to Abdul Ghani Al-Ansari, chairman of the committee on tourism at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“This is due to the large number of pilgrims who were adamant on visiting Madinah to pay homage to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and pray at his mosque during the fasting month,” he told Arab News.
Al-Ansari noted that the occupancy rate of hotels and furnished apartments this year was more than last year due to the increase in the number of pilgrims and visitors.
He said the occupancy was about 75 percent at the beginning of Ramadan but went up to reach about 85 percent in the middle of the holy month and finally reached about 99 percent in the last week of Ramadan.
Al-Ansari said the average daily rates were SR 800 for a single room in a three-star hotel, SR 1,000 for a room in a four-star hotel and a SR 1,500 for a five-star hotel.
He asked all hotel occupants to look behind the doors for the list of charges and bring any discrepancy between the prices written behind the doors and those they are asked to pay to the notice of the hotel reception desk. If they are already charged, they should report the matter to the authorities so they are repaid the difference.
Speaking to Arab News, a number of hoteliers were unanimous that all occupants prefer rooms overlooking the Prophet’s Mosque. They said rates in five-star hotels ranged between SR 1,500 and SR 2,500 per night. “Some hotels will not hesitate to raise prices beyond these limits especially on Lailat Al-Qadr on the 27th of Ramadan when the recitation of the Qur’an is completed.