Last time I shared on my blog about my flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a Lufthansa flight. And while that part of the journey was certainly memorable, the real adventure began once I touched down at King Khalid International Airport.

The World Travel & Trade Council conference did a great job facilitating all airport and convention transportation. Meaning, soon after I landed, made it through customs and retrieved my bag, I found a representative from the convention who led me to a private car to take me to my hotel. The car was stocked with refreshments and a welcome box from the convention including artisan dates. I would later find out dates are popular in Saudi Arabia, as I would be offered them everywhere I went.

The Jareed Hotel was beautiful. It was located on the original “boulevard” in town (pretty much a shopping center here in the United States). My room was on the third floor and had a lovely presentation of snacks and water upon my arrival, as well as a note from the concierge. And, more dates, of course …

The first thing I did when I settled in was order minestrone soup from room service and take a hot shower using the waterfall faucet and products from the property.

Throughout my stay in Riyadh, I had the chance to explore the hotel and the boulevard a bit more. There is no alcohol service in Riyadh, but I really enjoyed the mocktail bar on my floor of the Jareed. The bar was called The Living Room and had an extensive snack and mocktail menu to enjoy next to a TV on a couch or outside on the balcony. I loved its take on an espresso martini as well as the English Rose citrus drink.

Some of the other restaurants and shops on the boulevard included a Five Guys burger joint, Starbucks and an ice cream shop called Crème. The boulevard was Instagram-able with murals and neon signs for a good photo op.

Something I found very interesting was the spa menu at the hotel. The mud bath caught my eye; however, for women to enjoy a swimming pool, they must travel to the other end of the boulevard to use the women-only pool, as the only in-house option was for men. This is quite normal in the Middle East but wasn’t something I was used to. I never got a chance to use the women’s facility, but I did take a peek in. I did appreciate how this separation made women feel comfortable in their swim gear.

There is still so much to share, and I look forward to continuing to recount my once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thanks for the continued support.

— Haley Fogarty, advertising manager