Rixos Murjana - Ultra All Inclusive 5 stars

I only experienced the villas, so I can’t comment on the hotel rooms. However, the villa was absolutely outstanding—one of the best I’ve stayed in. The service provided to villa guests was exceptional and truly made the stay even more enjoyable. The Club House food and beverage offerings were excellent, and everything we tried exceeded our expectations. Overall, the experience was fantastic. I only have two minor suggestions for improvement. First, the pool service could be enhanced, as there was only one staff member serving all the guests, which resulted in slow service. Second, the beach could use more attention, as there was a noticeable unpleasant smell that affected our experience. Other than these two points, everything was exceptional. It’s something to be proud of, and I’m genuinely happy to see a destination of this quality here in Saudi Arabia

Our stay at Rixos Murjana unfortunately did not meet the experience we expected from the Rixos brand, especially considering the exorbitant price charged. The strongest positive is the resort’s architecture. The property is visually impressive, luxurious, and beautifully designed. The lobby, beach lounge, kids’ facilities, and general infrastructure all look excellent. Except the unkept gardens. However, the resort currently feels like a beautiful shell without the professional management and operational experience needed to run it properly. Despite holding Accor Gold status and the hotel appearing largely empty, we were not offered any upgrade. While upgrades are subject to availability, this was still disappointing given the apparent occupancy level. Transportation around the resort was a big frustration. Golf carts were always available at the lobby as they were usually lined up just outside the lobby, but almost impossible to find elsewhere. We would regularly see two carts waiting at the lobby, yet had to wait around 20 minutes at the kids’ club and then ultimately walk back. It appeared that carts would only collect guests from other areas when they were already bringing someone from the lobby. Having to walk long distances in temperatures of around 45°C significantly affected the experience and cancelled out many of the resort’s positives. There was also no proper briefing at check-in. We were largely left to figure out the resort ourselves until I specifically asked for assistance. Only much later were we informed that the property was operating under a soft opening. This should have been made completely clear before booking, especially since many advertised restaurants, activities, and facilities were still closed. I would not have paid this much for an under development resort, had I known this fact. There was only one dinner restaurant operating during our stay. On our arrival night, it was seafood night, but most members of our family do not eat seafood. This is exactly why an all-inclusive resort of this size needs multiple dining options. There was also no food available after 10:00 p.m. apart from room service, which was chargeable. This was our first experience at an all-inclusive resort without any late-night snacks. Since we had an early-morning flight, this mattered to us considerably. We requested for an early arrangement for snacks or breakfast at front desk which was straight away refused like all other requests. I never saw a smile on the faces of any front desk staff. Though, the restaurant manager was accommodating but it was too late by then. We felt misled when we discovered that many restaurants and activities had not yet opened. The indoor kids’ club was also closed. The available kids’ club was beautifully designed aesthetically, but not practical for families with children between approximately six and twelve years old. It felt too childish for older children, while the teens’ club was restricted to guests aged 13 and above. Thus, 6-12 year olds were left out. The operating hours were another major problem. Most activities closed by 7:00 p.m., after which the resort felt completely dead. The waterpark did not open until 10:00 a.m., which makes little sense in the Saudi climate. It should open earlier in the morning when the weather is milder. To make matters worse, the timings shown on the hotel app often did not match the timings communicated by staff. Guest services were extremely difficult to reach. Calls frequently went unanswered, and no one called back. This issue was resolved on second day. When I requested a contour pillow, it arrived without a pillowcase, which was another small but telling example of the lack of attention to detail. The beach lounge is beautiful, but we were told that it was exclusively for villa guests. This restriction was not clearly mentioned online or explained at check-in. There were several smaller issues like the internet was extremely slow and the gardens were not properly maintained, and the grass appeared uncut. While the greenery naturally needs time to mature at a new resort, basic maintenance should still be better. I have attached a picture of unkept lawn visible from our room balcony. The bathroom privacy design was poor, with the louvers too open between the bathroom and bedroom. Even small practical details were overlooked, such as placing the Muslim shower on the left rather than the more practical right-hand side. Service at the waterpark café was very slow. Some slides did not appear to have enough water flow, causing guests to slow down or become stuck. Many items that guests would normally expect to be included at an all-inclusive resort were chargeable. Almost everything at the Godiva café carried an additional charge. Shisha was priced at SAR 350. Shisha is commonly chargeable at resorts, but this price was excessive, particularly at a dry resort charging premium rates. Overall, the property has enormous potential. The infrastructure and architecture are already there, but the resort appears to be operating with an inexperienced or a team that lacks seriousness and professionalism. The team is still learning through trial and error. It is not yet functioning at an international Rixos standard. There is still a long way to go. In its current state, it is neither worth the Rixos name nor the price being charged. This was the first time in my life that I selected a hotel primarily because of the reputation of the brand. Unfortunately, this experience taught me the hard way to not rely on the brand name alone.