Waldorf Astoria Jeddah - Qasr Al Sharq

Imagine the Saudi Arabian equivalent of the Waldorf-Astoria and you’re well on your way to understanding what sort of place is the Qasr Al Sharq. In fact there’s a good reason for the comparison — it just so happens it’s part of the Waldorf-Astoria collection. Of course this being Jeddah, rather than New York, you’ll find certain concessions made to the locality; the style, obviously, is more suited to the gateway to Mecca than the gateway to the Upper East Side.

In terms of scale as well it’s a bit different from its distant Manhattan cousin. While the typical seven-star hotel (if there is such a thing) spreads hundreds of rooms over dozens of floors, the Qasr Al Sharq holds just forty-six very lavish suites, some of them quite beyond what’s normally considered presidential — rather strengthening the case for its boast that it’s more palace than hotel. We could go on and on enumerating the amenities and the extravagances, but suffice it to say the Qasr Al Sharq has a legitimate claim at being one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

As for Jeddah, it’s not just a business destination, or a waystation on a pilgrimage. The Saudi second city is a popular holiday destination, with a seaside setting that offers some relief from the furnace-like heat of Riyadh and other inland capitals. As such the Qasr Al Sharq offers some serious leisure opportunities, including a women-only spa, a rare thing indeed in this part of the world. It’s probably not a value proposition, and it’s certainly not for the budget-minded, but for pure richness of experience it’s in a high class indeed.