Fairmont Makkah or Pullman Zamzam: which Clock Tower hotel?

Both stand in the Abraj Al Bait, the Clock Tower complex at the foot of the Haram, and both open onto the plaza facing King Abdulaziz Gate. The Fairmont is about two minutes closer; otherwise the differences are in the rooms and the views.

The Fairmont, inside the Clock Tower

The hotel is in the Clock Tower itself, about 260 metres from King Abdulaziz Gate. Its rooms are 42 m², with a king bed or two separate beds, and there is a 46 m² triple with three single beds. Guests have a prayer hall of their own, for men and women. Housekeeping keeps the rooms spotless, but at busy times laundry and room service can be slow, so ask early.

Pullman Zamzam, in the Zamzam Tower

It is in the King Abdulaziz Endowment, part of the same complex, about 330 metres from the same gate and joined to a shopping mall. It has 1,301 rooms and suites, many of them recently renovated. Every room is 37 m², with two, three or four single beds. Guests praise the food and the daily housekeeping, though some rooms and bathrooms feel dated.

The view

Many of the Fairmont's rooms look onto the Kaaba, but the view changes from room to room, and from some of them minarets hide part of the Kaaba. The Pullman Zamzam has Haram view rooms with two single beds. A city view room in either tower faces away from the mosque, so book the room whose name gives the view you want.

The walk and the lifts

On the plaza the two are a couple of minutes apart. The lifts make more difference: both towers are busy at prayer times, and at the Pullman Zamzam you change lifts inside the tower on the way up to the hotel and back down. Leave early from either.

Which one suits you?

The Fairmont suits couples, and anyone who wants the shortest walk and a room facing the Kaaba. The Pullman Zamzam suits families and friends who want a bed each in one room.

In the Clock Tower, the higher your floor, the longer the lift wait at prayer times. If that worries you, ask for a lower floor at check-in.