Narcissus makes its mark

The crowning glory of Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Narcissus Hotel & Residence Riyadh, launched on December 11, 2013, became fully operational in early 2015, and already has a string of honours to its name.

Ibrahim AlKhlewi, general manager, tells TTN in an exclusive interview: 'We have already won the Best New Luxury Hotel Award in Saudi Arabia 2014, the best New Luxury Hotel Award in the Middle East 2015, and the Best Luxury City Hotel Award in Saudi Arabia 2015. We also have some of the highest reviews on Booking,com – 8.8 out of 10, with inputs from more than 2,400 guests.

'These achievements were not sudden – they were a result of experienced team work, attention to detail and relentlessly delivering luxury services regardless of the effort and cost involved.'

THE PROPERTY

Narcissus Hotel & Residence Riyadh is a luxurious staycation option in downtown Riyadh and a peaceful respite in an urban setting – a destination on its own. At the same time, being located on the crossroads of Tahlia Street and Olaya, it is an attractive area for shopping, surrounded by some of the city’s largest malls.

'There are 280 lavish rooms and suites in the hotel, which also offers nine conference rooms for both business and social events,' explains the director of sales and marketing Hatem Aloul. 'In addition, the hotel features three exclusive gourmet restaurant experiences: the main dining outlet Where East Meets West, an Argentinean concept Pampa Grill and The Cove – Seafood Restaurant, the elite Narci-Spa, a fitness centre and a private indoor   swimming pool.'

Commonly found amenities in the rooms and suites include door access controls, touch-activated curtain systems, Samsung 46 inch LED TV set, Cisco phones offering conference calls, chargers for mobile handsets, free internet, safe box, coffee and tea making facilities, slippers and bathrobes, iron and iron board, hair dryer, and more.

THE ROYAL SUITE

'When you walk into our suites, you walk into a brand of luxury lifestyle that only we can deliver,' promises the general manager. 'We offer a truly magical experience, uncompromising indulgence, legendary Arabian hospitality and a lasting memory you will always treasure.

'The Royal Suite at Narcissus Hotel Riyadh, for instance, spreads over a massive 353 sqm, the epitome of luxury and by far the most private experience in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,' says AlKhlewi.

The Royal Suite consists of a master bedroom, a relaxing area with bathroom and a Jacuzzi. It also features a walk-in closet, a private gym room and a hairdressing room. For accompanying parties, there is another bedroom, with its own private Jacuzzi and make-up room. The living room comfortably includes space for 12 seats, a 50 sqm salon with a grand piano, a royal dining room for 12 persons with toilets for visitors, a well-equipped kitchenette and an office with fax and scanner for business needs.

'We like to keep our guests feeling pampered and luxurious from the moment they arrive in Riyadh. Our meet and assist services, in one of our 2015 Rolls Royce cars, ensures our luxury touches guests even before the step into our property,' says the general manager.

The director of sales and marketing, Aloul, adds: 'It is hard to match the high quality of services and standards we offer, combined with the luxurious design and the latest in technology in guest rooms, conference facilities and outlets. We aim to not only meet but exceed guest satisfaction, so we pay great attention to detail.'

MARKETS OF INTEREST

Thirty years ago, the hotel’s holding company, Boudl Trading, became one of the first to introduce hospitality services in the Saudi market, specialising in apartments and residencies.

'About five years ago, Boudl Trading decided to build the first luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia to be operated by a purely Saudi company – a company that would understand the needs of the Saudi market better than anyone else and share the perfect vision of Saudi luxury with the world,' explains the general manager AlKhlewi.

'The local market is one of our biggest source markets, followed by the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Europe, which cover 30 per cent of our guests.'

The general manager gives further insight into the hotel property. 'We have a lot of business guests during the week given the hotel’s location in the city centre, in close proximity to major offices, the diplomatic area and 25 minutes from King Khaled International Airport.

'At night, our guests enjoy walking to the biggest malls in the city that surround the hotel, beside the cafés and fast food restaurants, which are located on Tahlia and Olaya Streets.

'Saudi clients enjoy the hotel’s high-end facilities and restaurants on the weekends, they are often found relaxing in the Narci-Spa, which offers a variety of treatments to simulate your body and soul.

'Honeymoon packages, without a doubt, are one of the most fast-selling packages with our clients, who celebrate their private moments in an unrivalled luxurious atmosphere.'

THE FUTURE

Exciting plans lie ahead for the Narcissus brand, as revealed by the general manager. 'We will have new brands in Jeddah and Al Qassim in 2016, and are planning to have branches in Al Khobar and Dubai in 2017,' reveals AlKhlewi.

'In addition, this year we will open the extension of Narcissus Hotel Riyadh, which will be one of the biggest towers in the city. This residential tower will have new three different restaurants, a swimming pool, a grand ballroom for 500 persons and 69 two-bedrooms apartments.'

'Of course, we will have big challenges in 2016.

'We will have to maintain our luxurious services and standards at our current property and transfer these standards to our new brands in Jeddah and Al Qassim. In addition to this, we anticipate huge competition this year, as around six luxurious brands will open in the city, with two of them being right beside us.

'The only way to face this challenge is by maintaining our high quality of service and standards of our product, and we promise you we will do that!'concludes the general manager. 

By Rashi Sen