Banyan Tree AlUla 5 stars

Stunning location, absolute friendly staff, amazing scenery, great services.

I had been looking forward to my stay at Banyan Tree AlUla for a very long time, as it was my first Banyan Tree experience. Sadly, it did not live up to the reputation of the brand. Positives - Some staff members were genuinely friendly and tried their best. - The spa was excellent, and I would like to thank Angelina for her outstanding service. Negatives - Check-in: Acceptable but not smooth, lacking the warmth and efficiency expected. - Bracelet gift: The bracelet given by the hotel mysteriously disappeared, and I couldn’t take it home. - Room condition: Flies in the room (even one or two is unacceptable at this level). - Amenities: Bathtub lacked bath salts, a small but important detail in a luxury setting. - Technology: TV remote barely worked. - Digital concierge: Slow replies, especially frustrating when urgent assistance was needed. - Transportation: Shuttle bus to Maraya was unreliable and delayed to the point I thought it had disappeared. With no data connection at Maraya, I had to rely on Wi-Fi while waiting, and only after expressing anger via the concierge did the shuttle finally arrive. - Countdown Gala Dinner: Extremely poor communication. I only learned of the venue change from staff picking me up at Maraya, not from the hotel. At the lobby, I was told I hadn’t signed up, despite having email confirmation. It took nearly an hour to resolve, with staff insisting I hadn’t paid, before finally acknowledging the dinner was included in my package. The process was chaotic and unprofessional. - Payment confusion: I couldn’t charge expenses to my room, yet the hotel insisted on taking a deposit at the lobby. On the last day, the deposit was refunded, but the whole process felt unnecessary and inconvenient. Overall Impression While the spa and a few friendly staff members were highlights, the overall experience was undermined by poor communication, unreliable services, and confusing policies. Banyan Tree AlUla needs significant improvement to meet the standards of a true luxury resort.

I absolutely adored this stay - planned it as a girls trip & a birthday gift to my friend. We were utterly fascinated with the location and the attentiveness from staff. Once we reached the villa I felt absolute happiness - private, beautiful, everything you can dream of. I'd definitely recommend Banyan Tree to all my friends - it's a bucket list experience.

Pricey for what it offers - I had been to many hotels under Accor and the best experience was with Rixos Tersane Istanbul, the staff at Rixos are respectful, helpful and are very sweet, last foods provided there are unfortunately. I was expecting more from Banyan Tree and when I was there, I feel unwelcome. I feel like I was staying there with their mercy. The food are not good and provide very few options. The view and environment seems worth only if you decide to stay in hotel without going out. The worst is transportation, we had to spend around 575 SAR everyday for going out. I feel like robbery.

We loved the hotel. However the check in process was less than smooth. After 1 1/2 hours of staff confusion - thy changed the name on my reservation- they were finally able to take us to the rooms. Upon check out there were also many issues with the bill which we are still sorting through. If you can get past this, the resort itself is beautiful. One other item is the infamous pool was closed during our visit over Christmas due to falling rocks, which we understand for security reasons. However no one could give an estimate on when it would be reopened.