Clock Tower or Jabal Omar: where to stay in Makkah?

Most of Makkah's big international hotels are in two places: the Clock Tower complex, south of the Haram, and the Jabal Omar towers to the west. Both are a short walk from the mosque, but staying in each is quite different.

The Clock Tower: right on the plaza

The Clock Tower complex (Abraj Al Bait) rises straight above the plaza in front of King Abdulaziz Gate. Its hotels have the shortest walks in Makkah, two to seven minutes to the gate with no road to cross, and more rooms looking onto the Haram than anywhere else: the upper floors facing the mosque have Haram and even Kaaba views. There's a large mall at the base, with restaurants open late.

It is also the busiest corner of Makkah. The plaza fills before every prayer, there are queues for the lifts, and prices are higher.

In the front row of the complex, with the complex's lifts taking you straight down to the Haram plaza. Al Shorfa, its 11th-floor terrace, looks onto the Kaaba, and some rooms have Haram or Kaaba views. Bathrooms are small, and some rooms are due for a refresh.

In the Hajar Tower, opening onto the plaza opposite King Abdulaziz Gate. Its renovated rooms take up to four guests and get the best reviews; some of the others are dated. It has five places to eat.

A large hotel in the complex, about seven minutes from the gate. Guests say it suits families, and the rooms that face the Kaaba have beautiful views. It has its own lifts, but going down to the Haram still means changing lifts, which can be slow at prayer times.

Jabal Omar: a few minutes more, and calmer

The Jabal Omar towers stand across from King Fahd Gate, on the west side, and hold several of the best-known international hotels. The walk is four to sixteen minutes, depending on the tower. The rooms here have a partial view at best, part of the mosque seen from the side. Restaurants and shops line the walkways between the towers. The crowds at the door are smaller, and the same standard of hotel usually costs less.

From some towers the way back from the Haram is uphill, and guests at the Hilton Hotel & Convention say it is hard going for older guests and wheelchair users.

Four minutes from King Fahd Gate, above a mall with restaurants and a supermarket. The rooms are spacious, the breakfast buffet is extensive, and guests praise the dinners at Al Forno.

Three connected towers, six minutes from the gate. Guests praise its modern, spacious rooms for families and the buffets at breakfast and dinner. The hotel runs a scheduled bus to and from the Haramain train station.

The furthest of these, about sixteen minutes on foot, but its buses leave for the Haram every few minutes, around the clock. On the skybridge between its two towers, the Sky Musallah is a prayer room for guests that looks over the Haram and the Kaaba.

Which suits you?

The Clock Tower suits a short stay, elderly parents or anyone who can't walk far, and the last ten nights of Ramadan, when you'll want to be as close to the mosque as you can. It is also where the views are. Jabal Omar suits a longer stay, families who would rather keep away from the crowds, and anyone who wants to spend less without dropping a standard.

Whichever you choose, check how far your tower is from the nearest gate. In Jabal Omar the walk varies more from tower to tower than in the Clock Tower.